As well as those already reported in earlier blogposts, I have been told that there are new printings of business sheets with no serial numbers or dates on the rear of the top panel. The 1st class is M17L but the 2nd class is M18L so we could see first M18L soon.
The 1st Large booklet has also turned up with M18L coding. My correspondent says that this is the last one he would have expected, but I think the 2nd Large is even less likely. While I was away I had two Large letters from non-collector sources in different parts of the country. Both were stamped with 2nd Large from 2009, with source code FOYAL!
For the six new stamps distributed by Royal Mail on 23 May there will be no official FDCs as they are non-visible change (change of printer only). We will do a limited number of covers. We will also stock a limited number of date and cylinder blocks. It will help our ordering if you let us know that you want these.
For the 1st Large booklet and 2nd business sheet referred to above we will show these in our shop as soon as we have stock. Meanwhile here are pictures. I understand that the 1st Large booklet stamps exists on backing paper with printing in both directions.
(Updated 17 May)
Year code before 2018
1st deep scarlet counter sheet M16L - 2914a.6 - originally reported mid-2017 but in very low numbers.
50p slate counter sheet M17L - 3051.7 - January 2018
Special Delivery 100g M17L on SBP2 - 2985.7a - January 2018
Year Code 2018
1st class MCIL - 2936aC.8 - RAF retail booklet issued 20.3.18
1st class MSIL - 2936aS.8 - retail booklet
1st Large MFIL - 2937a.8 - retail booklet
10p counter sheet issued 23.5.18 - 3010.8 - reprint by Walsall of 2017 & earlier DLR stamp
20p counter sheet issued 23.5.18 - 3020.8 - reprint by Walsall of 2017 & earlier DLR stamp
£1 brown counter sheet issued 23.5.18 - 3101.8 - reprint by Walsall of 2017 & earlier DLR stamp
£1.25 counter sheet issued 20.3.18 - 3125
£1.45 counter sheet issued 20.3.18 - 3145
£1.55 counter sheet issued 20.3.18 - 3155
£2.25 counter sheet issued 20.3.18 - 3225.8 - reprint by Walsall of 2017 & earlier DLR stamp
£2.65 counter sheet issued 20.3.18 - 3265
2nd counter sheet issued 23.5.18 - 2911a.8 - reprint by Walsall of 2017 & earlier DLR stamp
2nd business sheet - found April 2018 - 2911B.8
1st counter sheet issued 23.5.18 - 2914a.8 - reprint by Walsall of 2017 & earlier DLR stamp
1st Large counter sheet issued 23.5.18 - 2916a.8- reprint by Walsall of 2017 & earlier DLR stamp
2p gummed from RAF PSB issued 20.3.18 - 4002P.8
5p gummed from RAF PSB issued 20.3.18 - 4005P.8
£1.17 gummed from RAF PSB issued 20.3.18 - 4117P.8
These will be included in the next edition of our checklist.
Have Royal Mail decided against their stamps being produced by DLR in Malta instead of Gateshead or are the Walsall printings a stop gap until DLR get up and running?
ReplyDeleteGood question, and one that we have limited definitive answers to until now. Royal Mail have written:
Delete"Following a change of printer, from De La Rue to International Security Printers - Walsall, the recent low value 2018 prints constitute a non-visible change."