2005/2017 Year of the Rooster



2017 - Year of the Rooster.



         The Year of the Rooster will begin on 28 January, 2017 and will be celebrated in New Zealand and around the world. The rooster is the tenth animal in the Chinese zodiac and those born in the Year of the Rooster are loyal, trustworthy, observant and keen to offer their opinions to those around them. Character traits associated with the Rooster include confidence, courageousness and resourcefulness.

        NZ Post issued this set of four values along with the usual Miniature Sheet and First Day Covers. There were the usual collector's items such as plate blocks, value blocks and full sheets. Also, an attractive presentation pack could be purchased as well. The highlight of the collector items was a numbered and framed gold foil miniature sheet.  

     
  The photo to the left was taken at the 2016 Chinese New Year - Lantern Festival.





The Stamps.

$1.00 - Calligraphy.
The red colour of this stamp represents the traditional colour of Chinese New Year, which mirrors the positive holiday atmosphere. The calligraphic character of ‘rooster’ has been designed in a ‘paint-brush’ style and can be seen as a decorative element throughout Chinese New Year celebrations. The cloud patterns are employed extensively in all four stamp designs, and reference New Zealand as ‘the land of the long white cloud’.

$1.80 - Paper-cut Rooster
One of the commonly used decorations for Chinese New Year is paper-cutting, which can be found everywhere from shop windows to private homes. The intricate art of paper-cutting dates back thousands of years in
China, and the rooster depicted in this paper-cut symbolises a vibrant and positive start to the day. The Maori motifs incorporated into the paper-cut bring the diverse Maori and Chinese cultures together.

$2.20 - The Rooster
This illustrated rooster is rich with colour and incorporates various Maori and Pacific patterns, including koru, that are symbolic of new life. The black colour in the design reflects New Zealand’s national identity, and blends harmoniously with the red tones that are popular in Chinese culture. The attractive-looking rooster reacts the pride that those born in the Year of the Rooster take in their appearance.

$2.70 - Lantern Festival
The Auckland War Memorial Museum is located in Auckland Domain, which in 2016 was the venue for the Lantern Festival. Hundreds of handmade Chinese lanterns were displayed in front of the Domain and more than 100,000 people attended. The festivities included
on-stage performances and Chinese art, handicrafts and delicacies, and culminated in an impressive reworks display.


Miniature Sheet & First Day Covers.
This issue also featured a miniature sheet and two First Day Covers.

Since 2009 a stylised design has been used for the stamps and miniature sheets of the annual Chinese New Year issues. The miniature for 2017 showed all four values set against a red background of Chinese writing characters.

 The 2017 Chinese New Year - First Day Cover.

The 2017 Chinese New Year - Miniature Sheet FDC. 


Presentation Pack.
All the items above, the four stamps, and miniature sheet and two first day covers could be purchased in this attractive presentation pack that also contained many interesting facts concerning the Year of the Rooster. This is one easy way to purchase a small collection of 2017 Chinese New Year items as it also provides a handy pack to store them too. 

The open presentation pack showing the four stamps to the left, the miniature sheet in the
middle and the special First Day Cover of the four stamps on the right.

Special Products.

2017 Year of the Rooster Framed and
Numbered Gold Foiled Miniature Sheet.

This large miniature sheet is one of only 103 produced so you'll need to order quickly! It has been embossed and etched with micro-fine detail from 24-carat 99.9 gold foil, and is presented within an individually numbered frame (measuring 39cm x 27cm).
Price: $560.00.

2017 Year of the Rooster Gold Foiled
Miniature Sheet in Perspex Stand.

Made from 24-carat 99.9 gold foil, this miniature sheet has been embossed and etched with micro-fine detail and is mounted in a perspex display stand (measuring 18cm x 10cm) - making a great gift for the Year of the Rooster.
Price: $188.00.


2017 Year of the Rooster Gold Foiled
Miniature Sheet with Coloured Stamp in Perspex Stand.

2017 Year of the Rooster Gold Foiled Miniature Sheet with
Coloured Stamp in Perspex Stand
Price: $288.00.

2017 Year of the Rooster Gold Plated Medallion.

        
 2017 Chinese New Year Medallion - Front and Back.
This limited edition, gold-plated medallion features the calligraphic character for ‘rooster’ on one side, and an illustrated rooster featuring unique koru patterns on the other side. This collectable medallion is limited to only 999 worldwide and comes with an individually numbered certificate that explains the significance of the Year of the Rooster in the Chinese lunar calendar. It is presented in a specially designed case and makes a beautiful gift for anyone born in the Year of the Rooster.
Price: $69.00.


2005 Year of the Rooster
Farm Animals.

As China welcomed the Year of the Rooster in 2005, the opportunity was taken to celebrate this outspoken bird's place in New Zealand - as the alarm clock of our rural landscape, and an integral part of farmyards throughout the country. Other animals shown in this issue were sheep, a sheep dog and pigs.
The stamps formed a complete farm picture as a joined strip, as can be seen above or they could used separately as shown below.

Sheep - 45c
The First sheep were brought to New Zealand by Captain James Cook in 1773. Within 200 years their numbers had soared to 70 million and today the total flock is about 43 million - around 12 sheep for every person with whom they share the land. After much diversification and cross-breeding, the dominant sheep is the Romney, well known for its strong wool and excellent meat.

Dogs - 90c
The New Zealand sheep dog is a fascinating mix of breeds. The original Scottish border collie has been cross-bred with a number of other dogs to create an intelligent, adaptable, agile, energetic and highly vocal assistant in mustering sheep and cattle. Today, we even have our own 'sheep dog trials' - intense competitions that test the dogs' abilities to respond to their owners' calls and commands.

Pigs - $1.35
Pigs may have arrived in New Zealand as early as 1769, but common consensus is that they travelled here with Captain Cook in 1773. They were soon farmed domestically for bacon and pork, and a sizeable pork industry developed in the 1880s. However, after a peak in the mid-20th century, pigs have declined to a relatively small proportion of our export industry.

Rooster - $1.50
With their distinctive morning call, bright colours and outgoing personalities, roosters are the natural leaders of their farmyard territory. They have also been symbols of courage since Roman times and even featured on Asian coins dating as far back as 700 BC. Centuries later, they became the emblem for the first French Republic.

Year of the Rooster - $2.00
On 9 February 2005 the rooster came into his own, ruling the Chinese lunar calendar for the next 12 months and no doubt seizing the opportunity to imprint his forceful, outgoing personality on us all. He certainly stands distinctively apart from his calendar compatriots - the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, ram, monkey, dog and pig.


  

The 45c value was also issued in an adhesive format for use in coils and booklets.
A booklet is cover is shown above-right with the open booklet shown below.


A set of some of the other items issued with this set.
The bottom-left cover is the First Day Cover for the Year of the Rooster.


The 2017 Chinese New Year miniature sheet.
The Year of the Rooster.


1993 Taipei Stamp Exhibition.
I am not sure if this miniature sheet should be included in my Chinese New Year collection but since it does mention the Year of the Rooster, it would be the first time Chinese New Year appeared on a New Zealand stamp.
(See our collection The Round Kiwis.)

Taipei '93 Round Kiwi Miniature Sheet
Issued 14 August 1993
This miniature sheet was produced to commemorate Taipei '93 Asian International Invitation Stamp Exhibition, held in Taiwan 14 - 19 August 1993. The sheet, designed by Leigh-Mardon Pty Ltd, Australia, incorporated three Round Kiwi stamps (green, red and blue) and the Taipei '93 logo. In addition, a rooster was included in the design to commemorate 1993 as the 'Year of the Rooster'. 


Technical information - 2017 Year of the Rooster.

Date of issue:11 January 2017
Number of stamps:Four gummed stamps
Denominations:$1.00, $1.80, $2.20, $2.70
Stamps, miniature sheet and first day covers designed by:Asiaworks, Auckland, New Zealand
Printer and process:Southern Colour Print by offset lithography
Number of colours:Four process colours
Stamp size and format:30mm x 40mm (vertical)
Paper type: Tullis Russell 104gsm red phosphor gummed stamp paper
Number of stamps per sheet: 25
Perforation gauge:14
Period of sale:Unless stocks are exhausted earlier, these stamps will remain on sale until 10 January 2018. First day covers will remain on sale until 10 March 2017.

Technical information - 2005 Year of the Rooster.

Date of Issue:
12 January 2005
Stamp Designer:
Samuel Sakaria, Watermark, Wellington, New Zealand
Lunar Illustrator:          
Lindy Fisher, Auckland, New Zealand
Printers:
Gummed stamps: Southern Colour Print, New Zealand;  Self-adhesive stamps: SNP Sprint, Australia
Stamp Size:
Gummed Stamps: 40mm x 30mm;  Self-adhesive stamp: 25mm x 30mm
Sheet Size:
25 Stamps per sheet plus one strip of five gutter images,  Booklets: 10 x 45c,  Coils: 100 x 45c
Paper Type:
Gummed stamps: 104gsm red phosphor coated litho paper;  Self-adhesive stamp: JAC B90 self-adhesive paper
Perforation:
14



Some of the images in this post were used with permission from the illustrated catalogue of StampsNZ
You can visit their website and On-line Catalogue at, http://stampsnz.com/

Information for this post came from.