The 1893 Queen Victoria definitives of New Zealand are notable for both the varied designs of the stamps and use of a range of busts of Queen Victoria from a young age to an elderly queen, and also more notably for the adverts which were printed on the gummed side. This image of six of the values is one of best I can find to show the range of designs and portrait on some of the values. New Zealand philatelists can immerse themselves in collecting the perforation varieties - five different on all values, and seven on a few values - and even look out for different dies.

The real attraction for collectors is that the 1893 issues had advertisements on the reverse. They could immerse themselves in collecting ‘reconstructing’ sheets of 240 stamps of a particular value. There were even three settings for the adverts. For the first they were inverted in relation to the stamps, while the other two had them upright. The final setting has the Cadbury adverts replaced by those for Poneke table jelly (whatever that is). Different colours and shades of the adverts can be found.

 
The two pence stamp with second setting adverts

 
The three pence stamps with third setting adverts


The lower half of a sheet with adverts from the second setting

Collecting these is not made easy by the fact that though the stamps remained in use until 1897, the adverts were discontinued before the end of 1893, due to the public dislike of them. There was a feeling that not only licking the back with the ink was somewhat dirty, but also the ink seemed to repel the gum and so they were less adhesive and sometimes additional glue was need to get them to stay on an envelope.