Papua New Guinea Hutt Commemoratives PNCs
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Between 1971 and 1975 the private New Zealand firm of the Hutt Coin Company Pty Ltd / Hutt Commemoratives issued fourteen different Papua New Guinea postal numismatic covers. These are commonly referred to by the abbreviation PNC. The covers were traditional postal first day covers with the additional inclusion of a coin, or coins and bank notes, from either from Australia or Papua New Guinea. Hutt Commemoratives issued a variety of such covers in New Zealand, Australia and the South Pacific from 1970 through to 1975. They were produced in relatively low numbers, usually from 150 to 350 for each set. Other firms such as NuPhil produced similar covers, though in larger numbers. For example, the famous NuPhil 1969 Yaralumla Australian cover numbered some 1,350 items. The covers were semi-official items, issued with a Territory of Papua and New Guinea Philatelic Sales Section registration label and postmark at Port Moresby. However, as none are personally addressed, and all are addressed via registered mail to Hutt Commemoratives care of the post office at Port Moresby, it is likely they were dealt with at that place and then distributed by the firm through its normal commercial outlets. Below is a listing of the known Papua New Guinea Hutt Commemoratives PNCs. They are arranged chronically, with the following information: Date of issue / title / Hutt series number / number of sets issued / number of stamps / coin information.
#1 : 27 October 1971 - Native Dancer Stamps. Hutt PNC No.49. No. issued - 150. Four stamps. Coin - 10 cents Lyrebird, Australia. NB: Prior to 1975, Australian coinage and banknotes were legal tender in Papua New Guinea. Philatelic Bureau registration label included.
#2 : 7 June 1972 - 50th Anniversary of Aviation. Hutt PNC No.69. No. issued - 250. Four stamps. Coin - 10 cents Lyrebird, Australia. Philatelic Bureau registration label included.
#3 : 30 March 1973 - Bird of Paradise Issue. Hutt PNC No.90. No. issued - 350. Four stamps. Coin - 20 cents Platypus, Australia. Philatelic Bureau registration label included.
#4 : 13 June 1973 - New Definitive Issue Stage One - Panorama postmark. Hutt PNC No.94. No. issued - 350. Six stamps. Coin - 10 cents Lyrebird, Australia.
#5 : 22 August 1973 - Panorama Stage Two. Hutt Series 98. No. issued - 350. Five stamps. Coins - 1 and 2 cents, Australia.
#6 : 24 February 1974 - Royal Visit 1974. Hutt Series 109. No. issued - 350. Two stamps. Coin - 5 cents, Australia. Philatelic Bureau registration label included.
#7 : 28 February 1975 - Heritage Canoes. Hutt PNC No. 123. Four stamps. Sets - Unknown. Coin - 50 cents Coat of Arms, Australia. Philatelic Bureau registration label included.
#8 - #12 : 21 April 1975 - New Papua New Guinea Coinage. Hutt PNC Series 130. No. issued - 350. Six stamps. Six different covers - crocodile (teal), ostrich (blue), turtle (orange), sloth (green), butterfly (red) and fish (dark blue). Coins - 1t, 2t, 5t, 10t, 20t, 1k PNG - 10k not included. Philatelic Bureau registration labels included.
Comments
Many of the Hutt Commemoratives covers are distinguished by brown stains / rust marks arising from the glues used to stick the coin or note holding materials to the insides of the covers. It has been commented on the Stampboards discussion site that many philatelists did not collect these PNCs during this period due to 1) the large, non-standard size of the envelopes, 2) the unofficial or semi-official status of the items, 3) the cost, which was often significantly more than a standard first day cover, and 4) the numismatic focus of the items. Hutt Commemoratives largely catered to the coin collector market, though the common nature of the coins limited their appeal therein. These items were also some of the very first PNCs to appear in Oceania, though such covers are now (2022) common and officially issued on a regular basis by postal authorities such as Australia Post. The Hutt Commemoratives and similar PNCs are not included in standard country stamp catalogues, though official first day covers and modern PNCs are. It could be argued that the above PNG items have some official status in that they were issued through the PNG Philatelic Bureau and include the following text on the front cover: Hutt Commemoratives Ltd, c/o Post Office, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. Further research on this status is required.
The 1975 Official PNC issue
On 21 April 1975 the Philatelic Bureau, Papua New Guinea, issued a special set of six PNCs in association with the release of the country's first coinage.
A second set was issued later in the year. Contained within a black folder were eight first day covers bearing a
proof set of the six new coins and postmarked Papua New Guinea Independence 16
September 1975. A PNC for the 10K coin was issued in 1978.
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Australia: Airmail 1931 | Australia in Space 2024 | Souvenir Covers 1970-1997 | Souvenirs Covers 1997+ | WWF 50 Years |
Papua New Guinea: 1934 3½d Pink | 1952 6½d | 1952 7½d | 2/6 Lakatois | FDCs | Forgeries | Hutt PNCs | Japan | Leaflets | OS Lakatois | Overprints | Peter & Horse | Philatelic Bureau | PSEs/PSPs/Aerogrammes | Rare | Revenue & Postage Due | Souvenir Covers |
Last updated: 2 January 2023
Michael Organ
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