New Zealand Health Stamps. 1946 Set 1+½d,2+1d. SG#678-79.Used, no gum. Postmarks are virtually invisible making of them a very fine pair of stamps.

Date of Issue:24 October 1946.

Designer:J Berry, Wellington.

Printer:Waterlow and Sons, England.

Process:Recess printed - Intaglio.  

We see a two colour design for the 1946 health issue. With the fighting of World War II over, in 1946 many soldiers were returning to their families again, in some cases, after being away for a number of years. Some were greeted by children who often they had never seen. This design shows a soldier helping a young child and we can see the setting is a peaceful one with trees and parkland, with boats on the harbour in the background. The background scene was not intended to represent any particular location.

Health stamps are a long-running series of charity stamp issued by New Zealand which include a premium for charitable causes in addition to the charge for postal service. Health stamps were issued annually from 1929 to 2016.

The idea of issuing health stamps in New Zealand originated in the late 1920s. Initial credit is given to a 1926 request by Mr E Nielsen of Norsewood on behalf of his mother that special fundraising for deserving health projects. Letters and articles promoting the idea appeared in newspaper articles in subsequent years, although the official suggestion for the issue of a stamp is credited to the secretary of the Post Office Department, Mr. G. M'Namara.

The stamps were modeled on Christmas Seals, first issued in Denmark in 1904 and subsequently in other countries. While in other countries Christmas Seals were charity labels that could be affixed to mail along with postage stamp, the New Zealand seals combined both postage and charity in a single label.