The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies First Day Covers
12 November 2014 - The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Designs by the Stamps & Coins Business, New Zealand Post, Wellington, New Zealand
from original materials supplied with the permission of Middle-earth Enterprises.
On 11 November 2014, six stamps plus one unique Bag End stamp, were issued, commemorating the New Zealand production of 'The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies'
scheduled to premier on 11 December 2014. These stamp designs were offered in gummed and self adhesive forms, as well as booklets, FDCs, miniature sheets, maximum cards and Presentation Pack. Unless stocks are exhausted earlier, these items will remain on sale until 11 November 2015. For further information regarding these items, go to the The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies NZPost Site.
80c - Smaug - The giant fire-breathing Dragon who is as psychotic as he is greedy, vicious attack on Erebor shattered the Dwarf Kingdom and sent Thorin Oakenshield and this people into exile. Now, Thorin has returned with Bilbo and the Company of Dwarves to reclaim the treasure Smaug stole from them and covets still, but their actions have grave consequences as Smaug unleashes the full weight of his fury on the defenceless men, women and children of the nearby city of Lake-town.
$1.40 - Bilbo Baggins - Bilbo Baggins survived his harrowing adventures through the perilous Mirkwood Forest and his death-defying encounter with the fearsome Dragon Smaug. Unfortunately, this victory comes at a high cost as the little Hobbit witnesses the fiery destruction of Lake-town. Fearing that Thorin is descending into the dark depths of 'dragon sickness', Bilbo has many more tough decisions ahead if he is to return to the Shire and the home that he loves.
$2.00 - Gandalf - With his worst fears confirmed, the Wizard Gandalf the Grey finds himself prisoner of the Necromancer, the ghostly visage now revealed to be Middle-earth's darkest enemy, Sauron. Separated from the Company of Thorin Oakenshield, Gandalf must rely on old and powerful alliances to aid him if he is to escape and travel to the slopes of the Lonely Mountain to bring order into the chaos of Middle-earth's warring civilsations, and stand a chance against evil in the epic Battle of the Five Armies.
$2.10 - Thranduil - Father to Legolas Greenleaf, Thranduil is a powerful Elf-Lord and a legendary fighter. King of the Woodland Realm, he rules over the northern lands of a great forest that was once known as the Greenwood, but is now know by the more ominous name of Mirkwood. Over the long years of creeping darkness, Thranduil has increasingly turned his back on the outside world, concerning himself only with the welfare of his own people. An ancient and bitter feud has left his with little love of Dwarves in general and Thorin Oakenshield, in particular.
$2.50 - Bard the Bowman - When Thorin and Company encounter a mysterious man of Lake-town, they take him for a simple bargeman, but the stranger's extraordinary skills as a bowman suggest he is not all he seems. Bilbo discovers Bard to be a kind and decent man, protecting the poor folk of the town from the greed and tyranny of The Master. Despite the risks to himself, Bard agrees to provide the Dwarves with food and shelter, only to discover their true goal is to reach the Lonely Mountain and reclaim their homeland from Smaug.
$2.50 - Bag End - Bag End is one of the many Hobbit holes in Hobbiton and is the home of Bilbo Baggins. It's on this doorstep that the Wizard Gandalf and 13 Dwarves unexpectedly appear and invite Bilbo on a dangerous adventure. The door on the stamp has been created using actual wood from the party tree at the Hobbiton Movie Set. The wood has been ground down to a fine powder and affixed to the stamp, resulting in a truly collectable piece of Middle-earth. The Bag End stamp is only available in the set of seven gummed stamps, the gummed stamps first day cover, the set of miniature sheets, the set of miniature sheet first day covers, the presentation pack and the Ultimate Collection.
$3.00 - Tauriel - A favourite of King Thranduil and Captain of the Woodland Guard, Tauriel's job is to follow the orders of the King without question. However, Tauriel has a strong will and unyielding passion for what she believes is right. An expert fighter, like Legolas, she is extremely fast and agile in battle. Although she has lived for many hundreds of years in Middle-earth, she remains one of the youngest of the Elven folk, and has rarely ventured beyond the borders of the great forest.
