Pacific stamp box

The Papua New Guinea Philatelic Bureau advises that the new address for the Mailing Point in New Zealand is P.0.80x 13342, Johnsonville, New Zealand. The Crown Agents have sold a 49 per cent interest in Crown Agents Philatelic Corporation (U.S.A.) to Stan ley Gibbons Inc. The sale is explained as ’’part of the company’s re-organisa tion,” but there is so far not very much informatiom about what, if anything, Stanley Gibbons, the massive philatelic dealer, intends to do with its acquisi tion.

Collectors will now be looking for the three multi-colored Cook Islands stamps commemorating the Second South Pacific Mini Games, held at Rarotonga from July 31 to August 9, 1985. The stamps feature three of the events which were held: golf, tennis and rugby, and were issued on July 29, both individually and as a miniature sheet. A surtax of 10 cents was charged on the miniature sheet with proceeds going to help finance the games.

Niue has also issued a set of four stamps commemorating the Games.

Cook Islands has also issued a set of three stamps, each commemorating one of the three Pacific Islands Confer ences to which they played host during what was one of the busiest periods of diplomatic, political and sporting activ ity ever seen in the country. The three conferences, run from July 30 through to August 10, were the South Pacific Forum, the South Pacific Bureau for Economic Cooperation’s annual meet ing, and the Pacific Islands Conference.

Tonga issued a set of five stamps on June 18 to mark the 175th anniversary of the departure of Will Mariner, a 13-year-old lad who found his way to

Tonga. He was befriended by Chief Finau and later became a Tongan chief.

However, he became home-sick and returned to England. There he became a book keeper, married and later drowned in the Thames river. The story of his voyage to Tonga, and his subsequent rise in Tongan society, is one of the most fascinating tales of European adventuring in the Pacific.

Philatelists will also be interested to know that the Tonga Philatelic Bureau claims that the Will Mariner issue is the most advanced form of postage stamp yet issued because of a new compute rised perforation process. Tonga has again used ”peel-off” self-adhesive stock for this very colorful issue, pro duced for them by Salsall Security Printers, Ltd., of England. Solomon Islands has issued a set of four stamps aimed at raising awareness of the country’s links with Japan. Individual stamps show a Japanese-built tele phone exchange, a fishing vessel (Solo mon Islands has a joint venture with Taiyo Fishing Company of Tokyo), a

Japanese shrine and a coastal village scene. Background notes on the scenic stamp indicate it is of a view tourists like to capture on their Japanese made cameras. Cynics say that Christmas these days starts half a dozen shopping days into January. That isn’t quite right, but it does seem to get earlier and earlier, particularly in the stamp busi ness. New Zealand has won the prize for being first off the mark this year with its Christmas stamps which were issued on September 18. The issue is of three stamps, 18, 40 and 50 cents, in strong solid colors, depicting the Nativity and three stylised angels.