They seem to have fallen into the trap of so many service providers from local authorities to travel agents and insurance companies who put information onto a website, and assume that everybody will be able to find it there. But like those organisations, Royal Mail can't satisfy all customers who don't seem to read everything that they are given! So maybe people will read this, and then we will get fewer random emails asking, for instance, 'where are the Game of Thrones special handstamps?' and 'when we will get a new Bulletin?'.
This was included on page 10 of the last Bulletin. It would be useful if Royal Mail's Bulletin dowload page had a link to the Postmarks page, but they don't spoon-feed, you have to do some work yourselves.
It's quite clear - there are two pages, one for the Bulletin and another for the postmarks announced since the last Bulletin.
Anybody else asking will get a reply with a link to this blog post. Don't expect a long explanation or a wordy reply: it's all here.
UPDATE 20 January 2018:
I understand that Royal Mail's 'first' bulletin, which is not sent to us, does not have all the details that collectors want for first day postmarks in use for the Game of Thrones issue. Shown below is the information that we were provided with. FS1801-PL is the Belfast FD postmark applied to Royal Mail Post and Go fdcs. The design incorporates the Iron Throne as shown on the Tallents House postmark, but with the legend "First Day of Issue Belfast".
(Incidentally for those who like consistency in their P&G FDC collection, the official ones this time use the Game of Thrones cover and not the usual P&G cover.)
I am familiar with both those links, and have been for a while - but on this occasion (for GoT) Royal Mail seem to have failed to publish the "official RM" handstamps, the ones which have letters in the reference, such as "FD 17 24 TH" and "FD 17 24 PL" (those both being Star Wars Prestige Stamp Book). GoT handstamps appear to start around 14405, but there are only the numbered "sponsored" handstamps and one or two RM-own handstamps ... they don't give the code for whatever handstamp they've done for Tallents House, for example? Maybe that's why people (including me) are wondering what's going on?
ReplyDeleteThe Postmark used on the RM FDC for Post & GO is FD1801PL - it shows the Iron Throne and is from Belfast.
ReplyDeleteDetails not given on either of the web sites or in the Bulletin
Stuart
They have updated the postmark-bulletins link now, with the January edition; the handstamp details I needed are in there. They also kindly emailed it to me. So all is well, just frustratingly a little delayed.
ReplyDelete