After bomb damage to their works in September 1940, De La Rue handed several plates over to Waterlow & Sons. In addition, some sheets printed by De La Rue were perforated by Harrison or Waterlow.
Twopence
Perf 14
Harrison Perf 14x15
Plate 2, containing 480 impressions, was in use at this time. It was divided into two panes 2A and 2B and the issued sheets contained 240 stamps.
De La Rue continued printing this value, but required help in perforating the sheets. They managed themselves to perforate an estimated 24,600 sheets perf 14.
10,000 sheets were perforated 14x15
by Harrison in February 1941.
Waterlow Perf 12½
Two lots of 50,000 sheets were perforated 12½ by Waterlow in February and July.
Waterlow Perf 12½
The three different perforations were all line perforations and they were issued in June 1941.
The stamps perf 14 and perf 12½ were issued overprinted Official in March 1942.
Both panes perf 14 were overprinted.
However, very few sheets perf 12½ were overprinted
and they were all from pane 2A.
Fourpence
The 4d centre plate 3 and frame plate 2B were handed over to Waterlow in September 1940. The sheets consisted of 8 rows of ten with the centre plate number 3 appearing on the left and the frame plate 2B on the right. A complete bottom row is therefore required to show both plate numbers.
There were two blitz perforations of the 4d: perf 14 and perf 12½. The first printing was in late 1940 and was returned unperforated to De La Rue. Most of this printing was lost in the fire of December 1940 although 2000 sheets were saved and line perforated 14 by De La Rue in February 1941.
The other printing was ordered in February 1941. It consisted of 51,000 sheets and was perforated 12½ by Waterlow.
The centre plate block 3 above is from the first printing and is perforated 14 while the frame plate block 2B is from the second printing and is perforated 12½.
Stamps from the second printing were issued in August 1941 while those from the first printing was not issued until November! Most of the first printing was overprinted Official and they were issued in August 1941 while stamps perf 12½ and overprinted Official were issued in December. It too is more common than the un-overprinted stamp.
Fivepence
Plate 1 was handed over to Waterlow in late 1940 and 21,000 sheets were printed and returned to De La Rue to be perforated.
Unfortunately, they were all lost in the December fire. In February, a repacement order of 21,000 were printed and perforated 12½ by Waterlow on a fine paper. They were issued in July 1941.
Plate 1 was returned to De La Rue in September 1941. In December, 20,000 sheets were printed by De La Rue, but sent to Waterlow where they were perforated 12½.
Although some of this issue was printed from plate 1,
the majority were the first printings from the new plate 2.
The stamps in this issue were printed on a coarse paper.
Sixpence
Plate 2 was handed over to Waterlow in September 1940 and 42,000 sheets were printed and returned to De La Rue for perforation.
They were salvaged from the December fire and eventually returned to Waterlow in April where they were perforated 12½.
They were issued in October 1941.
Official stamps perforated 12½ were first issued in December 1941 and had the overprint at the bottom as in all the other issues.
However, in February 1942, stamps with the overprint at the top were issued
perforated 12½.
Eightpence
Plate 3 was handed over to Waterlow in September 1940 and 52,500 sheets were printed and returned to De La Rue for perforation.
7,500 sheets were salvaged from the December fire and eventually returned to Waterlow in April where they were perforated 12½. A further 38,700 sheets were printed and perforated 12½ at this time.
They were issued in July 1941. There does not seem to be any way to distinguish the two printings.
The 8d overprinted Official was issued in August 1942.
Two Shillings
Plate 1 was handed over to Waterlow in September 1940 and 2,100 sheets were printed and returned to De La Rue for perforation. However, they were all destroyed in the December fire.
10,500 sheets were ordered from Waterlow in February 1941 and printed on fine paper and line perforated 12½. They were issued in July 1941.
The plate was returned to De La Rue in September 1941 and 20,000 sheets were printed by them on coarse paper in December 1941 and sent to Waterlow where they were line perforated 12½. They were issued in 1942.
Stamps on both papers were issued overprinted Official in 1942.
Three Shillings
There was only one frame plate, numbered 1, and one unnumbered centre plate used for this value. The sheets contained 60 stamps in 10 rows of 6.
The plates were handed over to Waterlow in September 1940. 4,320 sheets were printed and returned to De La Rue for perforation. However, they were all lost in the fire.
In February 1941, a replacement 4,320 sheets were ordered
from Waterlow.
The colour of the frame was chestnut and is distinct from
all the other printings.
They were perforated 12½.
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The above information is taken from The Postage Stamps of New Zealand Vol 2 published by the Royal Philatelic Society of New Zealand in 1950. All scans were made by the author.