Focus magazine number 70, October 2020

October 2020 | Issue 70

New Zealand Bear Hunt Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Peter McIntyre’s World War Two Ross Dependency 2020 - Seasons of Scott Base

Contents Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games......................................................... 3 We’re going on a care hunt.......................................................4-5 Recent stamp issues...................................................................6-7 Peter McIntyre’s World War Two.............................................8-9 Upcoming stamp issues.............................................................. 10 Upcoming stamps from Tokelau.............................................. 11 International stamps.................................................................... 11 Extremes of light and darkness.......................................... 12-13 Recent coin issues........................................................................ 14 New precious metal products................................................... 15

Cover image: Lubert, New Zealand Bear Hunt.

Focus is produced by New Zealand Post's Stamps and Coins team and brings you news and background information on stamps, coins and other products.

To subscribe to Focus and join the New Zealand Post mailing list, please tick the appropriate box when you complete the order form in this issue, or contact the Collectables and Solutions Centre: FreePost No.1 New Zealand Post Collectables and Solutions Centre Private Bag 3001 Whanganui 4541 New Zealand Ph: +64 6 349 1234 You can find out more about our stamps, coins and other products and order online at: nzpost.co.nz/stamps nzcoins.co.nz nzpost.co.nz/personalisedstamps From here you can also subscribe to our email updates on the latest stamp, coin and other products on offer from New Zealand Post.

You can also view a list of all philatelic clubs and societies and their contact details.

This issue of Focus has been printed on Neo Satin paper from B&F Papers. B&F Papers is committed to being an environmentally responsible company with Forest Stewardship Council® and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification.

ISSN 1177-729X (Print) ISSN 2703-4569 (Online)

Kia ora, welcome!

In this global pandemic environment, the world seems somehow to be simultaneously at a standstill and changing dramatically every day. By October, New Zealand will have endured its second partial lockdown after several wonderful weeks of what felt like, for the most part, normal life. Back in May, the collective community effort to lift spirits during the first lockdown was commemorated with the New Zealand Bear Hunt stamp issue, featuring images sourced from households around New Zealand. In the spirit of community care, $3 from the sale of each sheet went to New Zealand Red Cross, raising over $18,000 for an organisation that helps some of our most vulnerable residents.

During the brief reprieve between COVID-19 outbreaks in New Zealand, we were able to celebrate Matariki, the Māori New Year. New Zealand Post issues stamps each year around this time, when the Matariki star cluster appears in the sky and celebrations focused on remembering the past, celebrating the present and planning for the future take place across the country, although fewer festive events took place this year.

This year’s issue highlighted the story of the four winds - ngā hau e whā.

Also celebrating the Māori worldview, the Māori Language Week stamp issue coincided with a second annual celebration.

The endangered Māori language has enjoyed a revival in recent years, and Te Wiki o te Reo Māori is becoming a major fixture in the national calendar. This initiative aims to create a positive environment for the use of the language, including its daily use by non-Māori speakers. Many words have become common among all New Zealanders - greeting each other with ‘kia ora’ or describing work as mahi. The theme for 2020 was ‘Kia Kaha te Reo Māori’ - kia kaha is well understood in New Zealand English with its meaning of ‘be strong’. Our stamp issue highlights four commonly used words - aroha (love), whānau (family), tāne (man) and wahine (woman).

In July, Kiwi Cakes and Bakes celebrated iconic Kiwi baked goods - items like pavlova, cheese rolls and Anzac Biscuits.

During World War One, women would post parcels of biscuits to men serving overseas, and the acronym ANZAC was applied to the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps in 1914. The crisp, golden oatmeal biscuits did not acquire their name until they appeared as Anzac Crispies in the 1919 edition of the St Andrew’s Cookery Book. Anzac Biscuits live on in both countries.

To mark the 75th anniversary of the end of World War Two, New Zealand Post issued stamps in August featuring the iconic works of Peter McIntyre, New Zealand’s official war artist. For this issue of Focus , we were delighted to interview McIntyre’s son and fellow artist, Simon McIntyre, about his father’s legacy.

Finally, our Ross Dependency issue for 2020, Seasons of Scott Base, celebrates the seasonal skyscapes of Antarctica, with a twist. With this issue of Focus you’ll also find out more about our latest stamp and coin issues and what’s coming up for the remainder of 2020.

I hope you enjoy this issue of Focus.

Please note:

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The finished products may differ from those illustrated in this newsletter.

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Focus may not illustrate all stamp, coin and collectable products that are featured in this issue or that appear in the order form.

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Artwork and articles from Focus may not be extracted for reprinting without prior permission from New Zealand Post's Stamps and Collectables Business. For more information and to request permission, please contact the Design Co-ordinator, Stamps and Collectables Business, Private Bag 39990, Wellington Mail Centre, Lower Hutt 5045.

Antony Harris Head of Stamps and Coins

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New Zealand’s teams have always faced the world as high-performing underdogs, including at the summer Olympic Games every four years. The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games were set to be no exception. With more athletes than ever preparing to participate, and a set of new Olympic sports like surfing offering more opportunities to show the world what we’re made of, the postponement of this Games was a disappointment for many of our athletes and Olympic followers alike.

Nevertheless, the New Zealand Team carries on, striving to meet the challenge at the renewed dates in July and August 2021. To support our athletes and celebrate the milestone of 100 years since the first New Zealand Olympic Team set off to represent Kiwis on the world stage, we have issued a set of commemorative stamps focusing on six sports in which New Zealand athletes are preparing to participate.

Focus issue 70 - October 2020

Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

Although postponed to 2021, the Games will retain the moniker of Tokyo 2020. While much of the world is on hold, along with our athletes we look towards the future with this stamp issue.

These stamps have been designed to reflect the New Zealand Team’s Tokyo 2020 campaign. Athletes are represented in a Japanese ink painting style, with the silhouettes of some of New Zealand’s Olympians. Do you recognise any of them?

Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games collectables were issued on 7 October 2020. Stamps, miniature sheets and presentation packs are available now, as well as a range of commemorative coins.

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We’re going on a care hunt Within days of the first COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020, Kiwis nationwide found themselves participating in a national bear hunt. By placing toys in their windows to show each other they were still connected, people created a magical experience for children and families on their daily walks. Facilitated by a call-out on social media, the New Zealand Bear Hunt stamps sought to commemorate this extraordinary collective effort. Among the hundreds of entries were many beloved bears with storied pasts. Only six bears could make it onto the stamps, but some runners-up stood out.

Old and Young “The bear on the left was at the top of my stocking on Christmas morning 74 years ago. Very well loved, he has a vest on to hide his shaved tummy which I did when he was about seven years old to see if the hair would grow back. He has not got much hair left now, as we get older our hair thins out, has lost an eye recently as well, when we left South Africa I could not leave him behind, that was eighteen years ago.

The other bear is one I made here in New Zealand about ten years ago. They have become great friends.”

Teddy “This is Teddy. He is 52 years old. He is NZ made, hand knitted, and my mum bought it for me when I was a new baby from a school gala sale. He was small enough to clasp in my hands as a new baby and since then Teddy has continued to travel alongside me through the ups and downs in my life.

He has been part of my Hokitika bubble and has stayed home during alert level 4, and avoided COVID-19 and saved lives! He is still going strong and will remain well behaved under alert level 3.”

Blue Ted “This is Blue Ted, he is 16. The story goes he was living on the side of the road at Lowburn. On our way home to Wanaka from Dunedin Hospital after giving birth to a baby boy, we were pulled over by a police officer for speeding. Blue Ted spotted us as he was looking for a child to love. This is when he entered our lives.

He has gone everywhere with his child and is in every photo taken of the child over the years. He often went missing only to be found in some interesting places; the dog kennel, compost heap and once went missing for several months and every night became a scene going to bed as the child was distraught without Blue Ted. We actually tried to get another one (he actually came free with Huggies nappies!) but of course years had passed & they no longer supplied them. We even advertised him as missing in the hope someone found him.

Months later he was finally found inside a lounge cushion! The celebration was bigger than Christmas. Over the years he has of course lost all his fur & been drawn on & mended but is still loved enormously and now is sending his love out to all who pass his window & stay safe in your bubble.”

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“MacDougal a bear of distinction. Dougal has been in my life for 76 years. He was bought into the Kawateri maternity home Westport the day I was born.

My grandparents bought it for me. He has seen many tragedies. The Murchison earthquake 1968, the two Christchurch earthquakes and now this pandemic. He keeps many of my secrets over the years in his furry stuffed head.

When I unpack him from many if our shifts l say, ‘Welcome home old bear, old friend. You are never forgotten.’

Focus issue 70 - October 2020

MacDougal

Isolation has been a time of reflection for me, often my thoughts and feeling voiced to Dougal. He never questions me.

Over the years he has been stoic and caring. With only one eye now he is still focused on his surroundings. Despite not seeing family and grandchildren, cooking and writing short stories as a means of recording this pandemic, to gift to my family has been a productive exercise. Dougal has learned the Māori launage over the years and he says Kia Mihi to all New Zealanders.”

Grandma’s Coat “These two bears are made from my grandmother’s old fur coat. Grandma was born in 1900. Her eldest daughter, born 1929, made these two, plus six others, by hand, and gave them to family members. I have two because my sister didn’t treasure hers like I do.

Grandma went through both world wars, the depression, Napier earthquake and died in 1971. So this coat and the bears could tell us alot if they could only talk.”

The sell-out New Zealand Bear Hunt stamp sheet was issued on 20 May, with $3 from each sale donated to New Zealand Red Cross. Read about the starring bears at nzpost.co.nz/bearhunt

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Recent stamp issues New Zealand Bear Hunt

During the COVID-19 lockdown, New Zealand families were entertained and delighted by the phenomenon of the bear hunt. Through the simple act of putting teddy bears in the windows of their homes or other creative locations, New Zealanders were able to participate in creating a magical experience during a stressful time.

This sheet of six stamps included a $3 donation to New Zealand Red Cross, raising over $18,000.

Date of issue: 20 May 2020 Designer: Cam Price, New Zealand Post, Wellington, New Zealand Printer: Collectables and Solutions Centre, New Zealand Post, Whanganui, New Zealand Withdrawal date: 19 May 2021

Ngā Hau e Whā - The Four Winds

This year, in celebration of Matariki, we highlighted stories associated with Ngā Hau e Whā or the Four Winds.

The four winds are Te Hau Rāwhiti (the easterly), Te Hau-ā-uru (the westerly), Te Hau Tonga (the southerly) and Te Hau Raki (the northerly).

Hau can mean air, breath or aura, but it is best known as wind.

Date of issue: 3 June 2020 Designer: Dave Burke, Tauranga, New Zealand Printer: Southern Colour Print by offset lithography Withdrawal date: 2 June 2021

Kiwi Cakes & Bakes Treats like afghans, custard squares and pavlova are all familiar to New Zealanders. The stamps in this issue present some local and regional favourites, some recipes from abroad, and others that were locally invented. Wherever their origins, the best recipes can be the ones passed down the generations or from friend to friend.

This issue celebrates classic baked treats - favourites found in the little local cake shop or lovingly made at home.

Each stamp features a different item, presented as a work of art in the bakery window.

Date of issue: 1 July 2020 Designer: Graeme Mowday, Wellington, New Zealand Printer: Southern Colour Print by offset lithography Withdrawal date: 30 June 2021

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In January 1941, Peter McIntyre was appointed New Zealand’s official war artist by Major General Bernard Freyberg. From 1941 to 1945, McIntyre shadowed the life of New Zealand’s Second Expeditionary Force on manoeuvres and at the front. Each stamp in this issue depicts a painting from a different location, showcasing the breadth of McIntyre’s service as New Zealand’s official war artist. McIntyre’s paintings depicted critical moments on the battlefield and at the rear guard in Greece, Egypt, Italy and Tunisia, as New Zealand troops followed orders.

Focus issue 70 - October 2020

Peter McIntyre’s World War Two

Date of issue: 5 August 2020 Designer: Nicky Dyer, Wellington, New Zealand Printer: Southern Colour Print by offset lithography Withdrawal date: 4 August 2021

Te Wiki o te Reo Māori Māori Language Week Te reo Māori is an official language of Aotearoa New Zealand. Since 1975, New Zealand has celebrated an annual Māori Language Week, with seven days focused on the language’s revitalisation.

The Māori Language Commission and other advocates encourage the daily use of Māori words, and many have become common among all Kiwis.

Alongside other words and phrases, aroha, whānau, tāne and wahine are well used across Aotearoa.

Date of issue: 2 September 2020 Designer: Dave Burke, Tauranga, New Zealand Printer: Southern Colour Print by offset lithography Withdrawal date: 1 September 2021

Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

In 1920 the first New Zealand Olympic Team marched under the New Zealand flag in Antwerp, Belgium. Four athletes competed in black singlets with the silver fern emblem hand-sewn over their hearts. For more than 100 years, over 1,000 Olympians have competed, providing memorable moments, triumphs, pioneering efforts, near misses and hard-luck stories. The Games have survived world wars, boycotts and controversy, and although delayed, they are on track to continue beyond the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Date of issue: 7 October 2020 Designer: Hannah Fortune, New Zealand Post, Wellington, New Zealand Printer: Southern Colour Print by offset lithography Withdrawal date: 6 October 2021

Ross Dependency - Seasons of Scott Base

This set of stamps highlights the different states of light captured in winter, spring, summer and autumn in Antarctica, with heat-activated ink revealing the stunning sights of the southern skies.

Thermochromic ink has been applied to these stamps, giving them a majority black finish, with a transparent fingerprint offering a glimpse beneath the darkness. The viewer must warm the stamp to reveal the magic of Antarctic seasons.

Date of issue: 7 October 2020 Designer: Cam Price, New Zealand Post, Wellington, New Zealand Printer: Southern Colour Print by offset lithography Withdrawal date: 6 October 2021

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Peter McIntyre’s World War Two The year 2020 marks both the 75th anniversary of the end of World War Two and 25 years since the passing of Peter McIntyre. From his appointment as New Zealand’s official war artist in 1941 until the end of the war, McIntyre shadowed the life of New Zealand’s Second Expeditionary Force. He is remembered today as one of the most significant New Zealand artists of the 20th century. Simon McIntyre, fellow artist and son of Peter, talks here about his father’s legacy.

What inspires you about your father’s art?

Having a father as an artist means that I have been surrounded by art all my life. That in itself is inspiring, and led me to believe I too could be an artist. But there are so many other attributes my father demonstrated: extraordinary skills that were evident in his early drawings and later honed at the Slade School of Art in London; and a beautiful sensitivity to materials, no matter what medium, subject or scale he worked in. His work ethic was phenomenal – he painted every day and often had no idea what day of the week it was. He quietly modelled what it was to be an artist and celebrated my decision to go to art school.

What is a favourite piece of yours and why?

Such a hard question, but I often come back to two paintings we live with in our Devonport home. One is the cover of Peter McIntyre’s New Zealand. Painted in the 1960s, it depicts two Māori children in the landscape of Kākahi with the marae in the background. It is a classic McIntyre work of that period – powerful, empathetic and made with obvious fondness for the children and the place. He loved Kākahi and the people of the King Country deeply and that fed much of his output in the second half of his life. These were the paintings that resonated so strongly with New Zealanders and made him a household name. The other go-to painting for me is anything but typical McIntyre. It is based on the Australian outback, which is 8

emphasised through the use of a magnificent deep orange. But it is also the most ‘abstract’ body of work he ever made. The shapes and colours of the outback allowed him some artistic licence to enjoy playing with composition and pictorial space, to float objects and figures in that space. The paintings are little known because he only exhibited them in Australia.

Which of the Peter McIntyre’s World War Two stamps resonates with you the most?

I love all his war work, but in this group I find it hard to go past General Hospital, Crete. In his autobiography, The Painted Years, he tells a fantastic story of sitting in the scrub on Crete, sketching a watercolour of German parachutists landing on the town of Galatos nearby. Another Kiwi soldier crashed through the undergrowth, looked at Peter, did a double take, shook his head and declared, “She’s right, Dig. P’raps I’m nuts”!

Does your family have any other significant connections to World War Two? The other most significant connection for the family was with my uncle, Douglas Fraser, who also fought in World War Two. He was critically wounded on Crete and became a prisoner of war in Germany, where he credited a German doctor with saving his life. In later years, Peter and Douglas spent hours on our cottage front lawn, drinking coffee or wine and talking about the war. nzpost.co.nz/stamps

the launch of her book, Observations of a Rural Nurse. The photographs and the book have attracted an incredible response from critics and members of the public alike.

Sara’s work is an intimate reflection on King Country life and traverses a lot of the same territory as Peter McIntyre’s 1972 book, Kākahi, but through photography and her own vision.

Despite his tremendously successful career, I can’t help thinking that he would have gained just as much enjoyment from the impact his legacy left on the McIntyre whānau. If he were alive today he would be amazed at how many of the whānau have not only built careers in art, but also excelled in their various disciplines. He did get to see me become a professional, exhibiting artist and I loved his support, which was unwavering, despite the fact that we worked at different ends of the painting spectrum!

How would you like Peter McIntyre to be remembered by New Zealanders?

I have been joined in the artist ranks by my daughter Emma, who recently moved to Los Angeles on a Fulbright Scholarship after establishing herself as an exciting emerging artist in New Zealand. She is now studying for her Master of Fine Arts at ArtCenter in Pasedena. My nephew Matthew McIntyre Wilson is a highly acclaimed object maker, weaver and jeweller with numerous works in Te Papa’s collection. Finally my sister Sara recently had an exhibition of her photographs at the Sarjeant Gallery in Whanganui, which both supported and celebrated

Focus issue 70 - October 2020

Has your father’s legacy affected his descendants?

As a great painter and one of the most important New Zealand artists of the 20th century. Initially as a war artist and then post-war he made New Zealanders realise that art could be more than a Brueghel print, that they could connect with it and live with it. He painted New Zealand in a way that people could absolutely relate to. His book, Peter McIntyre’s New Zealand, graced the coffee table of thousands of New Zealand homes in the 1960s. He was also multi-talented – at various stages of his career he was a writer, a commentator, a cartoonist, a theatre designer and an illustrator. He capped that off by singlehandedly building the family home in Wellington! In short he was an artist who made a difference.

A lifetime’s timeline Left Dunedin for London aged 19 in 1929.

Lived in London through the depression years working as a stage designer and illustrator.

Appointed as the NZ Official War Artist a year into the war.

Produced eight books in total starting with The Painted Years and followed by; Peter McIntyre’s New Zealand, Peter McIntyre’s Pacific, Peter McIntyre’s West, Kākahi, Peter McIntyre: War Artist, Peter McIntyre’s Wellington and McIntyre Country.

Died 11 September 1995 in Wellington.

Born 4 July 1910 in Dunedin.

Studied at the Slade 1929-1932.

Joined the NZ Division at the outbreak of WWII and served as a gunner in Egypt.

Returned to NZ after the war and became a full-time artist at a time when very few New Zealanders were buying original art.

The Peter McIntyre’s World War Two stamps and collectables were issued on 5 August 2020. Stamps, miniature sheets and presentation packs are available now.

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Upcoming stamp issues Christmas 2020 - Issue date: 4 November 2020 The Christmas stamps for 2020 tell the Nativity story through four beautiful stained-glass-window-inspired illustrations, with a magnificent twist.

For the first time ever, New Zealand Post has created an interactive experience with stamps. Simply download the Magenta app onto your smartphone and use it to scan each stamp for an augmented reality experience. The viewer is guided through the story as the stamps highlight the symbolism of the annunciation, the birth of Jesus, the star of Bethlehem and the wise men’s gifts.

Date of issue: 4 November 2020 Designer: Jon Ward, New Zealand Post, Wellington, New Zealand Printer: Southern Colour Print, Dunedin

2021 Year of the Ox - Issue date: 2 December 2020 The 2021 Year of the Ox stamps take inspiration from the Chinese Nianhua poster tradition. These posters are created specifically to commemorate the arrival of a new year. The style of the posters has its origins in woodblock printing made popular during the Ming dynasty. Back then, various motifs were used, from portraits of immortal gods to illustrations of mythical stories and depictions of beautiful babies. By referencing the Nianhua poster, the stamps create a connection between Chinese New Zealanders and the ancient cultural practices of mainland China.

Date of issue: 2 December 2020 Designer: Ying-Min Chu, Wellington, New Zealand Printer: Southern Colour Print, Dunedin

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Tokelau Kilihimahi 2020 As it does for Christians worldwide, in Tokelau Christmas marks the birth of Jesus. Combining traditional motifs, the green and blue hues of the Pacific ocean and the beauty of Tokelau’s natural surroundings, the elements of these beautiful stamps tell the Christmas story while capturing the vibrant environment and traditions of Tokelau.

Focus issue 70 - October 2020

Upcoming stamps from Tokelau

Date of issue: 4 November 2020 Designer: Cam Price, New Zealand Post, Wellington, New Zealand Printer: Collectables and Solutions Centre, New Zealand Post, Whanganui, New Zealand Withdrawal date: 3 November 2021

International stamps Hong Kong Hong Kong 24 Solar Terms - Spring Date of issue: 4 February 2020 First day cover with gummed souvenir sheet affixed $4.20

Pitcairn Islands Pitcairn The Moby Dick Story Date of issue: 28 February 2020

Set of six gummed stamps $3.10

Gummed souvenir sheet $3.10

Gummed miniature sheet $12.10

First day cover with six gummed stamps affixed $4.20

First day cover with set of six gummed stamps affixed $7.30

First day cover with four gummed stamps affixed $14.00

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Extremes of light and darkness Each year, New Zealand Post issues a set of stamps on behalf of the Ross Dependency. Cam Price joined the New Zealand Post design team earlier this year, and has created this year’s Ross Dependency issue focusing on the spectacular seasonal skyscapes of the southern skies. Cam sat down to tell us a little about himself, his approach to design and his creation of a stamp issue with a difference.

What’s your background as a designer?

I graduated from Victoria University of Wellington with a Postgraduate Diploma in Interior Architecture and a Bachelor of Architectural Studies, but found myself naturally moving towards a career that centred on graphic design.

I have since found myself designing for companies that range from a small graphic and web agency to a national retail brand, a disruptive tech-based power company, and now as a designer at New Zealand Post.

What’s your approach to design and why do you enjoy it?

No matter the medium I always seek to create clean, clever designs. Ever since I can remember I have loved solving problems and seeing the process of how things come together (I always thought I’d be a builder, which is like jigsaw puzzles for adults), so it feels somewhat natural to do that for a job but in a beautiful, highly crafted way. On top of looking at the details of a project I always try to apply a holistic approach to my way of working, not getting too wrapped up in the specific project I’m engaged in but approaching from a wider audience view.

I think another key part of my design approach is taking inspiration from everywhere, regardless of whether it’s design related. A lecturer who played a big role in my development at university always encouraged us to take inspiration from everywhere. We’d end up taking apart mechanical objects from computers or musical instruments, playing with their scale and seeing how they could be used as occupiable space. It encouraged us to not think of design as being one-dimensional - just because you are an architect you don’t have to be limited to architecture. I’ve held on to that through the years and try to apply it to my everyday thinking.

Seasons of Scott Base was issued on 7 October 2020. Stamps, miniature sheets, first day covers, presentation packs and Limited Editions are available now.

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Aside from the obvious tiny scale of the canvas (which I think is a great constraint that makes you take a completely different approach), I think the beauty of designing a set of stamps is you get to properly step into the role of a storyteller. Often designers work within a rigid framework of brand guidelines or company templates, but that all gets passed out the door with stamps.

What inspired you to design these stamps with thermochromic ink?

The brief for this issue was to explore the seasons of Scott Base and the role that the sun’s position throughout the year plays in crafting them. With a bit of research it became clear that the seasons were more about light and the lack of it than the seasons as we know them around the rest of the world.

While Jonny Harrison’s photos spectacularly capture the result of this, I wanted to highlight the experience that goes with the seasons.

After throwing a few ideas around with a colleague about stamps that could morph with the seasons or a lenticular finish that would capture a light and dark scene, it became clear that a product like thermochromic ink would help to

capture the relationship between perpetual light and darkness while using heat to bring to life the role light plays in creating the seasons at Scott Base.

The four stamps in this set bring to life the seasonal experiences Jonny captured while staying at Scott Base. He Highlights the role that light and the lack of it play in creating the magical show that is the seasons of Scott Base. Seasons as we traditionally know them aren’t so apparent at Scott Base.

Summer won’t blast you with baking temperatures and autumn doesn’t bring rust-painted leaves drifting in the wind - at Scott Base seasons are defined by long periods of a sun that never sets in summer and perpetual darkness, smeared with dancing auroras in winter, broken by transitional seasons that bring glowing twilight hues throughout the day.

Focus issue 70 - October 2020

What makes designing stamps different from other kinds of design work?

If you had the chance to visit Scott Base, who would you take and what would you do?

This is a bit selfish but I’d probably spend so much time trying to photograph the landscapes that I don’t think anyone would want to hang out with me down there. So maybe my partner she’s come to understand it over the years and just does her own thing - or a photographer who could teach me a few lessons while we’re there.

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Recent coin issues WWII 75 Years - Remembrance The year 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of the end of World War Two. The Remembrance 2oz silver proof coin is a reminder of the impacts of World War Two - the war took the life of one in every 150 New Zealanders.

It changed the landscape of New Zealand society, and those impacts are still apparent today. This coin commemorates this anniversary with a wreath of native New Zealand flora.

Date of issue: June 2020 Designer: Nicky Dyer, Wellington, New Zealand Mint: The Commonwealth Mint Worldwide mintage: 750

Ngā Hau e Whā - The Four Winds

Matariki is the Māori New Year. It’s a time where we can take stock of the year that has passed, plan for the future and to be thankful for what we have. To celebrate Matariki in 2020, we presented the story of Ngā Hau e Whā | The Four Winds through premium gold and silver four-coin sets.

Each coin represents one of the four winds. Te Hau Rāwhiti, the easterly,. Te Hau Tonga, the southerly, Te Hau ā Uru, the westerly, and Te Hau Raki, the northerly.

Date of issue: July 2020 Designer: Dave Burke, Tauranga, New Zealand Mint: BH Mayer’s Kunstprägeanstalt GmbH Worldwide mintage: 4 x silver proof coins: 500 sets 4 x gold proof coins: 75 sets

WWII 75 Years - Peace Japan’s surrender marked the true end of World War Two for New Zealanders. This 1oz silver proof coin evokes the sights and sounds of this day, when citizens across the country celebrated with civic thanksgiving events, church services, parades, band performances, community singing, sporting events, dances and bonfires.

The fine detail of the newspaper text can be clearly read when magnified.

Issued to commemorate this 75th anniversary, this highly detailed coin minted by The Commonwealth Mint, United Kingdom is a must-have for any World War Two collection.

Date of issue: August 2020 Designer: Nicky Dyer, Wellington, New Zealand Mint: BH Mayer’s Kunstprägeanstalt GmbH Worldwide mintage: 750

Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games In 1920 the first New Zealand Olympic Team marched under the New Zealand flag in Antwerp, Belgium. Four athletes competed in black singlets with the silver fern emblem hand-sewn over their hearts. The fern continues to inspire New Zealanders of today, as it has done for 100 years.

It will do so again, at Tokyo 2020.

This October, New Zealand Post was proud to issue a range of commemorative coins to mark this milestone and support our team as they persevere with their preparations for the postponed Games.

Date of issue: October 2020 Designer: Nicky Dyer, Wellington, New Zealand Mint: BH Mayer’s Kunstprägeanstalt GmbH Worldwide mintage: 1oz silver proof coin: 1,500 ½oz gold proof coin: 150 Brilliant uncircualted coin: 3,000 100g silver proof coin: 100 Set of two silver coins: 400 sets

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NZ Road Signs silver proof medallions

Focus issue 70 - October 2020

New precious metal products New Zealand Post’s first-ever silver proof medallions celebrate the quirky and iconic road signs of Aotearoa. Premiering New Zealand Post’s own unique obverse design, these 0.999 silver limited-edition medallions were the first product in a new line of silver proof commemorative collectables.

Each of these ½oz silver proof medallions is an homage to one of New Zealand’s unique road signs, with distinctive yellow diamonds brought to life by a photographic image of a bird. The kiwi is a New Zealand icon - recognised worldwide for its distinctive shape, long beak and lack of conspicuous wings. Lesser known internationally but often seen by New Zealand’s roadsides, the pūkeko’s distinctive silhouette features on signs in parts of the North Island and on the west coast of the South Island. Little penguin signs are dotted along most of New Zealand’s coastline.

Date of issue: June 2020 Designer: Nicky Dyer, Wellington, New Zealand Mint: The Commonwealth Mint Worldwide mintage: 300

Ross Dependency 2020 silver proof medallion The spectacular Aurora Australis, the southern lights, can be seen throughout the four-month winter night in Antarctica, and is celebrated here with a first-time 0.999 silver medallion.

The reverse of this medallion features a stunning image captured by Scott Base electrician Jonny Harrison. The tractor in the foreground is captured in 3D relief, with the sky above semi-frosted and colour printed. The metal shines through the ink to evoke the shimmering effects of the lights in the night sky. The obverse features the elegant logo of Antarctica New Zealand, with the outer ring mirrored, and with raised, semi-frosted text.

Date of issue: June 2020 Designer: Nicky Dyer, Wellington, New Zealand Mint: Sunshine Mint Inc, USA Worldwide mintage: 500

Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games silver ingot New Zealand’s Olympic history began in earnest in 1908, at the London Games, when the New Zealand athletes were part of an Australasian team.

However, 2020 marks a century since the first New Zealand Team wore the fern at the Olympic Games in Antwerp, Belgium in 1920.

This stunning, officially licensed ingot features the New Zealand Team’s rallying cry ‘Earn the Fern’ in katakana and the New Zealand Olympic Team’s logo on the reverse, and the metal quantity and New Zealand Post logo on the obverse.

Date of issue: June 2020 Designer: Nicky Dyer, Wellington, New Zealand Mint: Sunshine Mint Inc, USA Worldwide mintage: 1,000

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