[?]he Tongan Issue

[?]Father Designed [?]age Stamps [?]he Tongan Issue of 1897

By J. D. Whitcombe

E Tongan issue of 1897 was de signed by my late father, C. D.

Whitcombe, who was then Min of Foreign Affairs to the Gov lent of Tonga. The scenes em sd were photographed by Mr. sa Martin, of Auckland, le id bore the Tonga Coat of s. The Id depicted an ova tree, growing close to the old Free :ch of Tonga, Nukualofa, and is under this tree that the Rev. . Watkin conducted one of his services after the Methodists taken over the Free Church.

Rev. Watkin died a few months e 2d. depicted King George u II soon after his coronation, e 3d. was of the Haamonga or lehenge” stones, one of the s of Nukualofa, e 6d. was a photo of a collec of coral taken in our sitting at Nukualofa, e 4d. bore a bunch of bread e 2/- depicted King George ►u’s keel yacht The Crown, i off the islands of Kao and a in the Haapai Group. She the first keel yacht to sail fan waters and was built by a ng Auckland boat builder, e 2/6 depicted the Tongan )t or Kaka, found mainly on sland of Eua. e 5/- carried a view of the tiful harbour of Vavau.