Centenary of the Birth of Queen Elizabeth II, set, MS, PSB etc - 21 April 2026

Queen Elizabeth II was born on 21 April 1926 and so this year marks the centenary of her birth.  Royal Mail is marking the anniversary with a set of 8 stamp and a miniature sheet, plus a lot more merchandise.

The stamps feature a selection of carefully curated photographs taken throughout her lifetime with the miniature sheet of four stamps reflecting her lifelong love of animals. 

The eight 1st class stamps are produced as a set of four se-tenant vertical pairs featuring black and white, and colour photographs spanning the decades of her life.  Each stamp has a portrait superimposed on a background image, some of which we may have seen before on stamps.

Details of the photographs were not provided in a form suitable for including here as text, but they can be seen on the FDC filler card here (click to enlarge).

UPDATE: My thanks to RB who has managed to process the data on the filler to reveal these details. We can't guarantee that it's 100% correct, but here goes:

Listed as portrait first then background.


Black & white stamps:  
Princess Elizabeth at the age of six, July 1932;  Members of the Royal Family with their dogs at Royal Windsor Lodge, June 1936. 
Princess Elizabeth at Windsor Castle, May 1944;  Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret giving their first Children's Hour radio broadcast from Windsor Castle during the Second World War, October 1940. 
Queen Elizabeth II in November 1955;  Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip after the Coronation, June 1953. 
Queen Elizabeth II during the Royal Tour of India, 1961;  Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles riding horses in the park of Windsor Castle 
Colour stamps:  Queen Elizabeth II during Trooping the Colour 1976;  Queen Elizabeth II during Trooping the Colour 1971. 
Queen Elizabeth II in the White Drawing Room, Windsor Castle, November 1987;  Queen Elizabeth II visiting Treherbert, Wales, April 1989. 
Queen Elizabeth II in the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace, October 2001;  Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in the Gold State Coach during Golden Jubilee celebrations, June 2002. 
Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle, 2022;   Queen Elizabeth II and members of the Royal Family arriving at The Eden Project, Cornwall, during the G7 Summit, June 2021. 
Miniaure Sheet:  Princess Elizabeth with her pet dog, London 1936; Queen Elizabeth II at Balmoral Castle with one of her corgis, September 1952;  Queen Elizabeth II with a horse at Sandringham, 1964; 
Queen Elizabeth II at the Royal Windsor Horse Show, May 1997.

Part of FDC filler card showing details of photos on the stamps, etc. Click to enlarge.

Miniature Sheet

Technical details 

The 50 x 30 mm stamps, designed by Baxter & Bailey are printed in lithography in sheets of 60 by Cartor Security Printers, perf 14.   The stamps in the 115 x 89 mm miniature sheet are 35 x 37 mm and perf 14.5.  All stamps have phosphor bands are on PVA-gummed paper.

Prestige stamp book

This 24 page publication, tells the story of the life of Queen Elizabeth II accompanied with beautiful photography throughout the decades. As Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II presided over a time of incredible change, acting as a constant source of comfort and stability to the nation. 100 years since the monarch was born, the Prestige Stamp Book pays tribute to Elizabeth II that reflects on her remarkable life and a record-breaking reign.

Prestige book cover and panes 1, 3, 4, 5.

 

Prestige stamp book pane 2 with two each 50p & £1 definitives coded M26L MPIL

 

Collector Sheet 

The collectors Sheet contains all 8 stamps from the stamp set and accompanying labels featuring carefully curated photography matching the time period of the paired stamp. The stamps and labels sit on a background of the official “100” logo.  The Collector Sheet is self-adhesive and lithography, making the stamps in the Collector Sheet different from those printed in the set.

Queen Elizabeth II Centenary Collector Sheet.

Products available 

Set of stamps, miniature sheet, first day covers (2), presentation pack, prestige stamp book, fdc of PSB definitive pane, collector sheet, stamp cards (13), press sheet of 16 miniature sheets, £5 coin covers (3 - gold, silver, and cupronickel), framed products (set, MS, collector sheet). 

All available from Royal Mail's website and some available from a Post Office branch quite near you if you are lucky.

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Slogan postmarks for April 2026 - and other interesting postal markings.

It's now 13th April and there is no news yet on new slogans, although it has been suggested that there might be one for the local elections, such as the 'Post Early' for postal voters from July 2024.

So please if you find anything new do get in touch.  Meanwhile we will start off with the continuation of the British Heart Foundation standard slogan from Cornwall Mail Centre on 07/04/2026. 

British Heart Foundation Cornwall Mail Centre 07/04/2026

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UPDATE 17 April.   Sheffield is having trouble again.  Thanks to LT for this example of the (February) National Apprenticeship Week slogan used on 16 April.  The BHF slogan was used there on 14th.

National Apprenticeship Week slogan used wrongly at Sheffield Mail Centre 16/04/2026

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OTHER POSTMARKS AND POSTAL MARKINGS

Just over two years ago we showed the self-inking datestamp (with wavy edges) from Holmbush in the outskirts of St Austell in Cornwall.   Now JH has sent the newer 'Morse' type of SID that is in use now, used on 2 April 2026.  

Holmbush Post Office 'Morse' type SID 02 APR 2026.

 

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

A reminder of what these monthly listings are for.  

For each month I record the different slogans in use, plus the default slogan that is used when there is nothing else.

For each of these I try to record only one of each of the basic two types, plus any that are reversed on square envelopes, which normally only gives three or four.  

Occasionally a slogan appears with different line spacing in the same format.  

I do not record multiple versions of the same as any of these unless I later get a much better example of one that I showed purely for the record, but which is otherwise not very clear.

The only exception to this, which doesn't seem to happen much these days, is when a slogan is used well out of time.  

I mention this only to avoid readers unnecessarily duplicating what has already been provided.

 

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Norfolk & Norwich Philatelic Society

STAMP FAIR

Saturday 11 April 2026
10 am to 3.30pm

Middle School Hall - Hewett Academy
Gate 1, Cecil Road (off Hall Road or Ipswich Road)
NORWICH NR1 2PL

I shall be there with a lot of bargains, especially foreign catalogues, postal history, postcards, and Norfolk material.  If you're in the area do drop in and say hello.

After everything is put away again next week I shall get back to sending out orders, especially for the Visible Change business sheets and booklets. 

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King Charles III definitives - new printings 2026

Printings of the King Charles definitives with 2023-2025 source codes are recorded in this post. 

This post is for M26L stamps and non-PSB stamps issued in 2026 with M25L codes are also included.

As with Post and Go & SSKs,  I have decided to have one post which will list all the news for the year, and then start another for next year.

Reprinted 2026 counter sheets 

2nd class green -
1st class deep purple -

 1p blue
 2p deep green
 5p dull violet-blue
10p turquoise-green
20p bright green
50p slate
£1  grey-brown
£2  new blue
£3.60 purple heather - printed 13 January 2026
£3.80 Aqua green - printed 14 January 2026
£4.60 Sapphire blue - printed 15 January 2026
£5  emerald

Reprinted booklets and business sheets with new Relay UK telephone number 

2nd class MEIL from booklet of 8 - M25L philatelic release 20 March 2026
1st class MFIL from booklet of 4 - M26L philatelic release 20 March 2026
1st class MEIL from booklet of 8
1st Large MFIL from booklet of 4 - M26L philatelic release 20 March 2026

2nd class MBIL business sheet - M26L philatelic release 20 March 2026
1st class MBIL business sheet - M25L philatelic release 20 March 2026
2nd Large MBIL business sheet
1st Large MBIL business sheet - M26L philatelic release 20 March 2026

From Prestige Stamp Books - all self-adhesive, with source code MPIL

2nd class -
1st class -


1p -
2p -
5p -
10p -
20p -
50p - 21.4.2026 - Queen Elizabeth Centenary [M26L]
£1 - 21.4.2026 - Queen Elizabeth Centenary [M26L]

 

Other values

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Possible problems with accessing all features of this blog.

My default browser is Firefox, but recent changes in the way Firefox displays this blog - but not the others - have restricted my ability to use it here, and may restrict your ability to see everything.

Comments

Comments are moderated by email, that is, I am notified by email and may allow comments, delete them or mark them as spam.  

On the desktop version of the blog I can see them, but I cannot respond.  This is what I see - and what you may see if you use Firefox and want to comment.

 I am able to respond if I use the web version on my iPad.

Search 

On the desktop version, the strip above the title strip, which should be a light brown colour, is white and there is no content.  Which means I cannot use the search box, and cannot sign-in if I need to.

New Posts 

I normally click on the New Post link in the same strip at top right, but that doesn't appear.  I am composing this explanation using the Safari browser.  However, in Safari I cannot add new images.  There's an icon in the editing page to add an image, but when I click on that a blank window pops-up with no option to drag-and-drop, to select and existing image, or link to another web source image.

UPDATE: As you can see above I have managed to add an image.  Fortunately as the user control panel is the same for all the blogs associated with this email address, I can go to the Modern Postal History (MHP) blog as if I am editing that, and then select this blog to do the editing or composing.

Whilst readers should only be affected by the first two of these, the restrictions on composing a new post or editing an existing one are fundamental to what is a very visual blog.  If ti were a narrative things would be different, but you want to see pictures.

Trying to find the solution to this will not be easy (the italicised explanation above is a workaround which I would prefer not to have to use).  I don't think I've done anything in the design or text coding (the html mark-up language which lies behind all websites) to change anything.  It is possible that the fault lies in the way we have framed the URL.  

The MHP blog started out as https://machins-on-cover.blogspot.com

This one started out as https://norvic-philatelics.blogspot.com (I think - it might have been norphil.blogspot.com), but to bring everything apparently under one roof, so to speak, the internet routing has been changed so that our shop and blog are accessed through the norphil.co.uk domain.  This does not need to be a secure site because no personal information is gathered.  

The shop(.norphil.co.uk) is hosted by a commercial platform which is secure, and the blog(.norphil.co.uk) routes to blogger, a Google-owned commercial secure website.  

Whether this is the cause of the problem I don't know.   I can still access all features of the Modern Postal History (MPH) blog, which is registered to the same email address.

If I have not resolved this by the time I should be writing about the next stamp issue, I shall so so through the control panel of the MPH blog until the situation is restored.

If you are experiencing any difficulties in viewing or commenting on this blog, please let me know in the comments and let me know by email what browser and OS you are using.

Thank you and sorry for any inconvenience.

UPDATE 15 APRIL:  The situation appears to have settled back into its old state as I can now comment and reply to comments.  The 'Can't open this page' message at the top of this page no long appears.

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Lord of the Rings Retro Special Offer.

The 2004 set of 10 Royal Mail stamps marked the 50th anniversary of the publication of the first books in the Lord of the Rings series.  The stamps depicted drawings illustrating locations in the books. All the illustrations are by the author except for the map which is by his son Christopher. 

At the time we were producing first day covers for every stamp issue: the numbers varied according to our perceived popularity of the subject.

We think these were some of the best we produced. There are two sets of designs. One pair is in pencil/charcoal by Mates Laurentiu, and the other pair by Lori Snowden is in pastel shades similar to the stamps. 

In each case one cover has stamps depicting 'evil' and one has the 'good' stamps. The 'good' covers have postmark E8927 (Ringwould), and the Literary Legend Sarehole Mill postmark (M8967) is on the 'evil' covers. All the covers have individual descriptive inserts.   

We have found a few of these remaining in stock, and to clear them here is a very special offer.  Originally they were £15.50 for a pair or £29.50 for the set of four.  

For readers of this blog the prices are less than half price:  £7.50 for either the pastel pair or the charcoal pair, or £15 for a set of 4. (Pairs will have the same serial number; where possible sets of 4 will have the same number.)   E-mail to the usual address, for a pair or set of 4.

Ideal as a gift for Ring fans. 
 

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Visible Change 1st Large Business Sheet is not the same as previously reported

Today at last I received a copy of the King Charles III 1st class Large Business Sheet which is due to have its philatelic distribution on 20 March.  (There is no first day of issue for business sheets.)

I should have realised, from the Royal Mail trade publicity about this and the booklets, that we might be in for a surprise and so we are.  

The clue is in the words 'visible change' because this has the new Relay UK phone number for Deaf, hearing or speech impaired users, rather than the textphone number.  Consequently this is a quite different printing to the one previously reported.  The other was printed in 2024 and coded M24L, the new one in 2026 and coded M26L.

King Charles III 1st class Large Business Sheet coded M24, the printing is much less clear than on the M26L. This image has been digitally enhanced and the M24L can just about be seen.

King Charles III 1st class Large Business Sheet coded M24L printed in 2024 and found in November 2025.

The new printing is much clearer - M26L MBIL.

King Charles III 1st class Large Business Sheet coded M26L with first day of philatelic availability 26 March 2026.

M26L examples for sale -
I asked for expressions of interest for the 1st Large business sheet stamp when it arrived.  Now that we have yet another new one, I feel it best to ask again.

So please email and tell me how many of the M26L you would like; they will be only a little over cost plus postage.  

Also as we have a definite first day of (philatelic) availability of this one, please email if you would like a single M26L on first day cover with appropriate postmark (Windsor permanent will probably be used if any are wanted.)

As for the M24L version, it is likely to be very scarce with most examples I suspect being sold through Royal Mail's website to business customers.  I know that many post office branches are still holding the Machin version and won't have ordered any more.  They won't get an automatic distribution of even the M26L version but it seems more than likely that Royal Mail will want this distributed when needed as it has current information on it.

All copies of the M24L 1st Large have  now been sold or reserved, as have most of the other new business sheet stamps.  The first batch of orders was posted today.  Others, mainly for people who also want booklet stamps, should be posted week commencing 13 April. 

I will contact my correspondent of this and ask if he would like to dispose of any.   Please email if you would like any of these (how many).  No obligation of course as I don't know what price I shall have to charge.  But the M24L version should be included in the Gibbons Concise Catalogue as the primary stamp with the subsequent versions in the usual table.

UPDATE  - I've been asked about the other two values of Business Sheets - 1st class and 2nd class.  I had not planned to get these as I didn't have the imagination to realise that the Visible Change would be for M26L stamps as I expect these two values to be also.  
Updated update: I've been told that the 1st class business sheet VC is 2025 2nd class VC is 2026. I think that still makes them both new.

1st class M25L MBIL Business Sheet

2nd class M26L MBIL Business Sheet

 

So if you wish to have these, please also say so, although if I cannot sell sufficient at a 'close to face' price, I will have to charge more to cover the ones that I have to sell for postage.
And the FDC would be for three stamps!

UPDATE 24 March: I've been told that the 1st Large booklet did not arrive at Tallents House until Friday 20th, so distribution by Royal Mail will be delayed.

There's never a dull moment, is there?  I'll be posting images of the new booklet stamps in a separate post when I have them all. 

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Lord of The Rings - again but different - 20 March 2026

The 2004 Royal Mail issue related to the Lord of the Rings marked the 50th anniversary of the publication of the first books in the series. Consequently they focussed on the books and showed the author's drawings illustrating locations in the books.  This set, incidentally, was one of many consisting of 10 x 1st class.

2004 set of 10 x 1st class Lord of the Rings stamps.

Now, it's 25 years since The Fellowshop of the Ring hit a screen near you bringing New Zealand director Peter Jackson to our notice - not his first film, but the series which has featured most on stamps, notably those of New Zealand. 

Selection of New Zealand Lord of the Rings stamps depicting Frodo, Gandalf, Aragon and Legolas.

New Zealand Post has issued several sets of LOTR stamps.  How will Royal Mail's stamps compare?  Time will tell, and they will be revealed around 11 March.

As you have probably predicted, Royal Mail have made this another blockbuster issue, aiming to sell much more merchandise to fan collectors than stamp collectors.  For this reason there is the usual wide range of products available, starting with...

The set of 8 x 1st class stamps 

[Royal Mail] This set of 8 mint stamps showing montages from the film trilogy are perfect for film fans. 

Each stamp celebrates iconic characters from the 3 films. British Actors from the epic featured are Orlando Bloom as Legolas, Ian McKellan as Gandalf, Dominic Monaghan as Merry, Billy Boyd as Pippin and Christopher Lee as Saruman.

This stunning imagery also has a secret UV layer revealed using a UV light, Elvish writing in a circle appears on each stamp. Fans will recognise this as the writing on the One Ring.

Set of 8 1st class stamps illustrated with montages from the Lord of the Rings films./The lower illustration shows the Elvish writing revealed if you have a UV lamp.

 The characters: The Hobbits, Gandalf, Arwen, Gimli, Saruman, Aragon, Legolas, and Frodo & Gollum.

The miniature sheet

Lord of the Rings miniature sheet of four x 1st class stamps issued 20 March 2026 depicting The Shire at Hobbiton, Rivendell, The Gates of Argonath and Mount Doom.

Technical details and acknowledgements

The 50 x 30 mm stamps were designed by True North, veterans of Royal Mail stamp design - Harry Potter, Women's Rugby, Blackadder, Visions of the Universe etc. They were printed in litho by Cartor Security Printers in sheets of 60 (30 se-tenant pairs), perforated 14½ x 14.  The 192 x 74 mm self-adhesive* miniature sheet contains 60 x 30 mm stamps, perforated 14½. (*Not gummed as stated on Royal Mail's web shop).

© New Line Productions, Inc. All rights reserved. THE LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY and all names of the characters, items, events, and places therein are TM of Middle- earth Enterprises, LLC under license to New Line Productions, Inc. (s26).

Prestige Stamp Book (£25.32) (Thank you JohnH for the correction to my typo.)

"The Prestige Stamp book brings together all the stamps from the Lord of the Rings issue plus a unique pane of definitive stamps available only in this book.

"Inside readers will find expertly written pieces on some of the battles between good and evil, like Arwen vs the Black Riders, Gandalf vs the Balrog and Frodo vs Gollum. Whilst many people are aware of the lead character Frodo, many fans acknowledge that the saga is made up of a host of heroes and this stamp book celebrates the feats and battles won and lost throughout the three films.

"A real journey through Middle Earth, this stamp book is a wonderful addition to any Lord of the Rings Fan’s collection."

The Limited Edition (2001) PSB with gold cover in gold-coloured presentation box (£49.99)

Fan Sheets (£8 each)

Two gummed Fan Sheets containing three of the relevant stamps - Frodo and Sam, and Gandalf.  Limited editions of 5,000.

Gandalf's picture looks familiar, doesn't it? Scroll up to the New Zealand stamps!  

Collector Sheet (£14.80)

The landscape-oriented Collector Sheet as usual features all 8 stamps, with additional imagery on the attached labels.   As usual the sheet is self-adhesive.

Lord of the Rings self-adhesive Collector Sheet of 8 stamps issued 20 March 2026.

Products Available from Royal Mail

Set of 8 stamps, miniature sheet, first day covers (2), presentation pack, stamp cards (13), press sheet of 10 miniature sheets (edition of 200), framed products.

(Incidentally, in each of NZ Post's LOTR issues they had six gummed stamps, the same six stamps in individual miniature sheets, the same six stamps in a single self-adhesive miniature sheet, and a self-adhesive folded booklet containing four of the lowest value, two of one other, and one each of the rest. There are also official maximum cards which had a stamp stuck to the picture side and postmarked, and also printed in black & white on the address side; the cards are thus prepaid for posting to anywhere in the world.)

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1st class up 10p, 2nd class up 4p in half-yearly rates changes on 7 April 2026, new stamps 26 March.

Royal Mail has announces new tariffs effective from 7 April 2026, new stamps on 26 March 2026.

"From 7 April 2026 the price of Second Class stamps will increase by 4p to 91p and the price of First Class stamps will be £1.80, an increase of 10p.

"The new price of a Second Class stamp remains 65p below the European average price of £1.56 and a First Class stamp is 13p below the European average of £1.93. Under the Universal Service in France, Germany and Spain customers only have the option of paying for a three-day service. France charges £1.92 for a Second Class stamp, 12p more than a First Class, next day, service in the UK.

"The stamp price rises reflect the continued rise in cost of delivery for every letter as letter volumes decline and the number of addresses increases. The average household now receives only four letters per week, down from 14 at their peak over 20 years ago, while the number of addresses has risen by four million.

"Richard Travers, Managing Director of Letters at Royal Mail said: “We always consider price changes very carefully, balancing affordability with the rising cost of delivering mail. On average, UK adults now spend just £6.50 each year on stamps and there are 70% fewer letters sent than 20 years ago. In the meantime, the number of addresses we deliver to has increased by four million to 32 million addresses across the UK.”

(Press release)

New tariff analysis 

(New prices in bold, reduced in red, unchanged in italics.)

	1st		2nd
Letter	1.80	1.70	0.91	0.87
Large Letter – 100g	3.30	3.15	1.55	1.55
- 250g	3.60	3.60	1.90	2.00
- 500g	3.60	3.60	2.40	2.40
- 750g	3.60	3.60	2.70	2.70
Small Parcel 2kg	5.45	5.09	4.25	3.99
Medium Parcel 2kg	8.05	7.45	6.95	6.49
- 10kg	10.05	9.35	8.75	8.19
- 20kg	15.45	14.25	13.15	12.25

Signed For prices for 1st class Letters rise by 20p, and Large Letters by 10-25p; 2nd class letter is up by 14p, Large Letters by 10p. Parcels show rises across the board. 

Tracked 24/48 prices show small rises with basic Large Letter (up to 1lg) prices increased by 10p to £3.95 (24) and by 35p to £3.30 (48).  Parcels show 5-7% rises.

Special Delivery up to 100g rise 7.5% from £9.25 to £9.95, up to 500g from 6.8% from £10.25 to £10.85.  The 9 a.m. option increases are lower this year from £49.95 to £53.95 for the basic 100g weight! 

International rates.  The basic worldwide letter and postcard rate rises by 20p again from £3.40 to £3.60 (5.8%) airmail and from £3.30 to £3.50 for Economy (surface).

The price for airmail Large Letters up to 100g increases by 30p to all zones (so from £3.50 to £3.80 for Europe, £4.30 to £4.60 worldwide); other weight bands rise by around 6%.

International premium services

The price for 100g International Tracked to Europe increases from £9.75 to £9.95. Outside Europe the rises vary from 10% in Zones 1 & 2 to only 5% for Zone 3 (USA – possibly compensating for both reduced volume, and the administration fee for processing US Tariffs).

I haven't had time to do a comprehensive comparison, especially of rates which are less used like Tracked Small Parcels, but one that stands out is the World Zone 1. Whilst Zone 2 rates stay the same at all weights, Zone 3 (USA) increases by about 6% (with a note that this is subject to change!), Zone 1 (which is the whole world except the USA, Europe and Oceania) shows some increases by a massive 25% (which means for 250g from £16.00 to £19.90), and for 2kg 16% from £31.70 to £36.90.

There are smaller rises for the now 'Documents only' International Tracked and Signed where the compensation has been reduced from £50 to £20 to match the standard airmail.

New Stamps from 26 March 2026 (updated in blue)

There will be three new stamps, for the 100g letter rates, costing a nice round £12 for the set (DS2400).

DS2400A £3.60 Purple Heather for letter rates  - Printed 13/01/26
DS2400B £3.80 Aqua Green for Large letter to Europe - Printed 14/01/26
DS2400C £4.60 Sapphire Blue for Large letter to the rest of the world - Printed 15/01/26

Pre-issue publicity images of airmail stamps to be issued 27 March 2026.

The stamps are printed in press sheets of 8 panes; I have Col 1 Row 4 of the £3.60, Col 2 Row 2 of the £3.80 and of the £4.60.  The coding is, as it should be, MAIL M26L.

Royal Mail customers with a regular order for definitive stamp sets will receive this set as part of their ongoing subscription.  There will also be an official first day cover and single-stamp presentation pack. 

Other charges

The cost of a PO Box will be increased by 12% to £416.40. Twelve months' redirection, which was 100x the 2nd class rate at £87 is increased to £95.

Context for older stamps

I've been looking at some older Post and Go sets.  A Collector's set of Poppies bought in only 2018 cost £8.18.  The postage value at the new rates will be almost two-and-a-half times that at £19.50!

 

 

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Slogan postmarks for March 2026 - and other interesting postal markings

Doesn't time race away as we get older?  I received the latest slogan postmark by email and was about to add them to the latest Slogan Postmark post - when I remembered that we are now in March!

I don't know whether the standard British Heart Foundation slogan started the month: as we have an example of a new slogan used on 3rd March it seems unlikely. 

So thanks to LT for this example of the International Women's Day slogan for this year, used at North & West Yorkshire 03/03/2026. 

International Women's Day
8 March 2026
#IWD2026
#GiveToGain

International Women's Day slogan North & West Yorkshire 03/03/2026

Update: Thanks to MM for the other format from Dorset & SW Hants

International Women's Day slogan Dorset & SW Hants 04-03-2026

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Update 10 March: the first stamped letter I have received for some time was posted yesterday, so Royal Mail can get some things right!  After IWD it seems that Mothering Sunday will be overlooked, despite the opportunity for many card sales and postings, and we have the standard British Heart Foundation slogan.  From Cornwall Mail Centre.

British Heart Foundation from Cornwall Mail Centre 09/03/2026

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Update 12 March. I received an email yesterday informing me that a Mother's Day slogan was being sent out to mail centres to run until Friday evening.  Introduction at mail centres is likely to be not simultaneous, the IMPs especially may have been subject to delay.   So while I was out this morning LT sent an example from Sheffield Mail Centre dated 11 March.  Mother's Day is two weeks earlier this year than last (30th) when we had examples on 24th, so maybe someone forgot to check the calendar this year.

Remember
Mother's Day
15 March 2025

Remember Mother's Day 15 March 2026 Sheffield Mail Centre 11/03/2026

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OTHER POSTMARKS AND POSTAL MARKINGS

Sometimes we find (or in this case get sent) an old marking which we have never seen before, nor seen reported.  Not that that means it is totally new: after 30 years it's impossible to remember everything, so maybe it has.  Doubtless someone from the British Postmark Society will remember it?

Delivered to Royal Mail Slough by Private Carrier on 13 Oct 1995

I don't know the circumstances in which this was used but the wording tells a story; there is no Postage Paid Indicator or Clause 9 Licence number.  

It's a rectangular handstamp so this must have occurred with enough volume to demand it -  and it either has changeable date wheels or the date is stamped in separately. Either way there must not only have been a volume but also frequency. The postage rate in 1995 was 19p for second class, so the 34p surcharge can't be explained easily.

UPDATE:  PA writes "My immediate reaction was that it was C9 mail with no indicia, but was dubious about the date. I have now checked and that did not commence until 2004. Thus this pre-dates the competitors.

I think it is probably DX mail. They delivered mail between their members thus not infringing the monopoly. Initially they served solicitors and later other trades including travel agents and were based in Slough. I am now guessing somewhat, that they received mail addressed to non-members and thus were unable to deliver which was then handed to Royal Mail and surcharged.

The surcharge is correct postage 19p + handling charge 15p = 34p."

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Post Office Branch.    From SS our correspondent in Canada a Tracked & Signed item which took two months to get from Watford to Vancouver!  It was worth the wait because the sender used a set of five greetings stamps which were very fine used at Leavesden Green Post Office north of Watford. (One of the James Bond, and all of the Harry Potter, film franchises were produced at Leavesden Studios.) 

Leavesden Green self-inking datestamp 19 JA 26

Leavesden Green Post Office - Google Street View April 2018. 

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UPDATE 20 March.  Thanks to MM I can show another Morse Code handstamp, this time from Whitmore Park Road post office in the northern outskirts of Coventry.

Whitmore Park Road Post Office handstamp 17 MAR 2026

Whitmore Park Road Post Office Google streetview August 2024.

The latest edition of the British Postmark Society Journal records Morse Code type rubber self-inking datestamps at
COUNTY OAK (Crawley),
DARLINGTON LANE (Stockton-on-Tees),
FELLSIDE (Newcastle-upon-Tyne),
HAYWAYDS HEARTH WEST SUSSEX (two examples), and
BHub Cintingency 93 (Banking Hub, a Earlestown, Newton-le-Willows).

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UPDATE 27 March.  A letter received this week was posted at MERCHANT CITY GLASGOW and although it received the BHF Slogan, one stamp was not covered:

Merchant City Glasgow self-inking datestamp 21 March 2026.

Sited on the corner of Wilson Street and Glassford Street (Glasgow G1) the branch is now in a Spar shop.  A box is on the opposite side of Glassford Street, and behind the camera on this shot there is a Tardis-style blue Police Box.

Merchant City branch post office, Glasgow G1 (June 2024, Google street view)

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Lockers update.  Wednesday was a warm and sunny day so we went to the coast, and I spotted this locker in the garden of The Lobster in Sheringham.  This one has the facility for pick-up and drop-off of Evri, Royal Mail, and UPS packets.

Multi-company Locker at The Lobster, Sheringham, Norfolk March 2026

 

 

 

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

A reminder of what these monthly listings are for.  

For each month I record the different slogans in use, plus the default slogan that is used when there is nothing else.

For each of these I try to record only one of each of the basic two types, plus any that are reversed on square envelopes, which normally only gives three or four.  

Occasionally a slogan appears with different line spacing in the same format. 

I do not record multiple versions of the same as any of these unless I later get a much better example of one that I showed purely for the record, but which is otherwise not very clear.

The only exception to this, which doesn't seem to happen much these days, is when a slogan is used well out of time.  

I mention this only to avoid readers unnecessarily duplicating what has already been provided.

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