Queen Elizabeth II 25th Anniversary Coronation First Day Cover, Niue postmarked on June 26, 1978.
Niue
1340 miles NE from Auckland, Niue is a large coral island 40 miles in circumference. Two distinct levels can be seen corresponding to two periods of tectonic uplift, one at 90 ft. above sea level, and the other at 220 ft. The island has been in- habited for about one thousand years, European discovery dating from 1774, when Captain Cook named it 'Savage Island' after his reception. Missionaries were also unwelcome, being expelled to the last man in 1830, but by 1900 the island had become a British Protectorate, and the following year it was annexed by New Zealand. Niue's first issue of postage stamps followed three months later, hand-stamped overprints of the New Zealand Id.
This issue of Niue celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Coronation was printed by Heraclio Fournier of Spain in photogravure, and consists of three designs:
Flags of the UJC. and Niue. Dating from January 1st, 1801, the Union Jack combines the badges of the patron saints of England, Ireland and Scotland. St. George, a soldier martyred by the Roman Emperor Diocletian, was adopted as Patron Saint in 1277, and his red cross badge was first used in Edward I's wars to subjugate Wales. The white on blue Scottish cross owes its origin to St. Andrew an apostle martyred on a diagonal cross. St. Patrick, on the other hand, was not a martyr, and was thus not entitled to a cross badge; the so-called cross of St. Patrick was in fact the emblem of the Geraldines, Henry lI's representatives who attempted to conquer the country. The flag of Niue is a Union Jack bearing the Southern Cross on the St. George's Cross, and a central star.
Formal Coronation Portrait. The central stamp in the strip inCGTpGiaies the official portrait of the Queen in traditional robes and regalia, with the interior of Westminster Abbey as backdrop.
Her Majesty's Personal Flag for New Zealand. This flag, the equivalent of the Royal Standard of Great Britain, received royal approval on 25th August, 1962. It consists of the arms of New Zealand as granted by Royal Warrant on 26th August, 1911, with the Queen's device mounted in the centre.
