Captain Cook's first voyage is now accepted as one of the greatest voyages of discovery of all time. It not only achieved its purpose of observing the transit of Venus but also made the first European contact with Eastern Australia and accurately mapped New Zealand. The stamps depict: 2nd class - Sir Joseph Banks and a Tahitian scene; 1st class Captain James Cook and contemporary drawings of the transit of Venus and £1.45 a portrait of a Maori cheif and a self-portrait of Sydney Parkinson.
The Gold 500 cover bears a portrait of Captain Cook framed by a sumptuous 22ct gold-blocked frame along with the 1968 commemorative for the 150th anniversary of this remarkable voyage. The pictorial sextant Whitby handstamp commemorates Cook's birthplace. A superb and highly collectable cover. Numbered limited edition of 500.
