Tuesday, 7 January 2025

Royal Mail 24/7 Locker Boxes sourced in Ukraine by-pass Post Office branch pick-up

Press Release 12 December 2024

Royal Mail launches its own lockers in next phase of expansion

Royal Mail has launched its own lockers as part of its strategy to rapidly expand its number of parcel points to meet growing demand from online shoppers and marketplace sellers.

The first 250 lockers which can be used exclusively by Royal Mail customers will be rolled out in early 2025, with the first now live outside the company’s historic Mount Pleasant mail centre in London.

The lockers will provide 24/7 access in convenient, high footfall locations, which will include spaces outside of Royal Mail’s delivery offices plus third-party retailers.

Initially, the lockers will offer a parcel sending service including label printing, to support the increasing number of people selling clothing and other items on secondhand marketplaces, as well as traditional online shoppers sending returns. Customers will also be able to collect their parcels from Royal Mail lockers in the near future.

Royal Mail began a major expansion of its parcel points earlier this year to offer customers more choice as parcel demand continues to grow, as part of a wider programme of modernisation.

Through partnerships, Royal Mail customers can drop off parcels at 1,000 shared lockers and more than 5,000 Collect+ points convenience stores.

The launch of Royal Mail’s own lockers is the first time the company is providing access to dedicated lockers available only for its customers, which will improve capacity and customer service as well as enabling greater control over where they’re rolled out.

Royal Mail Locker-box at Mount Pleasant Mail Centre, London


According to dev.ua 13 December 2024

The Ukrainian-Polish company Modern Expo announced the start of cooperation with the Royal Mail, for which it provided postal equipment and software to them.

"Modern Expo successfully implemented the first major stage of cooperation with the Royal Mail - in less than 3 months... Together we held dozens of individual meetings and workshops, during which we discussed product design, analyzed locations, talked about customer care, UX/UI, etc. The cooperation also included a visit to the production of Modern Expo and installation visits to other existing markets to ensure that each part meets each detail with international standards," the company said.

The Modern Expo added that the company cooperates with the Royal Mail as a turnkey resolution and, in addition to mailboxes and software, also provides comprehensive support for these solutions. (See specification here.)

In turn, the British newspaper The Telegraph writes that the Royal Mail is thus trying to intensify its competition with Amazon in this segment.

According to the publication, the first 250 post offices will be put into operation in early 2025. The first of them is already opened outside the Royal Mail Mount Pleasant postal center in Clerkenwell, the center of London.

The locations will have round-the-clock access for customers who will pick up parcels. The publication also adds that the Royal Mail is trying to focus on developing parcel delivery amid a long and large-scale reduction in the number of letters sent.

Modern Expo was founded Pole Bohdan Lukasik and Ukrainian Petro Pylypiuk.


Monday, 6 January 2025

A Handbook of British Barcoded Stamps

When Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II died it brought the end of our Security Machin Checklist, which listed the Machin definitives from 2009 up to and including those issued with Datamatrix Barcodes.  Before that I had indicated that although there was much to be learned from a study of the data contained within the barcode, that was not something I would be pursuing, much in the same way that I did not produce a Post and Go Checklist.  We would also not produce a Checklist for the stamps of King Charles.

However, it is clear that a large number of people around the world are interested in the stamps of the new reign, and that a number of those are interested in delving into the hidden world of the datamatrix code. So I am pleased to provide details of a new Handbook covering this subject.  Users of the Complete Deegam Machin Handbook will be aware of it already, but I'm sure there are collectors who never got into the complexities of that volume but who nonetheless are interested in these new codes.

The Deegam® Handbook of British Barcoded Stamps.

 

● Published as linked Adobe PDF files (delivered via WeTransfer)

More than 100 Mb of data and images

In colour and printable

Constantly updated (five times a year)

Suitable for Windows PC and Mac

2022 was a remarkable year for British philately! Two ‘radical’ changes took place at almost the same time – first, original definitive stamps were replaced by barcoded ones, the invalidation of non-barcoded definitive stamps from 31 July 2023 preceded by a Swap scheme allowing users to exchange old for new.

The second change was caused by the death of HM Queen Elizabeth II and succession by HM King Charles III.  Both changes triggered different reactions among collectors. One group decided to stop adding future new issues from Royal Mail to their collection, either on the introduction of barcodes or the death of the Queen, while others - as always when there is a major change - see a new starting point in their collecting interests, as these barcoded stamps present a further milestone in the development of the postal service.

Therefore, it has been decided to create a separate publication for these barcoded stamps – The Deegam® Handbook of British Barcoded Stamps (or, in short, HBBS). The term ‘barcoded stamps’ includes not only barcoded National and Country definitive stamps with images of the monarch King Charles III or Queen Elizabeth II, but also barcoded Christmas stamps. In fact, Christmas stamps have the same format and similar features to the definitive stamps. In other words, this Handbook contains all GB barcoded stamps.

The same structure and navigation as that used in the Machin Handbook HB5 are used for this Handbook although the text is presented in one column rather than two. There is an ‘Introduction’ that is structured similarly to the Chapters of Handbook HB5 – so that in the future this Introduction can easily be divided into Chapters (if necessary). 

It contains a catalogue of barcoded stamps. This is divided into three levels to suit beginners, intermediate collectors and specialists. Each level forms part of the unique numbering system which never changes no matter what new values or variations are issued. Every value has its own section, making it very easy to find the stamp you are looking for. In addition, all FDCs (more precisely, non-cancelled FDCs) are displayed in order to visibly present the barcodes on all stamps. An appendix for forgeries has also been added.

The Handbook is updated every 2-3 months with Deegam® Reports which are free to registered owners for a period of time. Every Handbook is created to order so yours is always the latest version when you buy it.

This Handbook is currently the only publication on British barcoded stamps on the market! The author is very optimistic that many collectors will share his enthusiasm for barcoded stamps.

Sample pages of The Deegam® Handbook of British Barcoded Stamps (HBBS) are available from the ‘Handbooks’ page of the Deegam website at https://www.deegam.com

 

The price of this new Handbook is £29, but there are a number of other purchasing options if you already have, or want to buy, the Machin Handbook.  See the Deegam site for details.  I urge readers to look at the sample pages referenced above, as even from these few you can see how detailed and comprehensive this Handbook is.



Sunday, 5 January 2025

Review of the Year 2024

Welcome to the delayed Review of the Year.  An exercise that I usually undertake during the last couple of weeks in November until nearly Christmas has been fitted into occasional dips into the past year over the last couple of weeks.  If you think I missed anything really notable and worth recalling, please let me know.


Definitives

Royal Mail's Swapout scheme continued to send Queen Elizabeth stamps in exchange for the invalidated ones, although some King Charles values appeared during the year.  Similarly the sale of Machins continued at Post Office branches and they were only gradually replaced by definitives of the new reign.  It is to be hoped that PO central stores has kept the two stocks separate to ensure the old ones are used up first.   The King Charles 1st class Large business sheet continued to be advertised on their online shop but as we know it hadn't been printed and customers received the Machin version.


Commemorative or Special Stamps

Once again Royal Mail decided that two music acts were worthy of being commemorated in the Music Giants series, together with two television programmes.  Worthy anniversaries included the 170th anniversary of the Meteorological Office, the centenary of the first British commemorative stamps and the 150th anniversary of the birth of Sir Winston Churchill.  

For those who prefer thematic issues subjects rather than those from the entertainment industry, the year offered dogs, dinosaurs, spiders, Vikings, and the 60th Anniversary of the Red Arrows flying display team. 

The Union Flag stamp was reissued in August with the head of the King for no obvious reason, and it was also included in the Churchill PSB.  1st & 2nd class Wales definitives were also issued with the new head, and RM announced that there would be no more airmail-rate stamps in the country definitive range.


Errors

There were fewer this year than in some previous years, but those that did surface continued to amaze, and beg questions!   A couple on stamps printed on envelopes by mailing houses were unusual - one with no denomination and one printed in a poor grey-lilac colour instead of green.  

A major error on a 1st class Machin definitive from 2022 involved a 2mm leftward shift of the iridescent printing hiding the source code.   A sheet of the Machin 2nd class Large was found in a PO branch with no datamatrix codes.

We thought that the use of the Movember slogan in July was an error until it appeared from mail centres across the country.  No explanation was ever forthcoming from Royal Mail, and it didn't reappear in November.

Prestige books, as usual, were a source for lucky collectors with the Dungeons & Dragons book appearing with two definitive panes, and the Churchill definitive pane on Royal Mail's official first day cover appearing with two sets of barcodes on each stamp.


Postage Rates

Royal Mail continued the practice of two changes to postage rates started in 2023. 1st class letters, which started the year at £1.25 increased to £1.35 from 2 April, and to £1.65 on 7 October.  The postal regulator, Ofcom, controls how much 2nd class rates can be changed, and they increased also by 10p to 85p in April, but remained unchanged in October.   The Worldwide Airmail basic letter rate increased by 30p in April, and another 30p to £2.80 in October.

The compensation levels for Royal Mail Signed For were more than halved in April and a new over-the-counter Tracked service was introduced, although it took some time for it to be available in all branches. Unfortunately for this service no stamps could be used and payment was by cash or card only.


Forgeries & Penalties

With the volume and range of Chinese forgeries available on well-known marketplaces unrelenting, Royal Mail introduced a smartphone app to identify whether a definitive stamp was genuine, but only by scanning the barcode.  Even that was not totally foolproof and they suspended the £5 surcharge penalty for using forged stamps in April.  It remains in place for unpaid mail, or mail sent inland using Universal Mail International Postcard Stamps. (Example written up here.)  

The number and variety of counterfeit special stamps, including gummed & perforated rather than self-adhesive continued to expand.  A new forgery of the 1st Large 2021 Christmas stamp appeared with blatantly wrong die-cuts and the barcode copied from Royal Mail's publicity photos.


Post and Go

There have been no new Post and Go stamps since Royal Mail decided to stop using their own (IAR) machines at the end of 2023, although the usual contributors have kept the January post regularly updated with news of new discoveries, new Self-Service Kiosk installations and, more often, removals often due to closure/relocation of post branches.  

I don't know how many people are still collecting, by Malcolm, Trevor, Robert, DaveC, and Anonymous contributors have continued to keep you updated (apologies for any names I missed, skimming through).  I'll carry this on with a new January post early on. Please wait for that before any January news. 


Slogan Postmarks

A reader has already suggested that there were not as many slogans in 2024 as before.  In fact we recorded 20 between us, up from 18 last year but down on the 26 of 2022.  Apart from the Saints' Days and Christmas (only one type), many were the regular health or greetings-card related or other 'special days', although we also had slogans marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day and the Air Ambulances, and one exhorting us to send in our Postal Votes for the general election.  An oddity which seemed like an error but which obviously was not was the use of the Movember slogan in July, which was widespread. The slogan was not used in November. 


Postboxes

The only item of note was the installation of the first King Charles postbox (with a new crown).  There were no reports nor any publicity from Royal Mail of any redecoration in other colours, although I did show some green ex-British examples from our trip to Ireland.


Royal Mail operations

Confusion continued in both Post Office branches and at Royal Mail Customer Service and Business Customer Services, with the latter asserting to one reader that postage stamps could not be used on Special Delivery items, and neither could the SF & SD barcode labels.  

They eventually conceded that this advice was wrong, but the experiences of readers at PO branches continues to vary widely as experienced staff are let go and grocery shop assistants take over.  One even suggested that older stamps had to be used before the price increase in October.

The new Tracked 24/48 service which was announced in April resulted in an increase in the volume of tracked mail handled by postal delivery workers.  Being guaranteed for 24 or 48 hours, compensation for delays to these could be claimed, and so RM management insisted they had priority over untracked letters.  

Needless to say the senior management denied that ordinary mail was delayed, but if insufficient time is allowed for all mail to be delivered, then ordinary mail has to be left behind.  Posties confirmed that there were "Specific and explicit instructions to ensure tracked are done above all else", and in the month before Christmas, the volumes increased further with ordinary mail for some addresses being left
for 3 days or more.

On the Post Office side, the much-heralded and gently-trialled replacement for Horizon seems to have been abandoned before it got very far (but after much public money had been spent on it), and Fujitsu will continue to support PO systems for a while longer.


The Horizon Scandal

The heavily trailed ITV reconstruction Mr Bates Vs the Post Office had a much bigger impact than the producers, the cast and the postmasters and their lawyers could possibly have expected, with the government announcing by mid January that wrongly convicted postmasters would have their convictions overturned.  The legislation was produced in due course and such was the cross-party support that it was one of the few pieces of legislation pushed through parliament in the week before the recess for the general election.

Elsewhere the Statutory Inquiry continued to its final public evidence hearings and cross-examinations in December, followed by closing submissions from the Core Participants Legal Representatives. 

 I haven't followed these later stages as closely as I had been but there is a good summary by the Inquiry Secretariat here, which covers the year's key points.  Expect the lengthy Inquiry Report in the late spring.


The blog, the business

Despite a fall-off in my output over the last couple of years (see right - shows posts per year) the number of viewers and contributors continues to increase and we are now approaching 9 million views as against 6 million in August last year.  This is in no small part due to contributors sending examples of slogan and other postmarks, and errors, and making comments and asking questions.  Thank you all.

With the Machin series coming to an end, but nothing significant in the new definitive series, there is just not as much news.

I continue to add occasional posts to the parallel "Modern British Postal History" blog (originally intended to cover Machins on cover, but they need a lot more sorting out before here is anything significant to add).   It is now expanded from Machins alone to include examples of modern surcharge patterns and recent special stamps on cover.   The former shows how Royal Mail got things right and wrong in equal measure, and the latter how difficult it is to find proper uses of modern special stamps.

As for the business, the year started with continued efforts to get as many invalidated stamps as possible into the hands of collectors.  I've now stopped this and will take down the lists soon, although they will still be available as reference for anyone who wants the listings.  I'll then do a stocktake and send the rest to Royal Mail for exchange, a process which is taking over 4 weeks now as they reduce the staffing allocated to the task.

Projects for the year ahead include listing definitive first day covers, including those not available on Royal Mail standing order, and some with single from PSBs rather than more expensive complete panes.   I'll also make a list of the less common Post & Go stamps for sale; there are some odd values available for short periods only or from limited kiosks.  And as I work through my boxes and stock-books, who knows what might be available?   (I've still got aerogrammes as well!)

I will also start selling stamps for postage again, to reduce stocks of special issues and more common Post and Go.  The latter are especially useful being NVIs in all cases.  Some bargains will be available there.  The next stages will be to look at older GB, and then Commonwealth and Foreign.  

If you have any particular interests in stamps, cards, postal history and oddities, worldwide, please do ask as this takes up far more space at present than the core collections that I want to keep.

So as we are once again under the influence of cold and wet weather, time to settle down with your albums, stock-books and catalogues, and enjoy your collections.

A Happy New Year to all our readers.




Friday, 3 January 2025

New Retail Booklets & Business Sheets have new font as well as new crown - 30 January 2025.

We reported last September that King Charles has adopted the Tudor Crown and that it would be included in the Royal Mail Cruciform, replacing the St Edward's Crown, with a knock-on effect on booklets and business sheets.

Royal Mail is now updating the design of our Retail Stamp Books and Business Sheets to incorporate the new King Charles III cruciform.   The first day of availability for these 'Visible Change' items will be 30 January 2025.

The font has also been updated from Chevin to PF Din Text to align with Royal Mail’s brand guidelines.

To avoid wastage, all new Stamp Books and Business Sheets will be printed according to stock demands, with release of 4 x 1st Books and Large Letter Books/Sheets to be announced in due course.

The products are, with Royal Mail product codes for anybody who wishes to order from them:

8 x 2nd class - UB470 - £6.80  (will replace UB461)

8 x 1st class - UB471 - £13.20  (will replace UB462)

50 x 2nd class - DS1944 - £42.50 (will replace DS1655)

50 x 1st class - DS1945 - £82.50 (will replace DS1656)

 

I would expect the colours of the 2nd class to remain the same, rather than varied as shown above.


Thursday, 2 January 2025

Royal Mail Stamp Programme for 2025

The Royal Mail stamp programme for 2025 can now be published and all those who contributed to our competition can now see how accurate their predictions were.  (Answer - not very!  Four readers sent in lists which contained 3 of the subjects on the list (including Christmas so really only two), and one of those had a suggestion which may be a third.

In fact some subjects not included in the list had more or as many supporters, with Jane Austen having 4. Nobody got the two Music Legends correct, and only one person suggested the right TV programme, although two others were also suggested.  One subject was suggested by 7 readers and is included in the programme.  (More details below.)

The subjects as listed below are as Royal Mail provided them to us in autumn 2024. 

This year only five of the five of the stamp issues is media/entertainment related, leaving 10 (including Christmas) more directly relevant.

This programme should be made public at the same time as the Vicar of Dibley stamps which are on a separate post.

14th January

The Vicar of Dibley, television situation comedy (30 years)



30th January
(Thanks John H)

The Royal Armouries



18th February

Music Giants - AC/DC (Australian band founded by two Scots)



11th March

Garden Wildlife

15th April

British Myths & Legends



1st May

Valour and Victory Stories of the Second World War



22nd May

The Chronicles of Narnia  (75 years since the first book was published.)


12th June

Royal Observatory at Greenwich- 350th Anniversary of Founding



remainder - to follow

I've hidden my comment in the next paragraph as it refers to issues which RM have decided they cannot tell us about yet. 🙄

 

 

 

Other subjects which might have been covered, and which were suggested by readers ...

- The 250th anniversary of the birth of Jane Austen (yes, she's appeared before, but this is a worthy anniversary.)

- The Centenary of John Logie Baird's first demonstrations of  Television.

- The Women's Rugby World Cup and the Snooker World Cup.

- Television soap EastEnders, and sitcom Fawlty Towers - 40th anniversary of first broadcasts.

- under Music Giants, the following were suggested: Oasis, Bob Marley, Kate Bush, George Michael, Bay City Rollers.

- thematic suggestions included Art Deco Buildings, Coins, Sports Cars, Reintroduced Species, Small Pets, the Anglo-Saxons, Reptiles. (Sorry if I missed any!)

I'm sure there will be a significant number of Prestige Stamp Books and Collector Sheets.  If you are still buying everything, it will be an even more expensive year.  I'll do my best to continue to provide you with all the information I can.



Sunday, 15 December 2024

Not Quite the Review of the Year 2024

For reasons which will be obvious if you read my post of 19th November, I have been rather busy of late.

Consequently my usual 'Review of the Year' has not proceeded beyond the layout/headings stage. I hope to remedy this very early in 2025, but probably not before some posts about the first issue of the year on 14 January, and the outline programme for the year.

 

Instead, I'll end the year with a heartfelt thank you to everyone who wrote or sent cards following the death of my mother.  Some were regular contributors, some I used to meet at Stampex and had not seen for more than ten years.  Some I had never met, but they had supported the business for many years and are counted as friends as well as customers - and in some cases also suppliers.  My thanks especially to Iain, Vince and Adam for your cards.

And a few people who must have been readers, but from whom we had never heard before, also sent the condolences.  Thank you for your thoughts and kind words at what was a difficult time.

 

I usually end with a winter picture or one of a church from our holidays.  Instead this year, as it has been dull and gloomy for much of December, I am jumping back to September and our very sunny holiday in Ireland which will, I hope, brighten the day for UK readers!

 

My message this year is a repeat of last year's as the conditions remain the same for many people, and so do our sentiments.

We hope all our readers have a happy Christmas holiday whatever religion you follow (if any).

We think especially of those in the care and health sectors who are working while we are relaxing;  those who are no longer with us, especially those who have passed this year; and we think about those who have died awaiting and fighting for justice.

We hope that you and your friends and loved ones stay safe and healthy. 

Remember those who are less fortunate than you and if you can help one person - try to make it two!  Don't forget the postal workers who we rely on, and who are working harder while so many of their colleagues are leaving for a less stressful life.





Introduction


Postage Rates



Definitives




Commemorative or Special Stamps



Errors




Forgeries




Post and Go



Slogan Postmarks



Postboxes



Royal Mail operations



The Horizon Scandal




The blog, the business


Tuesday, 10 December 2024

So Post Office's new N-BIT the dust!

I have written about The Post Office's new computer system which would replace the discredited Horizon several times, and the very limited trial at just a few branches.

As recently as October Computer Weekly suggested that with an already massive £1 billion overspend and over-run the plug might be pulled - leaving Horizon in place, and Fujitsu still supporting it.

Now that same journal reports that the system is being abandoned without sufficient care being taken over retention of important data.

According to a source close to the project, the Post Office is ending its Strategic Platform Modernisation Programme (SPMP), which the Horizon replacement project known as New Branch IT (NBIT) sits within, and is letting staff go.

and

Last week, a large group of staff on the SPMP were told they would not be needed beyond Friday 13 December, giving the Post Office about a week to secure the data they hold and ensure it can be accessed in the future. 

The data could be vital for future inquiries into the project, the Post Office and why SPMP spent hundreds of millions of pounds more than it budgeted for but still failed to deliver NBIT. It includes data in emails, messaging apps, working documents and technical information documents. 

The source told Computer Weekly: “Over the next couple of weeks, the SPMP is concluding its decision to let go of contractors and third parties, but without adequately completing a credible data safeguarding activity, the Post Office’s response to the risk is very weak. Something is not right about this.”

Read the full piece here.

And then

A source with inside knowledge of the project said it is now “nearly certain” that a fusion of Horizon, in-house NBIT and off-the-shelf software will replace the current system. This would involve the Post Office buying the Horizon system from Fujitsu rather than renting it as it does now.

This was a previous proposal that had been scrapped, according to the source. “There is nothing new about it and there were reasons why it was rejected in the first place,” they said.

Another source said teams at the Post Office have a “vested interest in Horizon staying around” and that some have been vocal about it. He added that “change is a difficult thing and a lot of people object to it”. 

Second story here. 

This must mean the end - soon or already - of the trial which produced labels such as those at the head of this piece.  Whilst we know that a number of these have been produced by collectors and possibly by dealers, there certainly can't be many.  And for anybody who has collected Horizon labels and wants to continue through to replacement systems, inclusion of these is essential.


Wednesday, 4 December 2024

Another datamatrix error - 2nd Large Machin 2022 counter sheet.

Readers who have been following the exchanges in the comments about datamatrix-coded stamps having a glaring omission will be interested to see these pictures.

There is no doubt that this sheet of stamps exists, with no datamatrix code on the 2nd Large counter sheet.

Machin 2022 2nd class large counter sheet with no datamatrix code.

The story is that 

"A local post office had these issued and sold some before being recalled."

But then who alerted the administration that recalled them?   And were they legitimately acquired (after others had been sold) before others were returned?

Machin 2022 2nd class large counter sheet with no datamatrix code showing security details.

Machin 2022 2nd class large counter sheet with no datamatrix code showing printing date.

 

It was, for decades, established practice that faulty stamps were to be returned when discovered, and any posmaster or post office employee who retained any was at risk of dismissal (even though they were paid for).  

I'm sure the principle still holds.  These stamps will be listed in The Deegam Handbook of British Barcoded Stamps, and mentioned in the next Deegam Report.  

Were there any more of these?  Are any other errors on Machins lurking - waiting to be revealed?



Monday, 2 December 2024

December Slogan Postmarks and other interesting Postal Markings

November actually ended with the Post Early slogan which I received on a (stamped business!) letter today.  

This may be the only general design until Royal Mail get date specific - last year they didn't do any post early slogans and in 2022 they were urging us to use up our old stamps until the middle of the month when they switched to date specific.  

Remember also, that the Universal machines are usually pressed into service at this time of year.

2022 Date-specific 'Post Early' slogan.

Dumb wavy line Universal machine in 2022.

Decades-old Snowman slogan in Universal machine in 2022.

Post Early

This slogan will be widely used, I should think, so please send me other layouts.

Remember to
post early
for Christmas

royalmail.com/greetings

This first example is from Peterborough Mail Centre 30-11-2024.

Post Early slogan, Peterborough Mail Centre 30-11-2024

UPDATE 4 December: We and MM both received reversed examples today on square envelopes.  Mine is from Gatwick 02/12/2024 and MM's is from Tyne & Wear 03/12/2024.

Reversed Post Early slogan, Gatwick Mail Centre 02/12/2024
Reversed Post Early slogan, Tyneside NE/SR Mail Centre 03/12/2024

And the last layout to complete the set (of mostly poor impressions!) comes from PC with this one from Romford Mail Centre, probably 02/12/2024.
Reversed Post Early slogan, Romford Mail Centre 02/12/2024

UPDATE 21 December 2024  Royal Mail's last day for posting 2nd class mail was 18th December, and although the last day for 1st class mail was 20th, the Post Early slogan was replaced on 19th by the default British Heart Foundation slogan.  I suppose anything posted on 19th was unlikely to be delivered on 20th, so no point in continuing to remind people of the last posting date.

Here's a the envelope from a card which reached us this week which has the Birmingham Mail Centre Post Early slogan on 17/12/2024, and also a Norwich Mail Centre British Heart Foundation slogan on 19-12-2024. After that there is a clear example of the BHF slogan from Norwich on 20-12-2024.

Post Early slogan from Birmingham Mail Centre slogan on 17/12/2024, and also a Norwich Mail Centre British Heart Foundation slogan on 19-12-2024.

Norwich Mail Centre British Heart Foundation slogan on 20-12-2024.




UNIVERSALS

CP emailed to say that Stromness's Universal machine was used again, but could not send a copy.  I should think it is much like this one, without a year.  "Stromness stamped the reverse of my letter (on 2 December) suggesting the Universal is only used on island mail and the stamp on the front was cancelled with Glasgow Post early slogan of 3 December"

Stromness, Orkney Universal with no year slug, used in 2023, which was used again in 2024

UPDATE: the reported 2024 usage has now reached me and is of course the same slogan as last year, but they put the day slug into the time slot on 2 December.

Stromness, Orkney, Universal with no year slug, used 2 December 2024 with the day slug in the time slot.



Other postmarks, postal markings etc.

Jersey post used a Santa Sleigh slogan postmark this year: the transposed position as used by Royal Mail in pre-inkjet days allows the slogan to be seen clearly. 

Jersey Post Merry Christmas slogan illustrated with Santa and reindeer 05.12.24




Remember, all postmarks appearing in December will be added to this post, so check here before you spend time scanning and emailing.








Saturday, 30 November 2024

Amazing Prestige Stamp Book Errors - the latest episode.

Ever year, though not every issue, we report different types of error on Prestige Stamp Books: missing panes, duplicate panes, inverted pane, perforation errors, miscuts, and so on.

But we've never had anything quite like the one in the image that was sent to me today.

Churchill PSB definitive pane on Tallents House FDC - with duplicated datamatrix code!

My thanks to IG for sharing this with us all.  It's an amazing error - and of course there must be more because however these are printed, in whatever sheet or reel format (probably the latter as it is especially for automatic addition to Royal Mail first day covers) - each of the stamps should have a unique datamatrix code.  The two codes on each stamp are indeed different.

If anyone else has received a similar error, it will be very interesting to know just how many we can record.