UK£14.97
EU€20,97
US$27.97
JP¥2,800
THIS SET INCLUDES all six Two Towers Maximum Postcards featuring key characters and scenes from the award winning ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers’ motion picture, with related gummed stamps and first day (04 Dec 2002) cancellation postmark. Now out of print (OOP), these superb limited edition Two Towers Official Postcards were only issued and marketed in New Zealand to commemorate this almost completely 'Kiwi' year-long cinematic production. Designed by Sacha Lees at WETA Workshop in Miramar, the Two Towers Maximum Postcard set comes in a clear, archival-quality protective sleeve, and includes a full-colour NZ Post brochure containing extensive background information on both this exciting stamp release and the epic production it honours. See below for more information about maximum cards.
Also an earlier now OOP ‘The Fellowship of the Ring’ set was issued in December 2001 and a third ‘The Return of the King’ set was released in November 2003 to commemorate ‘The Lord of the Rings’ movie trilogy.
Postcard: Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), Heir of Gondor, fights valiantly in defense of the Keep at Helm’s Deep, Stamp: Lady Éowyn (Miranda Otto), enjoys a pleasant walk with Aragorn whom she admires and possibly loves.
Postcard: After the break up of the Fellowship at Amon Hen, Legolas (Orlando Bloom) joins Aragorn and Gimli in tracking the Uruk-Hai who captured Merry and Pippin, Stamp: Orc raider on Warg - one of a savage hunting pack.
Postcard: Saruman (Christopher Lee) tells his assembled troops of their coming victory over Mankind. Gríma Wormtongue (Brad Dourif), advisor and confidant to King Théoden of Rohan, manipulates him to his real master’s (Saruman) advantage, Stamp: Gandalf (Sir Ian McKellen) reappears as 'the White' deep in Fangorn Forest.
Postcard: Thought killed in his duel with Balrog in the Mines of Moria, the wizard magically reappears having sheds his grey mantle to be reborn as Gandalf the White, Stamp: A formation of Haradrim also known as 'Easterlings' or people of the East.
Postcard: The Ringbearer Frodo Baggins (Elijah Woods) and his unshakable friend Samwise ‘Sam’ Gamgee (Sean Astin) accompanied by Gollum (Andy Serkis) watch as Faramir’s men attack the Easterlings, Stamp: Frodo and Sam are captured by Faramir putting the One Ring in immediate danger.
Postcard: Stone fortress of Helm’s Deep - the Rohirrim stand their ground in preparation for an impending attack, Stamp: Lady Éowyn, Shield Maiden of Rohan, on the steps of Meduseld in Edoras watching as her people trek to their redoubt at Helm’s Deep.
Maximum Cards: Picture post cards which have an illustration relating to the stamp affixed, and a postmark on the pictorial side of the postcard. The three elements - postcard illustration, stamp and postmark must relate but not be identical. These Two Towers maxi cards and stamps have been postmarked with a specifically-designed cancellation that was only used for that day and issue. The cancellation stamp is a stylized One Ring encircled by the words ‘The Two Towers, First Day of Issue, 4 December 2002, Stamps Centre Wanganui New Zealand’. Reverse (shown at right) has standard message and address sections, and postage paid imprint over a map of The Fellowship’s progress (in part two) towards Mordor and Mount Doom. First Day issues are very collectable since they are limited in nature and hard to obtain after issuance. This Two Towers issue was only released in New Zealand to commemorate Peter Jackson’s ‘The Two Towers’ and sold out quicker than anticipated.
Additional Info: Maximum Cards are unaddressed. Technical details are available. An earlier now OOP ‘The Fellowship of the Ring’ set was issued in December 2001 and a third ‘The Return of the King’ set was released in November 2003 to commemorate the ‘Middle earth’ movie trilogy.
