Judging

Introduction

The development of New Zealand national philatelic judging regulations is based on the following papers and decisions.

Report by G J Ellott NZ Delegate to the FIP congress in Prague in 1988

Para. 5 c] Follow up on international and NATIONAL implementation of the new regulations and guidelines. The FIP now require that, at national exhibitions, the appropriate FIP judging regulations and guidelines be followed. This is especially important as, only by obtaining appropriate award at a national exhibition, can an exhibit enter an international exhibition. It is, therefore, essential that the criteria of exhibiting and the basis of judging should be similar and complementary [as reported in The Mail Coach, Vol. 25, No. 2].

NZPF Executive Meeting 19 November 1993

The Executive of the New Zealand Philatelic Federation received a paper “Judging Standard and Methods at National Exhibitions” prepared by Mr Robert Samuel.

It was unanimously agreed to accept Mr Samuel’s recommendations with only one minor amendment (the alteration from a recommended 93 points to 90 points for a Large Gold at a National Exhibition). It was therefore resolved:

That Mr Samuel’s report on Judging Standards and Methods at National Exhibitions be received and that in future National Exhibitions in New Zealand be judged based on the FIP International Standard, but modified as follows:

	National	International
1. Large Gold	90-100	95-100
2. Gold medal	85-89	90-94
3. Large Vermeil medal	80-84	85-89
4. Vermeil medal	75-79	80-84
5. Large Silver medal	70-74	75-79
6. Silver medal	65-69	70-74
7. Silver-Bronze medal	60-64	65-69
8. Bronze medal	50-59	60-64

Note: The NZPF Executive accepted the recommendation of the Chairman of the Jury SOUTHPEX ‘96 to discontinue the award of Certificate of Merit.

The national regulations are therefore those of the current FIP general regulations for the evaluation of competitive exhibits and special regulations for the evaluation of competitive exhibits in the various FIP classes (refer to www.f-i-p.ch under the title “Regulations”). To the extent that the FIP has published guidelines for judging competitive exhibits in the various classes, these will be followed at the national level.

Note that on occasions, amendments do occur and are published in the FIP Flash but may not be replicated on the FIP website or on this website. Where there is any doubt the details published on the FIP website will prevail.

The regulations and guidelines relating to FIP classes contained on this website are intended to be an accurate reflection of the FIP documents but do have some minor variations, clearly detailed, from those documents that apply to New Zealand National Exhibitions.

In addition, the NZPF has adopted its own regulations for judging non-FIP classes at the national level. .

Where a New Zealand judge is judging at an Australian or other overseas national exhibition, it is the responsibility of the New Zealand judge to obtain that other country’s Federation criteria for any classes they are likely to be judging as there may be differences in the national judging criteria.

FIP classes

General Regulations of the FIP for the Evaluation of Competitive Exhibits at FIP Exhibitions (GREX) are the overarching rules applying to the assessment of exhibitions at FIP level.  These must, and are considered, when judging at New Zealand National Exhibitions.

Special Regulations for the Evaluation (generally referred to as SREVs) exist for each FIP class. Each of these classes is described briefly below and a link to SREVs for that class provided.

• Aerophilately exhibits include mail, airmail stamps and postal stationery carried or intended to be carried by air.
• Astrophilately studies of mail closely related to rockets and space travel.
• Maximaphily exhibits are of picture postcards which have had stamps and postmarks applied with a close relationship in subject (concordance).
• Modern Philately exhibits (Aerophilately, Postal History, Postal Stationery or Traditional) use material primarily issued since 1980.
• One frame exhibits are of one frame on a subject, limited in scope, within one of the classes.
• Open Philately exhibits where philatelic material can be supplemented by non-philatelic items providing these do not overwhelm the exhibit.
• Philatelic Literature: publications including books, journals, catalogues, websites, etc. dealing with any aspect of philately.
• Picture Postcards exhibits which tell a story using postcards.
• Postal History: studies of routes, rates, postmarks or other material which demonstrates the social and historical background to mail services.
• Postal stationery exhibits related to stationery items which have generally been printed with a stamp.
• Revenue exhibits feature stamps and revenue stamped paper issued and used for revenue purposes.
• Thematic Philately exhibits on a theme using the widest possible range of philatelic material.
• Traditional which often cover one issue of a country and includes studies of printing, paper, perforations and other aspects of the issue.
• Youth may enter exhibits covering most of the classes described here.  The number of frames and the distribution of marks depend on the age of the exhibitor.

In addition to the formal documents referenced above, there are FIP Commissions websites which provide information explaining, interpreting and supplementing the rules and guidelines.  These websites, and the New Zealand delegates to the commissions, can be found at FIP Commissions & NZ delegates.

National classes

The NZPF is keen to encourage exhibiting and it realises there are a number of collecting disciplines not covered by FIP rules nor provisions for beginning exhibitors.  Consequently it has developed a range of rules and guidelines to provide for these.  In a number of cases they have been based on, developed in parallel with, or amended subsequently to provide a generally close degree of compatibility with similar national rules of the Australian Philatelic Federation.

National Classes, and brief descriptions of each with a link to the regulations and guidelines follow:

• Cinderella exhibits use labels which resemble postage stamps, but which are not part of the official payment system for the carriage of mail.
• Development – Adult 1-2 frame is open to first time New Zealand resident exhibitors who have not previously been awarded 70 points or more for a one-frame or multi-frame entry at a national exhibition.
• Development – Adult 8 page is a development/encouragement class (open to first time exhibitors).
• Development Youth is for new exhibitors and for previous exhibitors who have not yet previously received 65 points or more for any exhibit at a national exhibition.
• Developing Exhibit – Youth is for youth no longer eligible to enter the Youth Development Class to develop their exhibits or create new exhibits which have yet to achieve the minimum number of frames required for their Age Group in the FIP Youth Class.
• Entries not provided elsewhere provides for entries which the exhibitor (nor the organising committee) can readily define as to which class the entry should be judged.  The final decision about class and how the entry might be judged will rest with the jury.
• First Day Covers features covers (where stamps have been affixed, postal stationery or souvenir covers) which have been postmarked by the issuing postal authority on its date of issue.  Exhibits also include material used in the design or development of any of these covers.
• Frugal is a class where there are limits to the value of items included. The purpose is to provide an opportunity for collectors to display interesting items and enhance their philatelic skills rather than dent their bank balances.
• Modern (National), as a National class. encourages the use of modern material (generally no more than 30 years old) in any of those classes not currently (2021) covered by the FIP Modern Philately class (i.e., other than Aerophilately, Postal History, Postal Stationery or Traditional).
• Polar Philately, as a National class, covers philatelic activity relating to northern (Arctic and Sub-Arctic) and Southern (Antarctic and Sub-Antarctic polar regions.
• Topical gives collectors an opportunity to use philatelic items illustrating a specific topic or subject.

NZPF Judging sheets

The marking sheets used judges at New Zealand National Exhibitions can be found here.