25th James Bond Film Brings Stamps Galore on 17 March 2020

In celebration of the 25th James Bond film due for release in April 2020, Royal Mail is delighted to launch the official James Bond stamp issue.

The Bond films are the longest running film series in film history with James Bond known all over the world. The films are renowned for many features, including the musical accompaniment, with the theme songs having received Academy Award nominations on several occasions, and two wins. Other important elements which run through most of the films include Bond's cars, his guns, and the gadgets with which he is supplied by Q Branch and is the focus of the Minisheet in the stamp issue.

The six-stamp set features all six actors who have played James Bond, from Sean Connery to Daniel Craig.

IMPORTANT UPDATE ON PRESENTATION PACKS - see below, towards the foot of this post.

Stamps in two se-tenant strips.
3 x 1st class - Daniel Craig in Casino Royale, Pierce Brosnan in Goldeneye and Timothy Dalton in The Living Daylights.
3 x £1.60 - Roger Moore in Live and Let Die, George Lazenby in On Her Majesty's Secret Service, and Sean Connery in Goldfinger.

Miniature sheet - Celebrating some of Q Branch’s most well-known gadgets, centring around arguably the most famous one of them all, Bond’s DB5. This miniature sheet isn’t quite as it seems; under a UV light detailed specs of each gadget will become clear. In another unusual feature the stamps carry a unique 007 perforation.

2 x 1st class - Bell-Textron Jet Pack, Thunderball, and Aston Martin DB5, Skyfall
2 x £1.55 - Lotus Esprit Submarine, The Spy Who Loved Me and Little Nellie, You Only Live Twice

 

  

Presentation Pack, First Day Covers, Stamp Cards
The presentation pack delves into the world of Bond; exploring both his relationships with key allies and villains, as well as providing an overview of all 25 Bond films including the latest No Time to Die. The inside of the pack elaborates on 6 of Bond’s most important relationships, whilst the back summarises the James Bond films in their entirety, beginning with Dr No. The pack comes with both stamps and miniature sheet. The miniature sheet comes in a specially designed carrier card with a brief overview of Q and his relationship with Bond.

Retail booklet of the two 1st class special stamps from the miniature sheet and 4 x 1st class Machin definitives coded MCIL M20L, and the 007 logo on the back cover.

 

UPDATE 20 February:  A reader has asked whether the self-adhesive booklet stamps have normal die-cut perforations or 007 as shown on the Royal Mail shop (see below).  The answer is that the booklet has normal die-cut perforations, as (almost) shown in the RM supplied image above, with no 007!

Prestige Stamp Booklet (PSB) A real treat for any James Bond fan, the Prestige Stamp Book is a 24-page booklet packed full of fascinating Bond facts and behind-the-scenes insight into the filmmakers, action and stunts, supporting cast and more.

The book includes all 10 stamps and a definitive pane containing 2 x 2p, 2 x 2nd class Machin, 2 x 2nd class Scotland, 2 x 1st class Union Flag.  Surprisingly, the Machin definitives have the M19L year code which - aside from any shade differences - means no new stamps as the 2nd class was in last year's Star Wars 3 book and the 2p is in this year's Visions of the Universe book.

NOTE:  There is one difference between the MS and the MS pane which is not shown in the pictures.  
Each of the stamps has part of the perforations showing 007 (click on the image to see it more clearly on the enlargement) and on these pictures although in different places on different stamps, the stamps from both sources are identical.  However on the actual Lotus Esprit stamp the 007 is top right on the MS and top left on the Pane.

 

 

The definitive pane of stamps, which lists the title and year of release of all 25 James Bond films, will be used on Royal Mail's FDCs in the usual way, ie without the list of films!


Press Sheet (of 8 x MS) in a limited edition of 500

 

Generic (aka Smilers/Collectors) Sheet This A4-sized collector sheet contains 10 of Royal Mail’s James Bond stamps in self-adhesive format* accompanied by a sticker featuring an iconic moment and vehicle from across the films.  Correction - Royal Mail have now advised that the James Bond Collectors Sheet (AT113) is PVA Gummed, not self-adhesive.

The sheet includes: 3 x 1st Daniel Craig stamps, 3 x £1.60 Sean Connery stamps, 1 x 1st Pierce Brosnan stamp, 1 x 1st Timothy Dalton stamp, 1 x £1.60 Roger Moore stamp & 1 x £1.60 George Lazenby stamp. The background is taken from the opening title sequence of Casino Royale and has the official 007 logo.
 

 

Limited Edition version of the James Bond Prestige Stamp Book features a special edition 007 silver foiled front cover. It comes presented in a special tin display case embossed with the 007 logo with just 1,962 of these Limited-Edition sets available to Bond fans – the number being the year of the first Bond film, Dr No.

 

Technical Details:
Stamps designed by Interbang and printed by International Security Printers. In 'Olympic Landscape' format (60 x 30 mm) the two values are in sheets of 36, printed in lithography with PVA gum.  The miniature sheet is 192 x 74 mm with stamps 60 x 30 mm or 40 x 30 mm.

Acknowledgements: 2020 © EON Productions Limited and Danjaq, LLC. 007 Gun Logo and related James Bond Indicia © 1962–2020 Danjaq, LLC and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. 007 Gun Logo and related James Bond Trademarks are trademarks of Danjaq, LLC. All Rights Reserved. George Lazenby as James Bond photo © Loomis Dean/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images. Digital image enhancement: Smoke & Mirrors London.


UPDATE 19 March
TWO DIFFERENT PRESENTATION PACKS EXIST 

My thanks a customer who emailed, and to 'Anonymous' who commented:

Has anyone else been caught out by the different Presentation Pack (code AP472) arrangement for this issue? On my copy at least, rather than plastic pockets to hold the stamps and MiniSheet, the items are stuck directly onto the cardboard of the pack (thus making them no longer Unmounted Mint). 

I rang RM, and was told that it was standard policy for this issue (the nice woman at RM didn't know whether it would hapen for subsequent issues). I've arranged to return the PP for a refund and have bought the set and MiniSheet separately.

When the second such report arrived I check with my contacts at Royal Mail.  Apparently there were two versions of the Presentation Pack AP472 and APR 472.  The latter had the stamps stuck to the card (but not cancelled) and are not, therefore, what most collectors want.  No information about this APR pack was supplied to dealers, nor indeed to the people who handle our orders!

These sound like Retail packs (R for retail) such as those A4 packs retailed apparently exclusively by WHSmith.  But nobody knows anything about them!

The error in sending the APRs to ordinary customers was noticed, but too late to know who had been sent the wrong pack, so they could not be recalled.  If you have not examined your packs yet check them, and if they are wrong, phone or email the usual contacts to arrange for a returns number and a replacement.  It is not necessary, as anonymous unwittingly did, to forgo the normal pack and buy the loose stamps and MS instead.  

I hope RM will include something about this mistake in their Bulletin to alert their customers who are not readers of this blog.

UPDATE: The packs containing cancelled stamps are sold by Royal Mail via the Amazon marketplace - see here for more details.


Products: First Day Covers not included; single design sheet stamps available in multiples of 6.

Product	Stock Code	Value
Stamp Set (3 x 1st, 3 x £1.60 se-tenant)	AS5500	£6.90
Character Set	AS5500E	£7.20
Miniature Sheet Barcoded	MZ149	£4.50
Q Branch Stamp Sheet Set	MZ149A	£4.80
Presentation Pack	AP472	£12.20
Stamp Cards	AQ288	£4.95
Retail Stamp Book	UB430	£4.20
Collector Sheet	AT113	£12.60
Prestige Stamp Book	YB088	£16.99
Limited Edition Prestige Stamp Book	YB089	£64.99
Limited Edition Q Branch BU Coin Cover	AN175	£19.95
Limited Edition Q Branch Silver Coin Cover	AN177	£85.00
Limited Edition Q Branch Gold Coin Cover	AN179	£530.00
Limited Edition James Bond BU Coin Cover	AN176	£19.95
Limited Edition James Bond Silver Coin Cover	AN178	£85.00
Limited Edition James Bond Gold Coin Cover	AN180	£530.00
Limited Edition Press Sheet	PZ044	£39.99
Limited Edition Silver Miniature Sheet	MZ149B	£199.00
Limited Edition Silver Stamp Set	AS5500M	£199.00
James Bond Secret Dossier	AW140	£29.99
Villains & Gadgets Complete Collection Set	AW139	£14.99
Framed Collectors Sheet	N3190	£29.99
Framed Stamp Set	N3187	£29.99
Framed Miniature Sheet	N3188	£29.99
Daniel Craig Framed Print	N3202	£69.99
Piers Brosnan Framed Print	N3204	£69.99
Sean Connery Framed Print	N3203	£69.99
Timothy Dalton Framed Print	N3206	£69.99
George Lazenby Framed Print	N3207	£69.99
Roger Moore Framed Print	N3202	£69.99

Discuss!

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50th Ann of James Bond - Commemorative Sheet 1 May 2012

Royal Mail are marking the 50th anniversary of the James Bond series with a very special limited edition commemorative sheet, featuring ten iconic Bond movie poster labels alongside ten, first class, Union Flag stamps.

With 22 movies to choose from however, the task of deciding exactly which of the iconic Bond images will make it into the pack is fiendishly difficult. Which is where you come in because the final ten posters will be chosen not by Royal Mail, but by you, Bond’s most loyal fans. Every Bond movie poster from the last 50 years is available here to view, allowing you the once in a lifetime opportunity to decide which of your favourite ten will be immortalised in this special edition.

The individually numbered, limited edition Commemorative Sheet celebrating 50 years of James Bond will be launched by Royal Mail on 1st May 2012.

The sheet will be similar to this one for Halley's Comet.

Even if you don't want to buy it you can influence which posters are included and say that you had a say in the design of one of Royal Mail's expensive collector's products.

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Comment:
Royal Mail rejected a proposal by a customer to create a sheet showing bawdy cartoon picture postcards such as were/are sent in their millions every year on the grounds of possible offence due to near-nudity etc. Now look at the James Bond selection. I wonder if they will include the top ten voted for if they include, for example, For Your Eyes Only, which was topping the poll when I made my selection?

Updated April 2012 - See comments: RM rejects another Bamforth postcard Business Sheet.

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James Bond - bumper pack of stamps and other products to be issued 17 March

The embargo date for this issue is 18 February, so I would not normally be writing now, but as Royal Mail's February Philatelic Bulletin lists all the products, it seems appropriate to write this now, but there won't be much detail!

In celebration of the 25th James Bond film due for release in April 2020, Royal Mail is delighted to launch the official James Bond stamp issue.

The Bond films are the longest running film series in film history with James Bond known all over the world. The films are renowned for many features, including the musical accompaniment, with the theme songs having received Academy Award nominations on several occasions, and two wins. Other important elements which run through most of the films include Bond's cars, his guns, and the gadgets with which he is supplied by Q Branch.

The summary in the Philatelic Bulletin lists the following elements:

Stamps 3 x 1st class, 3 x £1.60 in two se-tenant strips.

Miniature sheet - 2 x 1st class, 2 x £1.55

Presentation Pack, First Day Covers, Stamp Cards

Retail booklet of two special stamps and 4 x 1st class Machin definitives.

Prestige Stamp Booklet (PSB) which will include all 10 stamps and a definitive pane containing 2 x 2p, 2 x 2nd class Machin, 2 x 2nd class Scotland, 2 x 1st class Union Flag. (These ought to be coded M20L).
13 February - SHOCK UPDATE - the Machin definitives have M19L coding!

Press Sheet (of MS);

Generic (aka Smilers/Collectors) Sheet containing 5 x 1st class and 5 x £1.60 with attached labels.

Limited Edition PSB which contains same stamp panes but possibly a different cover, all in different packaging.

Various framed sets, prints, and other material for Bond fans rather than stamp collectors.

Readers may leave comments but I shall not be confirming any other details of the stamps or what they depict until the due date. 

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James Bond 50th Anniversary Commemorative Sheet

Royal Mail have released this image of the James Bond Commemorative Sheet to be sold from 1 May 2012. 

We haven't yet been told the price for this.  With the current face value of £4.60 the sheets are £13.95; with a new face value of £6.00 

The selling price has now been set at £14.95, and the print run is 15,000:

Issued on 1 May to celebrate 50 years of James Bond, the Commemorative Sheet contains the ‘Union Flag’ stamps and adjoining labels comprising images of James Bond posters as chosen by over 30,000 fans worldwide. The films are Casino Royale, Goldfinger, From Russia with Love, The Living Daylights, Dr No, Live and Let Die, For your Eyes Only, Moonraker, GoldenEye, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.

The pack not only includes fascinating information about the character in each film, including the story line and those involved in their production, but also features iconic images of the different actors who have played James Bond. Details of selected Bond Girls and some of his adversaries are also included.

Designed by True North, the sheet is self-adhesive litho-printed by Cartor of France, A4, with stamps 20 x 24mm.

 

Thanks to Machaggis52 on Stampboards for pointing out that the 'poster' images have been cropped and text rearranged from what we voted on.  So these are not movie posters at all simply adaptations from the originals.

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Urgent message for Royal Mail customers re James Bond Packs

JAMES BOND: TWO DIFFERENT PRESENTATION PACKS EXIST

My thanks a customer who emailed, and to 'Anonymous' who commented:

Has anyone else been caught out by the different Presentation Pack (code AP472) arrangement for this issue? On my copy at least, rather than plastic pockets to hold the stamps and MiniSheet, the items are stuck directly onto the cardboard of the pack (thus making them no longer Unmounted Mint). 

I rang RM, and was told that it was standard policy for this issue (the nice woman at RM didn't know whether it would hapen for subsequent issues). I've arranged to return the PP for a refund and have bought the set and MiniSheet separately.

When the second such report arrived I check with my contacts at Royal Mail.  Apparently there were two versions of the Presentation Pack AP472 and APR 472.  The latter had the stamps stuck to the card (but not cancelled) and are not, therefore, what most collectors want.  No information about this APR pack was supplied to dealers, nor indeed to the people who handle our orders!

These sound like Retail packs (R for retail) such as those A4 packs retailed apparently exclusively by WHSmith.  But nobody knows anything about them!

The error in sending the APRs to ordinary customers was noticed, but too late to know who had been sent the wrong pack, so they could not be recalled.  If you have not examined your packs yet check them, and if they are wrong, phone or email the usual contacts to arrange for a returns number and a replacement.  It is not necessary, as anonymous unwittingly did, to forgo the normal pack and buy the loose stamps and MS instead.  

I hope RM will include something about this mistake in their Bulletin to alert their customers who are not readers of this blog.

Since adding this to the James Bond Stamps post, another Royal Mail customer has emailed to say that:

"I have spoken to 4 other collectors this afternoon who were unaware of the error, and when they looked at their Presentation Packs found they had been sent the Retail pack instead of the usual pack."

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Boldly going beyond the pale: Star Trek, 13 November 2020

Once upon a time the General Post Office and then Royal Mail tried very hard not to have any stamp issues after the Christmas stamps, reasoning that they would be busy enough with mails and other stamp orders without adding to the workload, especially for a subject with wide popularity.

No more it seems, because on 13 November they will issue another bumper bundle of products inspired by the world of popular entertainment, this time for TV and film series, Star Trek. 

Text below from Royal Mail is in blue.  It seems part of the justification is that so many of the principal actors are British.

Reason and inspiration
2020 coincides with the debut of the latest series of Star Trek – airing on TV in January. The long awaited, brand-new instalment is based around Jean-Luc Picard (played by Patrick Stewart), formerly the Captain of the Next Generation series.

Star Trek is the TV/film/licensing franchise based on the long-running space opera. It has so far produced more than 700 TV episodes across seven distinct series and 13 movies as well as books, comics and games (including among the earliest computer games). Screened globally, it has been a cult phenomenon for decades and the idea of the programmes and catch phrases are in common use. It is one of the highest grossing media franchises of all time. Its generally optimistic view of the future (a united Federation of planets that peacefully explores the universe) marked it out from other sci-fi series and movies.

The new series airs in January, so 2020 does NOT coincide with this but issuing the stamps in November allows many to be bought and given as Christmas presents.

Of major interest to readers of this blog will be the Machin definitive stamps included in the Prestige Stamp Book, so I am illustrating them first.

The pane consists of 3 each 2nd class and 50p stamps, and a pair of 2p stamps, which produces two sets and some useful left-overs.

Star Trek prestige stamp book definitive pane (Pane 4)

I'm not sure we've had 2p & 50p stamps in such close proximity before, and the first thing I noticed was how similar they are.

The 2p is pretty much the same as previously 

2p MPIL from Visions of the Universe, James Bond and Star Trek.

but the 50p is a greener shade of grey than previously, to my eyes.

50p MPIL from End of World War II and Star Trek

The biggest difference, however, comes with the 2nd class blue.  It does look like an ordinary 2nd class blue in the pane picture, but when we place it alongside its predecessors, the difference in intensity of the colour is marked.

2nd class MPIL from James Bond and Star Trek

 

The current counter sheet stamps are approximately the same colour as the James Bond stamp above, but comparing the latest (Star Trek) stamp to the original 2009 De La Rue counter sheet stamp, we can see how the blue has been watered down over ten years.

2nd class compared with counter sheets 2009-20 (Star Trek in the centre)

 

The 2p and 2nd class stamps will have new mentions in Stanley Gibbons Great Britain Concise catalogue because they are the first to be issued with a M20L year code.  It would not surprise me if, even if it is actually the same colour (ie ink-mix) the 2nd class had a new sub-number as a shade difference.  The 50p may be too close to warrant a sub-number, and is not 'new' as the World War II stamp is also coded M20L.

More details about the PSB and panes can be found below the miniature sheet and retail book paragraphs below. 

 

Stamps
12 stamps depicting the captain from each of the 6 principle TV series plus additional crew members. Each of the stamps in the set of 12 are all illustrated by talented (23-year-old) artist, Freya Betts, the portraits feature the iconic characters alongside reflective details in the background of their respective shows. 

Star Trek set of 12 stamps on First Day Cover (click to enlarge)

Top Row Captains
1st Class - Captain James T Kirk Played by William Shatner in The Original Series
1st Class - Captain Jean-Luc Picard Played by British actor Patrick Stewart in The Next Generation
1st Class - Captain Benjamin Sisko Played by Avery Brooks in Deep Space Nine)
1st Class - Captain Kathryn Janeway Played by Kate Mulgrew in Voyager
1st Class - Captain Jonathan Archer Played by Scott Bakula in Enterprise
1st Class - Captain Gabriel Lorca Played by British actor Jason Isaacs in Discovery

Bottom Row Crew
1st Class – Spock Played by Leonard Nimoy in The Original Series
1st Class - Deanna Troi Played by British actress Marina Siritis in The Next Generation
1st Class - Julian Bashir Played by British actor Alexander Siddig in Deep Space Nine
1st Class - Malcolm Reed Played by British actor Dominic Keating in Enterprise
1st Class - Michael Burnham Played by Sonequa Martin-Greene in Discovery
1st Class - Ash Tyler/Voq Played by British actor Shazad Latif in Discovery

Minisheet Details
Star Trek at the Movies – 6 stamps make up the special miniature sheet featuring characters, all played by British actors, from across the Star Trek Movies franchise. Note: These stamps are photographs and are not illustrations by Freya Betts.

Star Trek miniature sheet (shown without barcode)

 

1st Class - Montgomery Scott (Scotty) played by British actor Simon Pegg in the new Movie Series
1st Class - Praetor Shinzon played by British actor Tom Hardy in Next Gen Movie: Nemesis
1st Class - Tolian Soran played by British actor Malcolm McDowell in Original Movie Series: ‘Generations’
1st Class - Klingon Chancellor Gorkon Valorum played by British actor David Warner in Original Movie Series
1st Class - Carol Marcus played by British actress Alice Eve in the new Movie Series
1st Class - Krall played by British actor Idris Elba in the new Movie Series

Technical details

The 35mm square sheet stamps were printed by ISP/Cartor in lithography with ordinary gum in two sheets of 60 each in two panes of 6 x 5.  No perforation gauge is given.   The stamps were designed by Interabang.   A Press Sheet features 24 miniature sheets (3 columns x 8 rows) in a limited edition of 500.

The 146 x 74mm miniature sheet is printed by ISP/Cartor in litho and (contrary to information provided by Royal Mail) is self-adhesive.  The Montgomery Scott and Shinzon stamps are 60 x 21mm (perf 14.5) and the remainder are 27 x 37mm (perf 14).

TM & © 2020 CBS Studios Inc. © 2020 Paramount Pictures Corp. STAR TREK and related marks and logos are trademarks of CBS Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved. Tom Hardy in Star Trek Nemesis photo  © AF Archive/Alamy Stock Photo. Alice Eve as Dr Carol Marcus in Star Trek Into Darkness photo © CBS Photo Archive via Getty Images. Stamp designs © Royal Mail Group Ltd 2020, All rights reserved.

Retail Stamp Book - Captains
The retail stamp book includes four first class definitive stamps as well as two special stamps featuring Captain Kirk and Captain Picard.   As with all retail stamp books it is printed in gravure by ISP Walsall and the stamps are self-adhesive unlike the individual stamps from the sheet.  The Machin 1st class definitives are coded MCIL M20L.

Star Trek Self-Adhesive Retail Booklet.

Prestige Stamp Book
The 24-page booklet starts in 1966, with an introduction on Star Trek’s legendary creator, Gene Roddenberry and his vision. The narrative then transports us through the decades, exploring how Roddenberry’s groundbreaking and original ideas led to the ever-popular franchise that we know today. We travel through the Star Trek timeline, with images from key episodes and brief synopses on every Star Trek TV series and movie, including the latest 2020 show, Picard.

Also included in the booklet are all 12 Star Trek stamps, plus the Star Trek Movies miniature sheet, along with a definitive pane of stamps (illustrated at the top of this blog), unique to this issue.

Star Wars prestige stamp book front cover and panes 1-3

Other products

First Day Covers (2), Presentation Pack, stamp cards.

Collectors Sheet of 10 (same vertical A4 format as for Star Wars but containing three each of Kirk & Picard and one each of the remaining captains) each stamp having a film/tv still alongside showing the character.  Self-adhesive - so there will be space in some pre-printed albums.

Limited Edition PSB with silver-foil front cover, limited to 1966 copies.  The stamps are the same as in the regular PSB.

Original Series and Movies Medal Covers in various grades of metal.  Limited edition 10,000 of each design, and only 1,000 of the Silver Proof version in each design.

Various Framed products and other souvenirs aimed at fans.

UPDATE 9 November

Because of new lockdown restrictions in various parts of the UK Special Handstamp Centre deadlines have once again been extended indefinitely.  This applied to Christmas, Star Wars and probably early 2021 issues.  (At the time of writing some RM standing order customers are still waiting for their Christmas stamps to be delivered a week after issue.)

 

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List of Machin definitives issued, released, or discovered so far in 2020

Circumstances have prevented my producing as many pictures of new definitives as I normally do.  My thanks, therefore, to RP and NS who have provided pictures of some recent reprints.


5p and 10p counter sheets

 

    

1st class booklet of 12

Post and Go
For the record we can report that the R20YAL printing of the Machin head Post and Go stamp is now in circulation. This blank was noted on eBay.

2020 New Machins
I believe this is a complete list of the Machin definitives so far this year.  I have not had to to record, and so have not distinguished between upright and inverted backing paper.  As far as I know the list of printing dates for counter sheets is complete so far.


M19L coded stamps, with Norvic numbers.

1p      MPIL    Visions of the Universe PSB    4001P.9
2p      MPIL    Visions of the Universe PSB    4002P.9
                                            - not as dark as Queen Victoria PSB (4002Pa.9)
2p      MPIL    James Bond PSB                       4002P.9
                                            - same as Visions
5p      MPIL    Visions of the Universe PSB     4005P.9a
                                            - shade, lighter head than Star Wars PSB

10p    MPIL    Visions of the Universe PSB     4010P.9
£1.35 MPIL    Visions of the Universe PSB     4135P

2nd    MPIL    James Bond PSB                       2901P.9



M20L coded stamps

Counter Sheets (MAIL), with printing dates

2nd class     05/05/20           2911.20
1st class      04/05/20           2914a.20
2nd Large   12/05/20           2913.20
1st Large     07/05/20          2916a.20

1st Large Signed For    03/02/20       2992.20
Special Delivery 500g  04/02/20       2986.20

1p       13/05/20                    3001.20

2p       06/05/20                    3002.20
5p       13/05/20                    3005.20
10p     14/05/20                    3010.20
20p     14/05/20                    3020.20

£1.42   08/01/20                   3142           Also 09/03/20, 11/05/20

£1.63   08/01/20                   3163           Also 09/03/20, 12/05/20

£1.68   08/01/20                   3168           Also 09/03/20

£2.42   09/01/20                   3242           Also 09/03/20

£2.97   09/01/20                   3297

£3.66   09/01/20                   3366           Also 10/03/20

£3.82   09/01/20                   3385           Also 10/03/20

Booklets 

2nd class MTIL        2931.20

1st class MTIL         2914a.20

1st class MCIL         29361aC.20   Video Games, James Bond, Coronation Street, Queen, Sherlock

Business Sheets 

2nd class 22/01/20       2911B.20

1st class  04/05/20       2914aB.20

Prestige Stamp Books

1p  Music Giants IV: Queen      4001P.20
5p  End of World War II            4005P.20
50p End of World War II           4050P.20
£1.63 End of World War II        4163P


An updated version of the Norvic Machin Security Stamp Checklist will be produced for download as soon as possible.  [It's a bit too hot to sit in the office for long today.]

As always, thanks to anybody who points out errors and omissions, particularly Stuart this time who reminded me that I had omitted the whole PSB category!
 

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UPDATES - James Bond, 1d Black, and others

Hello everybody.  The first post today is an update on previously reported matters which were causing some concern.  I've had a lengthy chat with the account manager in Royal Mail, and got unexpected answers!

Starting with James Bond's Presentation Pack that was the cause of much consternation last month. Frankly I'm disappointed and surprised that none of our adventurous readers had already discovered this (only joking, you're not just as adventurous as I thought some of you were!)

Some years ago Royal Mail were selling through eBay, but that shop closed.  About 18 months ago they started selling on Amazon.  Amazon take more commission that Royal Mail normally allow retailers, and so decided that they couldn't sell mint stamps at face.  They sell stamp cards, framed products, and other souvenirs for fans: that's where the special presentation pack comes in.  The target market is James Bond (Star Wars etc) fans, not stamp collectors, so the stamps in products sold on Amazon are rendered unusable by either cancellation or the stamps being stuck to the card (I assume this depends on the product).

This is how they appear on Amazon today:

 

Other products currently on sale on Amazon are Harry Potter, Elton John, Star Wars, Marvel Comics and David Bowie.  I spotted among these a Harry Potter PSB 'postmarked edition'.   Like I say, I'm surprised nobody noticed it earlier.

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Penny Black 180th Anniversary

We've marked the 150th and 175th anniversary and it seems some creative people want to mark the 180th anniversary and wanted large supplies of 1d black stamps.  These stamps were issued in the 2015 miniature sheet and self-adhesive booklet, and in the 2016 Royal Mail 500 PSB.

Royal Mail already had something in mind to accompany the London 2020 International Exhibition so they killed two birds with one expensive stone and so we have the sheet of 25 stamps.

From the Stanley Gibbons catalogues point of view, the stamp has already been listed (SG3807)  so individual stamps will not be listed unless they turn out to be materially different to those already produced in the earlier products.

I don't know what SG's plans are for the sheet - it's not a composite like the 2012 A-Z of the UK (MS3308) or London 2012 Olympics (MS3204a), so it may not be listed at all - it may just get a footnote.  But other catalogues may, and album producers may well have a page for the whole sheet, which is in a unique form.

So to reiterate, this will not be supplied by RM on standing orders to collector customers or dealers. It will not be distributed to Post Offices.  This means that collectors who do want this, whether as a whole sheet or just a small block, they must be obtained by mail order or phone.  (Sheet of 25  ~~  Price £19.00  ~~  Product Code AW144).

I hadn't intended to buy this, but if there is demand for smaller blocks I will make arrangements to get some.  Be aware, though, that posting these will be dependent on movement restrictions in place at the time.  Email me for prices.

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Future stamp programme, FDCs, and mail order

I'll preface this with the caveat that all arrangements are under constant review and whatever I write today could change by the time you read this, or any time in the next few months.

Royal Mail are trying to continue to operate 'business as normal' across the board.  That includes issuing new stamps.  Although Spain and Ireland have put their new issues on hold, RM will not do that for the present.

Most stamps are printed by either Walsall in Wolverhampton or Cartor in France, and those to be issued in the next few months will have been printed already.  We know that Walsall reprinted the new tariff airmail stamps in early March after the initial printings in January - this is normal. 

Although most Post Offices are still open many are on reduced hours, and may not regard collectible stamps as 'necessities'.  Not only that, but the demographic of a large percentage of the collectors in the UK means that they also fall into the 'potentially vulnerable' category, and won't want to make the trip anyway.   So getting stamps and FDCs might be a problem.  But, remember, there is now no time limit on getting your covers and cards handstamped at the Special Handstamp Centres.


Royal Mail handling charges:  Given the difficulty in getting stamps, I asked whether RM were considering dropping the handling charges for one-off non-standing order purchases.  No decision has been taken, but it is under consideration.

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Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry resumes - catch up on YouTube.

There was considerable media coverage yesterday about the Post Office Horizon IT Scandal in the week that the Public Inquiry resumes hearing evidence.

In case you missed the publicity, and hence missed seeing the whole of today's sessions with Alan Bates, you can catch up on the Inquiry's YouTube channel here.

You can watch each session live, but if you watch the following day in catch-up mode you can advance the speed of playback through the YouTube settings cog.

The list of witnesses - all of whom will have provided written statements answering questions put to them by the Inquiry's legal team is lengthy.

The timetable for Phase 5:

 

Day	Witness
Evidence Week 1
Tuesday 9 April	Alan Bates - former sub-postmaster and Founder of the Justice for Subpostmasters Alliance
Wednesday 10 April	The Rt. Hon. Lord Arbuthnot of Edrom - Member of the Horizon Compensation Advisory Board; and former MP for North East Hampshire The Rt. Hon. Sir Anthony Hooper - former Lord Justice of Appeal and former Chair of the Working Group for the Initial Complaint Review and Mediation Scheme
Thursday 11 April	David Smith - former Managing Director of Post Office Ltd Sir Michael Hodgkinson - former Chair of Post Office Ltd and former Senior Non-Executive Director of Royal Mail Holdings plc
Friday 12 April	Alan Cook - former Independent Non-Executive Director and Managing Director of Post Office Ltd Adam Crozier - former CEO of Royal Mail Group Ltd and former director of Royal Mail Holdings plc
Evidence Week 2
Tuesday 16 April	David Miller - former Managing Director of Post Office Network, former Chief Operating Officer of Post Office Ltd and temporary Managing Director of Post Office Ltd David Mills - former Chief Executive of Post Office Ltd
Wednesday 17 April	Jon Longman - former Post Office Investigator  Allan Leighton - former Chair of Royal Mail Holdings plc; former Chair and former Non Executive Director of Post Office Ltd; and former Non Executive Director of Royal Mail Group
Thursday 18 April	Rodric Williams - former Litigation Lawyer at Post Office Ltd and current Head of Legal (Dispute Resolution & Brand)
Friday 19 April	Rodric Williams - former Litigation Lawyer at Post Office Ltd and current Head of Legal (Dispute Resolution & Brand)
Evidence Week 3
Tuesday 23 April	Susan Crichton - former Company Secretary and General Counsel of Post Office Ltd
Wednesday 24 April	Chris Aujard - former General Counsel of Post Office Ltd
Thursday 25 April	Angela van den Bogerd - former People Services Director at Post Office Ltd and Programme Director for the Branch Support Programme
Friday 26 April	Angela van den Bogerd - former People Services Director at Post Office Ltd and Programme Director for the Branch Support Programme
Evidence Week 4
Tuesday 30 April	Hugh Flemington - former Head of Legal at Post Office Ltd Harry Bowyer - Barrister and former employee of Cartwright King Solicitors
Wednesday 1 May	Martin Smith - Solicitor and former employee of Cartwright King Solicitors
Thursday 2 May	Martin Smith - Solicitor and former employee of Cartwright King Solicitors Simon Clarke - Barrister and former Senior Counsel at Cartwright King Solicitors
Friday 3 May	Jarnail Singh - Solicitor and former lawyer at Royal Mail Group and Post Office Ltd
Evidence Week 5
Tuesday 7 May	Patrick Bourke - former Government Affairs and Policy Director at Post Office Ltd Belinda Cortes-Martin (Crowe) - former Programme Director for Project Sparrow at Post Office Ltd
Wednesday 8 May	Brian Altman KC - Barrister
Thursday 9 May	Andrew Parsons - Partner at Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP
Friday 10 May	Andrew Parsons - Partner at Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP  Rod Ismay - former Head of Product & Branch Accounting at Post Office Ltd
Evidence Week 6
Tuesday 14 May	Mark Davies - former Group Communications & Corporate Affairs Director at Post Office Ltd
Wednesday 15 May	Chris Day - former Chief Financial Officer of Post Office Ltd
Thursday 16 May	Lesley Sewell - former Chief Information Officer at Post Office Ltd Martin Edwards - former Chief of Staff to the Chief Executive and Group Strategy Director at Post Office Ltd
Friday 17 May	Alisdair Cameron - Chief Financial Officer and former Interim Chief Executive of Post Office Ltd
Evidence Week 7
Tuesday 21 May	Alwen Lyons - former Company Secretary of Post Office Ltd
Wednesday 22 May	Paula Vennells - former Group Chief Executive Officer of Post Office Ltd
Thursday 23 May	Paula Vennells - former Group Chief Executive Officer of Post Office Ltd
Friday 24 May	Paula Vennells - former Group Chief Executive Officer of Post Office Ltd

 

Half Term 25 May - 2 June

Registration for public gallery attendance for the following weeks will open in due course.

 

Day	Witness
Evidence Week 8
Monday 3 June	Ben Foat - Group General Counsel of Post Office Ltd Jane MacLeod - former General Counsel and Company Secretary of Post Office Ltd
Tuesday 4 June	Jane MacLeod - former General Counsel and Company Secretary of Post Office Ltd
Wednesday 5 June	Alice Perkins - former Chair of Post Office Ltd
Thursday 6 June	Alice Perkins - former Chair of Post Office Ltd
Friday 7 June	Not sitting
Evidence Week 9
Tuesday 11 June	Anthony de Garr Robinson KC - Barrister Lord Grabiner KC - Barrister
Wednesday 12  June	Tom Beezer - Partner at Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP Ken McCall - former Senior Non-Executive Director of Post Office Ltd
Thursday 13 June	Andy Dunks - former IT Security Analyst at Fujitsu Services Ltd
Friday 14 June	Matthew Lenton - Document Manager, Post Office Account, at Fujitsu Services Ltd Dame Moya Greene - former CEO of Royal Mail Group
Evidence Week 10
Tuesday 18 June	Ron Warmington - Director of Second Sight Support Services Limited Ian Henderson - Director of Second Sight Support Services Limited
Wednesday 19 June	Richard Christou - former Chief Executive and Executive Chairman of Fujitsu Services Holdings plc  Duncan Tait - former Chief Executive of Fujitsu Services Ltd
Thursday 20 June	Tony Kearns - Senior Deputy General Secretary of the Communications Workers Union Kay Linnell - Forensic Accountant and Advisor to the Justice for Subpostmasters Alliance
Friday 21 June	George Thomson - former General Secretary of the National Federation of Subpostmasters
Evidence Week 11
Tuesday 25 June	Gareth Jenkins - former Distinguished Engineer at Fujitsu Services Ltd
Wednesday 26 June	Gareth Jenkins - former Distinguished Engineer at Fujitsu Services Ltd
Thursday 27 June	Gareth Jenkins - former Distinguished Engineer at Fujitsu Services Ltd
Friday 28 June	Gareth Jenkins - former Distinguished Engineer at Fujitsu Services Ltd
Evidence Week 12
Tuesday 2 July	Tim Parker - former Chair of Post Office Ltd
Wednesday 3 July	Tim Parker - former Chair of Post Office Ltd
Thursday 4 July	Sir Stephen Lovegrove - former Shareholder Executive Official  Patrick O’Sullivan - former Shareholder Executive Official
Friday 5 July	Susannah Storey - former Shareholder Executive / UK Government Investments Official Mark Russell - Shareholder Executive / UK Government Investments Official
Evidence Week 13
Monday 8 July	Neil McCausland - former Senior Non-Executive Director and Interim Chair of Post Office Ltd
Tuesday 9 July	Robert Swannell - former Shareholder Executive / UK Government Investments Official
Wednesday 10 July	Tom Cooper - UK Government Investments Official
Thursday 11 July	Richard Callard - Shareholder Executive / UK Government Investments Official
Friday 12 July	Not sitting
Evidence Week 14
Tuesday 16 July	TBC
Wednesday 17 July	TBC  The Rt. Hon. Kelly Tolhurst MP - former Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
Thursday 18 July	The Rt. Hon. Pat McFadden MP - former Minister of State for the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (Employment Relations and Postal Affairs); Former Minister of State for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills The Rt. Hon. Sir Edward Davey MP - former Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Employment Relations, Consumer and Postal Affairs)
Friday 19 July	Jo Swinson - former Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Employment Relations, Consumer and Postal Affairs)
Evidence Week 15
Tuesday 23 July	Baroness Neville-Rolfe - former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills; Minister of State at the Cabinet Office
Wednesday 24 July	Margot James - former Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
Thursday 25 July	The Rt. Hon. Sir Vince Cable - former Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills  The Rt. Hon. Greg Clark MP - former Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
Friday 26 July	Closing statements

 

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