Guernsey Post is delighted to announce that it has joined the Royal Mail Post and Go family, with its first series of Guernsey Post and Go stamps to be released on 18th February 2015 featuring the Guernsey Flag.
Guernsey Post is the second postal administration to join Royal Mail Post and Go, which is a new and exciting way to begin or enhance a stamp collection.
Guernsey Post’s head of philatelic, Dawn Gallienne explained: “Post and Go stamps are overprinted with the postage on demand, each carrying unique identification numbers depending on the machine and session number of where they are issued.
“We are very excited to join the Royal Mail Post and Go family and to offer our customers a new product which complements our existing stamps,” she added.
Guernsey’s distinctive red, white and gold flag features the St George’s Cross and incorporates a uniquely shaped gold cross taken from the flag of William the Conqueror. It was adopted by the States of Guernsey on 30 April 1985 and first flown on 9 May 1985 – the 40th anniversary of the island’s Liberation from the Occupation of WWII.
The stamps will be available in values of GY Letter, GY Large Letter, UK Letter, UK Large Letter and International Letter up to 20g, International Letter up to 40g at Stampex.
-End release-
From IAR
The Guernsey kiosk GG01
Comment
Don't be surprised to see the GG01
Update: I've been advised by IAR that the Guernsey machine will be coded GG01, not GU01.
Update 19 January 2015 - a picture of the stamps and FDC is now available on Guernsey's website.
UPDATE 18 February
The Guernsey Stamps website seems to be changing daily this week, but a telephone call has confirmed the following:
The Stampex inscribed stamps are available from today.
The plain stamps will also be available but there will be a delay of about a week.
Both these will be supplied in vertical strips of 6 (not as currently shown on their website).
The plain ones are also available in a pack (apparently as 6 loose stamps), and a first day cover.
Isle of Man next?
ReplyDeleteAnd doubtless yet more overprints, it'll be like like the Trucial States issue quantities before we know it. Postally used (on piece) will be the only way to collect Post and Go to avoid being dragged onto the new issue treadmill.
ReplyDeleteHas Guernsey missed the (mail-) boat?
ReplyDeleteIt will be interesting to see how Guernsey “deal” with Post & Go, will they follow a conservative approach as Royal Mail initially did (Stampex, Perth) or will they follow Jersey lead and have an overprint virtually every month.
ReplyDeleteAs the machine will have four stamp printers, we know one will have the Guernsey Flag, we suspect one will have the Union Flag from Royal Mail (it probably a gap in my knowledge, but I didn’t think Guernsey Post sold RM stamps, unlike Jersey who have been known to accept RM stamps as postage from the Island), an Alderney Issue no doubt and the Jersey Flag perhaps.
As for the Isle of Man, given their reported financial difficulties, they may consider the venture to risky. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-30113283
On the other hand IoM may see this as a way of closing more post offices, if they install machines in shops, pubs and the airport, as An Post has in Ireland.
DeleteIan, I think you are completely correct. While we stamp collectors are aware of "Post And Go" stamps because of their initial philatelic promotion at exhibitions and museums the real purpose of the machines that dispense them are practical - a means of providing stamps to the public without the expense of involving a human in the sale or even of going to the expense of providing a physical site for the dispensing machine since they can just as easily be sited in a shop not owned or run by the Post Office.
ReplyDeleteThe Isle Of Man already has "Pay And Post" machines sited in soon-to-close post offices and privately owned supermarkets so it does not seem unreasonable to foresee that the IOM Postal Administration may chose "Post And Go" kiosks to dispense some of their machine-printed stamps particularly as they would provide some revenue from philatelic sales.
Presumably in the coming years more and more stamps which are actually intended for use on mail rather than as collectibles will be sold by machines rather than humans and if collectors of "postage stamps" are discerning about what they buy they will continue to be able to form interesting, affordable and satisfying stamp collections that continue to tell the story of the development of postal services in all the British islands.
"Without the expense of involving a human"? Every time I go to my Post Office for Post and Go stamps, there's a human fixing one of the machines! These humans are, I suspect paid considerably more than the ones behind the counter!
DeleteThe list of the "Pay & Post" locations the Isle of Man have already https://www.iompost.com/for-you/other-services/pay-and-post-kiosks
ReplyDeleteI've collected all GB new issues complete up to end of 2014 (both GB special issues and varieties, P&Gs including overprints and Jersey). I'm drawing my line now! I do love the pictorial P&Gs but the overprints just look boring in an album. Will draw a very tight line from now on based on my favourites - probably only Prestige Books, P&G basic collector's packs, retail books maybe? Not decided yet - saying that I might get a Guernsey P&G set and the P&G sailing set looks lovely! Note to self - New Year resolution - hard line on Royal Mail new issues! (Tried last year and failed!) Less of a pleasure and more of a pressure/stress nowadays and costing a fortune! And customer service at Tallents House is pretty appalling so it's crunch time for me. We are definitely moving into the era of the discerning collector I think (and RM should think about that).
ReplyDelete2014 was a bit excessive when you consider the new value/design combinations
ReplyDeleteWincor Nixdorf machine issues
Machin Head increased from 6 to 9 values (3 values)
Birds 1 No known change
Birds 2 increased from 36 to 48 values (12 values)
Birds3 increased from 36 to 48 values (12 values)
Birds 4 increased from 36 to 48 values (12 values)
Sheep increased from 36 to 54 values (18 values)
Pigs increased from 36 to 54 values (18 values)
Cattle increased from 36 to 54 values (18 values)
Union Flag increased from 6 to 9 values (3 values)
Robin MA12 reprint increased from 6 to 9 values (3 values)
Lakes increased from 36 to 54 values (18 values)
Ponds increased from 36 to 54 values (18 values)
Rivers increased from 36 to 54 values (18 values)
Machin Head MA13 reprint increased from 6 to 9 values (3 values)
Union Flag MA13 reprint increased from 6 to 9 values (seen on eBay, issued by Harrogate)
Robin MA13 reprint increased from 6 to 8 values (2 values)
Spring Blooms increased from 36 to 54 values (18 values)
Symbolic Flowers increased from 36 to 42 values (6 values)
Poppy (solo stamp) 7 values
Winter Greenery (1st class) 12 values
Winter Greenery (2nd class) 12 values (issued in error by Farringdon Road & Perth)
NCR (NVI values only) not including class swap rolls
Machin (1st class) 9 values
Machin MA13 reprint (1st class) 9 values
Machin MA14 reprint (1st class) 6 values
Machin MA12 (2nd class) 2 values
Machin MA13 reprint (2nd class) 2 values
Machin MA14 reprint (2nd class) 2 values (Two part centre band)
Machin MA14 reprint (2nd class) 2 values (Full Centre band)
Union Flag 7 values
Robin MA13 reprint 6 values
Spring Blooms 42 values
Symbolic Flowers 36 values
Poppy (solo stamp) 6 values
Winter Greenery (1st class) 12 values
Winter Greenery (2nd class) 4 values
And then there’s the exhibition/static machine issues
Although you've posted this as a comment here on the Guernsey thread, I think it is of sufficient interest to get it's own discussion so I'll repost it as a new 'guest blog'.
DeleteNo discussion on the annual program here, thank you everybody. New post coming imminently.
The details are in the Philatelic Newsletter on page 10 – 11 & back cover.
ReplyDeletehttp://issuu.com/guernseystamps/docs/guernsey_stamps_bulletin_feb_2015/1
Available from the Bureau with & without a Stampex inscription from the Back Office machine B002
ReplyDelete