Always Wanted To Know More About This One: "Pigeon Gram"

Great Barrier Island to Auckland "Pigeon Gram"

Could it be that they actually used pigeons to transport mail?

Also,at would something like this be worth?

In 1894, the SS Wairarapa ran aground on the Great Barrier island with the loss of 135 lives. The lack of a way to let others know about events on Great Barrier led to the use of pigeons to carry messages and mail from Great barrier to Aukland.

" Triangular Philatelics"

To add a bit more, prior to the above ship wreck, the mail between Great Barrier Island and Auckland relied on a weekly steamer service. After the ship wreck it was decided they needed a faster method of communication, so the pigeon mail service was set up. The first pigeon flight took place on January 29, 1896, and took about 1¾ hours. Each pigeon could carry up to 5 messages (single page letters.) The record flight time was held by a pigeon named "velocity" who did the run in 50 minutes!

The stamps were issued from 1898 to 1908. A centenary of the Pigeon Gram stamp was issued by New Zealand in 1997.

Of course New Zealand lay claim to this being the first ever "airmail" stamp!

I can't help you with a catalogue value, as they were issued by private companies (there were two rival companies.) I guess technically it would fall under the definition of a cinderella, not being issued by a Postal Authority. Still very collectable though.

Beautiful stamp, thanks for posting it.

Balf

Nice stamp and some very interesting information. Thanks for posting it.



Butch

Grieat info info sfgoda and MmmmBalf. pattiewhack, you have such great stuff.

Dianne

This stamp was issued by "The Great Barrier Pigeongram Agency" on 11 July 1899. Catalogue value is put at NZ$300 or about US$220 at today's going rate. They are found on ebay occasionally and sell for much less! but sometimes over US$100. If this stamp was still on its "Flimsy" i.e. the thin piece of paper the letter was written on it would have a catalogue value of NZ$5,000!

The first company to issue stamps (19 November 1898) and run the service was "The Original Great Barrier Pigeongram Service." These stamps were rectangle. The other company was the "Marotiri Copper Mine." 24 August 1899 which had their name overprinted on the first issue and then designed their own stamp.

Used stamps vary in catalogue value from $300 to $10,000 and flimsies up to $50,000. These are very collectable

Thanks for the great info Bruce

Dianne

Kount Kurly's Kute Kwiz

Who was the first person ever to make use of Pigeon Post?

Some ancient Greek or Persian perhaps?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pigeon_post

Nice try 22crows,
I actually expected you to be the one to crack it
The question itself indicates it must have a twist, so you have to think laterally, but then again, logic should have you there.

Would it help to hint that the recipient lived to 950 years old?

BTW: thanks for the wiki, I hadn't seen the Barrier Island triangular before.

I believe that Noah sent out a couple of birds a Raven which did not return and the Dove did return.

Bravo Stamperdude...nailed!

God sent the dove back to Noah with a message as a freshly broken olive branch,to indicate land was closing.
(or so the story goes)
It is interesting this fable continues to this day in many and varied
designs on stamps, from all countries, it has become a symbol of peace and renewal.

I can't see what the original stamp was in this thread.

There are 8 Pigeon Post stamps listed on page 97 below (not very clearly):

http://www.nzstamps.com/catviewer_part011.html

and a better view of 3 of them here:

http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/nearshore-islands/3/5

indi ahad a pigeon post stamp issued in 1989

Yes, but the rest of 1989 Indian stamps of course were overshadowed
by the beautiful 1888 Travancore 2 chuckram conch shell.

Thanks 22crows

(The orig scan at the top of this thread has been removed
or moved to a new folder)

that's not a bad link you offered there for NZ stamps.

Some of the rare pigeon cancels



What about the courage of this little fellow....