The new postage rates have not yet been announced, and Royal Mail have said that the new Large Letter Diamond Jubilee stamps (sheet, business sheet and booklet) will be issued on the same (as yet unannounced) day as the new tariff stamps - Machins and Country definitives. As already reported and corrected, there will not be a new 50p definitive. The Large Letter Jubilee stamp will look something like this:
2012 Security stamps
The 2nd class retail book of 12 (MTIL/M12L) stamp has already been reported, and now there are some surprise 2012 versions of last year's new tariff stamps. The 68p is shown with a better picture of the 2nd class - with irridescent layer shifted slightly right. (Thanks to Chris H for the 68p report.)
We have a small quantity of both of these which are being allocated to existing customers first and will be added to our online shop when we have more supplies, together with the other values as they are available. The 68p M12L stamp was reprinted on 25/01/12 and as its life is short (only until the rates change) you should look out for it and the others at post offices.
Thanks to Richard P for the images!
Date watchers have been mightily confused by Royal Mail's policy on Year Codes!
Recently discovered reprints are the £1 dated 12/01/12 and the 76p dated 10/01/12. Both these are M11L, despite being printed in 2012. The 76p has also been founded dated (like the 68p) 25/01/12 with a M12L code. (Note the £1.10 and £1.65 will also exist M11L from 10/01/12 and M12L 25/01/12 if previous printing layout is followed.) It's odd that the £1 is reprinted again so soon as the last known printing was only 30/08/11.
Other new dates; the 1st class 2011 is reported with 20/10/11 and the 2p, 5p and 20p self-adhesive (which still haven't made it to all post offices) exist with:
31/08/11
01/09/11
24/01/12
25/01/12
Back in January we reported a shortage of stamps at post offices and the early use of Roald Dahl commemoratives instead. With the postage rate change not yet announced, and an heavy programme of stamp issues in the summer, the three printers on Royal Mail's books are going to be busy in the next few weeks!
April: Tariff change, Machin and country definitives (DLR & Cartor)
31 May: Diamond Jubilee set and PSB (retail book by Walsall unaffected as all 1st class)
19 June: Charles Dickens set and MS
27 July: Olympic Games welcome
27 August: Paralympic Games welcome
27 Sept: Olympic and Paralympic Memories
16 Oct: World of Dinosaurs
30 Oct: Space Science
8 Nov: Christmas set and MS
A curious oddity is that, although the 2p, 5p and 20p should all exist with all 4 dates, so far each date has only been found on only one value. Unless you know otherwise ... (31/08/11 on 2p, 01/09/11 on 20p, 24/01/12 on 5p and 25/01/12 on 2p) Probably this is just the way in which they are turning up - but it is (slightly) surprising not to have seen the same date on two different values yet.
ReplyDeleteUpdate:
ReplyDeleteSomehow I edited out news of the 76p M12L. Those of you who get email alerts about new posts might like to have another look!