COVER N. 261 - NEW ZEALAND

Postmark: Carried by NZ Post - 4(?).05.2023

Posted on the 4th(?) May; Received on the 12th June 2023

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It has been a while since I got a cover from elsewhere in my mailbox, but today, my friend Mr. Postman finally delivered something more interesting than the water bill (which I haven't managed yet to receive in electronic format), or a complimentary note from the Fiscal authorities, inviting me to contribute to the cause.... 

I also suspect that mail delivery is getting a bit retarded... we've had some holidays around here, and these might have impacted...

The cover I got today was sent by a fellow collector whom I contacted since I knew he would be interested in a commemorative postmark issued by our postal service. Well, the postmark was issued on the 30th may and I still haven't received my cover, so his, which will be sent to quite a distant destination, will take a good handful of days to reach him, I'm sure...

Stamps. left to right:

- Elizabeth II, the most famous monarch of them all, but for the homonymous butterfly, and in her lifetime, the most proliferous Head of State, due to that very British imperial political construction, the Realms of the Commonwealth.

Also during her lifetime, and even if we do not consider the mandatory effigy in all British stamps, Her Majesty the Queen was profusely portrayed in many stamps celebrating such occasions as her birthday, the anniversary of her marriage, her coronation, the several anniversaries associated with it, and so on  and so forth.

Elizabeth II was a monarch that somehow was almost taken for granted... perpetual... everlasting, no matter what crisis shook the foundations of the Monarchy she led (and there were quite a few....) but time is merciless, and  just as it brings swallows and spring, there is no escaping winter, and albeit somewhat unexpectedly, Queen Elizabeth II passed away in 2022, at the rather respectful age of 96.

In 2021, she commemorated her 95th birthday and the fact was once again marked by several commemorative stamp issues, by several Postal Administrations, New Zealand Post being one of them. 

NZ Post issued on 07APR2021 a souvenir sheet comprising four stamps (1.40; 2.70; 3.50; 4.00 NZD), illustrated with photos of the Monarch in various phases of her lifetime, the 1.40 stamp on the cover showing a rather young Elizabeth, with a frank youthful smile on her face.

- Avatar was a blockbuster. and I haven't seen it. Directed by James Cameron of Titanic fame, it cost in excess of 300 million USD to produce but on the first weekend of exhibition it boxed in 232 million USD ... 

I am not particularly keen on movie stamps even if I understand their sellability. This fact notwithstanding I concede that it is rather more justifiable to have New Zealand, where  many of the scenes of the film were shot, issue stamps related to it, than any other country. (To mind comes last year's Portuguese issue of Lord of the Rings stamps, which to me makes as much sense as ...- please fill in the blanks with your preferred absurdity).

On 01MAR2023, New Zealand Post issued a set of 6 stamps (2 x 1.70; 3; 3.80 ; 4.30; 4.50 NZD) also issued in six individual souvenir sheets, themed on Avatar, the movie. 

One of the lesser value stamps can be seen on my cover.

- And the third stamp on the cover brings us full circle to the British monarchy once again, since it celebrates the coronation of Elizabeth's elder child as King Charles III.

On 03MAY2023, three days before the date of his coronation, NZ Post issued a four stamp set, also issued in souvenir sheet format, (1.70; 3,00, 3.80, 4.30 NZD), featuring several images of King Charles.  This set would be complemented by a souvenir sheet issued on 08MAY2023, celebrating the coronation, comprising six stamps with images of the ceremony. Given that the ceremony had taken place just two days before, they must have run the rotary printer to red hot status.... 

The postmark is rather smudged, and I can see no indication of place of posting in it.