Appeal for pensioner's priceless stolen stamps

Similar to some of the items in the stolen collection, a cover received by William Colernso on March 1, 1873, and replied to three days later. Photo / Doug Laing

The disappearance of a retired Napier businessman's collection of stamps dating back 163 years is heightening fears the priceless albums will be abandoned and destroyed.

He hopes a public appeal will lead to the collection being recovered undamaged.

The collection, which includes covers and envelopes addressed to such people as missionary and Treaty of Waitangi signing witness William Colenso and fellow late 1850s Napier MP Douglas MacLean, was stolen in the burglary of a Hospital Hill home on May 3, despite being in a safe.

Stamp thefts are rare and the collector says the burglars would not have known what they were taking when they removed the locked safe, which was found a few days later cut open on a Tukituki River bank near Haumoana.

Missing were the two plum-brown covered albums, each approximately 30cm x 25cm, and two black-and-blue stock books, together containing about 300 stamps.

Also missing from the safe was a quantity of costume jewellery and other jewellery, while it is thought the only other item stolen in the burglary was a 37in Panasonic TV.

"It's a collection my father and myself put together over 75 years," the victim said.

It focuses on "full face queens" and includes one of the first stamps used in New Zealand, an 1855 penny red.

"They're obviously of sentimental value, but they're also of historical value," the victim said, adding it would be almost impossible to sell.

"My big concern is that it is just going to get dumped somewhere, and lost forever."

"Obviously I would like it back, but I particularly don't want it destroyed."

Constable Jane Callaghan, of Hawke's Bay Police, said: "The victim is distraught about the loss of his historical and sentimental stamp collection."

Police are investigating the burglary and require assistance from the public to return the stamps to the rightful owner, and are also seeking sightings of the people responsible for dumping the safe sometime between May 3 and May 6 at the Tukituki River near Haumoana.

Anyone with information should call (06) 8366196 or contact police through Constable Callaghan on (06) 8730500 or the confidential crime line 0800 555111.