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On 22nd May 1985, the island of Niuafo’ou issued a set of 4 stamps which are the first in a series depicting mailboats. The 47s value shows the MARIPOSA ‑ 1934 mail carrier but the wrong Mariposa is shown in the design as it is the ship that went into the Pacific service at the latter part of 1956. She was originally the Pine Tree Mariner built as a cargo ship and delivered to the U.S. Maritime Commission in 1953. She was sold to the Matson Line in 1956 and rebuilt as a passenger liner and renamed MARIPOSA. Pacific Far East Line bought her in 1971 and that firm went bankrupt in 1978 and the ship was withdrawn from service in April of that year. She was sold in April 1979 to World Airways and I believe it was their intention to use her as a floating hotel/casino but I have no information as to whether this eventuated.

The Mariposa that should have been shown on the stamp made her first Pacific voyage in 1932 and served in the U.S. Navy as a transport 1941/46 and was sold to Home Lines in 1953 and became the Homeric. In mid 1973 she was badly damaged by fire and was finally broken up at Kaohsiung in 1974.

Log Book November 1985
French Polynesia SG287 Niuafo’ou SG58B (I don't have this stamp) Samoa SG431

1979 Sold to World Airways Inc., San Francisco and laid up in Oakland, there were plans to refit her in a hotel ship or casino but the plans did not materialized.
1980 Sold to American World Line, (C.Y.Tung), towed by the Dutch tug ZWARTE ZEE (Black Sea) to Mihara, Japan where the tow arrived on 6 January 1981, then again laid up.
1983 Sold to Jin Jiang Shipping Co., Shanghai, China, renamed JIN JIANG, she was handed over at Kobe, Japan after re-engined by two 16-cyl. Pielstick-Ishikawajima diesels of 14,400 bhp, were fitted in, one shaft, speed 17 knots.
Used in the service between Shanghai to Hong Kong service.
1993 Sold to the Faster Shipping Ltd., St Vincent, renamed HENG LI.
04 June 1996 arrived at the scrap yard at Alang, India.

(Niuafo'ou 1985, 47 s. StG.58B)