Pacific stamp box

Yes another error in stamp desig ning. This time Norfolk Island.

On December 14 Norfolk Is land issued a 90c value of the Bi-Centenary of Governor Phillip’s Commission. The wording was incor rect and should have read “Governor Phillip meeting the Home Secretary” and not Home Society.

A corrected version was issued on December 16 as the Philatelic Bureau considered the error needed correcting.

AN INVESTMENT TIP Collect the error as it was only issued for a short time to a limited few. Actually a very attractive collection can be made featur ing the Bi-Centenary issues. Norfolk Island has issued a Bi-Centennial Log Book in which the issues can be housed.

Norfolk Island will, over the next year or two, issue a new Definitive Issue on Scenes of Norfolk Island.

Papua New Guinea has issued an other Pre-Stamped Envelope. This PSE commemorates Christmas 1986 and features the legend of the Hibiscus.

PNG has also issued two attractive Christmas Cards featuring Warkiki and the Sea Monster and How the Cooking Fire Came.

Meanwhile the attractive 1986 Year Album has been issued (the second album so far). Collectors would be advised to obtain one as 10,000 were printed and stocks are moving fast.

Micronesia issued a stamp to com memorate a significant event. On November 4 a 22c stamp was issued to commemorate the first Micronesian Passport.

Trouble brews for Tokelau. It appears the Stampex-Adelaide over print on the 50c Tokelau stamp was done without the approval and know ledge of the New Zealand Postal authorities.

This slip adds further weight to the problems facing the New Zealand Post.

The department \s Itill under pressure over the escape of the mis-spelt Christ mas issue and the donation of a block of four valuable Penny Claret Christ church Exhibition 1906 stamps to raise funds for the 1990 international exhibi tion.

No doubt the Department will crack down on Tokelau who seemed to have taken philatelic matters into their own hands. (My thanks to the Australian Stamp Monthly for this item).

Pitcairn Islands relies heavily on the sale of postage stamps for its income.

The island’s recent paper reports on

falling stamps sales around the world.

Careful to separate itself from those countries producing “labels”) i.e. huge numbers of stamps not sold over post office counters but through mail order, the postal authorities report that only four issues a year are released and for only a limited period. All unsold stocks are burned.

(You may remember a special stamp issue was released featuring a picture of the “stamp bum”) Stamp destruction certificates are issued to show the value of stamps destroyed.

One example given was that of the Queen Elizabeth 2 60th Birthday issue in which $NZ24,411.85 worth of stamps were destroyed. My thanks to John Carter for this item.

Pope John Paul ll’s visit to the South Pacific has been commemorated with overprints. Cook Islands overprinted a limited number of Christmas stamps on November 21 commemorating the Pope’s first visit to the South Pacific.

Each stamp was overprinted with a surtax for the benefit of the charitable works of the various churches of the Cook Islands. The Cook Islands Christ mas stamps featured “Virgin with Child” paintings by Peter Paul Rubens.

Niue issued its Christmas set of stamps on November 14. A set of four stamps was issued featuring four 16th Century paintings of the Virgin and Child presently in the Vatican Museum.

Two miniature sheets were also issued featuring these paintings together.