In 1999, New Zealand Post issued a set of stamps featuring popular household pets like dogs and cats, as well as tying into the upcoming Year of the Rabbit from the Chinese zodiac calendar.
Here are the key details about this New Zealand stamp issue:
Stamp Designs:
- Four stamps depicted different breeds of dogs – a Labrador Retriever, Cocker Spaniel, Miniature Schnauzer and Shetland Sheepdog.
- One stamp showed a Persian cat.
- One stamp featured a rabbit design to represent the upcoming Year of the Rabbit in 2000.
Design Details:
- The dog and cat stamps had photographic portraits of the animals against simple color backgrounds.
- The Year of the Rabbit stamp had an illustration of a rabbit surrounded by stylized clouds and Chinese characters.
- All stamps included the words “New Zealand” and the year “1999”.
Significance:
- This eclectic set combined the popular subjects of household pets and the Chinese zodiac.
- It allowed New Zealand to celebrate the humble joys of dog, cat and rabbit companions.
- The issue appealed to animal topicalists, Chinese culture enthusiasts and general collectors.
- It marked the approaching Year of the Rabbit in an engaging way alongside the pet theme.
While a somewhat whimsical combination, this 1999 release demonstrated how New Zealand Post could take popular subjects like pets and blend them with cultural themes to create an appealing and diverse stamp issue.
