I wrote about The Postal Museum re-opening here, and several people have written or commented that with the museum only opening Thursday to Sunday the Winter Greenery could not be on sale on Tuesday 3rd November as announced.
I have now heard from MB as follows:
From TPM IT & System Manager Ian Tolley:
Just a quick note to confirm that the Postal Museum welcome space will be open from 10:30am on Tuesday for Post & Go purchases if you are thinking of coming in for the Winter Greenery on A001.
So money talks. It will certainly make it easier for collectors (and dealers) who know in advance, to not have members of public wanting access as they might at other times. But it is pity that nobody at the TPM thought to look at the calendar and provide this information with their general press release earlier this week. It's certainly like a weekend afterthought, but I suspect it's just a case of "oh we always intended to do this, was it not clear in the information provided?"
Machines and locations
Stuart Leigh reports that the Mail Rail kiosk has not moved across the road as TPM said it would be. Instead A012 (last used at Autumn Stampex 2017) has been installed in the Postal Museum entrance hall and re-designated Mail Rail. But more interestingly on the Underground Railway stamps being dispensed from it have a date code of MA18, whereas the Postal Museum kiosk has R19YAL. Also the stock could be digitally produced (clarification awaited when they have been examined).
Opening Day
I would have a picture but... MC sent a report of his less than happy experience on day one.
The perfect set I had I have put on a FDC.
What I do have as a mint set is a strip made up of 8 stamps with the first one being a bit screwed up and not printed fully, the second stamp has the 'technical' data line missing as the print has 'slipped down', three & four are blanks, and 5-8 are as per expected. This was seemingly a 'problem' throughout the period I was there which the Museum staff member was unable to fix. I don't necessarily think it would be a good idea to put a copy (at least of mine) on the web!
The big surprise to most, if not all, attendees was that the 'Mail by Air' issue has been replaced with Flags.
Year codes are - Mail Coach = MA16, Underground Railway (UR) = R19, 1st = MA14, 2nd = MA15, Flag = None? (I certainly cannot see one!)
The other kiosk had UR = MA 18 & 2nd Machin MA14.
UPDATE 3 November
My thanks to MB for providing these pictures of Post & Go stamps from the Postal Museum.
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| The Postal Museum Machine A001 Machin and Mail Rail Post & Go stamps. |
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| The Postal Museum Machine A001 Union Flag and Mailcoach Post & Go stamps. |
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| The Postal Museum Machine A012 Machin and Mail Rail Post & Go stamps. |
Winter Greenery 3 November update
My thanks to MC for these pictures from today's events at the Postal Museum.
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| The Postal Museum/Postcard 150 inscription on Mailcoach, and Winter Greenery stamps from machine A001. |
Winter Greenery from the Postal Museum have the Year Code R17YAL & CL17S. Still using up old stock.
ReplyDeleteWhere as the Post Office machines have the latest Winter Greenery for this year namely R20YAL & CL20S
Of course the Underground Railway stamps being dispensed from Mail Rail (A012) are on digitally produced stock - they always have been, but on closer examination, the newer stamps (MA18) have a fainter "Royal Mail" underprint than the Postal Museum (R19YAL) stamps.
ReplyDeleteWith the Underground railway issues, they are on the following The postal museum have been on R19YAL & MA18 The mail rail has been on MA18 & MA17.
ReplyDeleteSo 4 different. All the remaining strips have not changed yearcodes at all.