New Zealand created special seedless version of Grow Your Own stamps

By Denise McCarty

New Zealand Post has created different versions of its Grow Your Own stamps: one with embedded seeds and two that are seedless.

All the versions were issued Oct. 4.

The issue includes six hexagonal stamps featuring the following herbs and vegetables: basil, $1; carrots, $1; parsley, $2.20, chives, $2.30; broccoli, $2.70; and lettuce, $3.30.

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The embedded seeds are at the bottom tip of the stamps with words “Plant Me” above them.

Apparently, the original intent was to have seeds embedded in all the stamps, but due to various countries’ importation laws a seedless version also was needed.

New Zealand Post said, “Stamps with seeds is a first for New Zealand Post. It’s been a fun and innovative issue to create for you, with lots of research, testing and retesting. But it hasn’t been without its hiccups. Due to most countries strict importing laws, seeds aren’t able to be sent overseas. Crossing another border is likely to see them intercepted and destroyed.

“Because of this, we’ve made two versions of the products in this issue — seeded and non-seeded. So if you’re using these seed stamps within New Zealand, you can purchase both products. But if you’re planning on sending seed stamps overseas, you can’t.”

On the website, New Zealand Post even directs domestic and international customers to different pages, and warns, “Grow your own products containing seeds CANNOT be sent overseas.” 

According to information from New Zealand Post, the stamps have been produced in sheets of 10 (a separate sheet for each stamp) and in a souvenir sheet with the six designs se-tenant (side-by-side).

The seed and seedless versions of the souvenir sheet appear similar because an image of the seed paper has been printed on the stamps.

Simon Allison, head of stamps and coins for New Zealand Post, told Linn’s: “The non-seed version [of the souvenir sheet] for International customers is printed to look like the seed version for New Zealand domestic customers. We decided to take this approach on the miniature sheet stamps as we feel it made more sense to the customer and linked back to the concept of the issue.”

Hannah Stancliffe-White of New Zealand Post designed the stamps. Southern Colour Print Ltd. printed them by offset lithography.

For more information, visit the aforementioned website of New Zealand Post.