Slogans used in September will be shown here; please check for latest updates before spending your time scanning, but if you have something new or another format, then please do send it in for publication.
The month continued the August use of the default British Heart Foundation support slogan, and it was only on 18th that KD sent the first new slogan for the month.
Still hoping that people will send cards instead of text messages, and supporting the greetings card industry, the latest slogan repeats the Thinking of You Week from previous years.
Send A Card
Deliver A Smile for
Thinking of You Week
18th-24th September 2023
KD sent one from Warrington dated 15-09-2023 and the other format from Bristol dated 18/09/20223.
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| Thinking of You Week slogan used at Bristol Mail Centre 18/09/2023 |
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| Thinking of You Week slogan used at Warrington Mail Centre 15-09-2023 |
UPDATE 30 SEPTEMBER 2023. We received a letter this week with the default British Heart Foundation slogan, used 29/09/23 at Manchester Mail Centre.
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| British Heart Foundation default slogan Manchester 29/09/2023 |
And here is an example of the Thinking of You Week slogan from Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA.
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| USPS Thinking of You Week slogan used at Grand Rapids Michigan USA 25 SEP 2023 on 2022 Global Forever stamp. |
Other postmarks, postal markings etc,
I will probably produce a separate page of Yellow Label surcharge marks eventually, but for the present I will put in these monthly posts any which I see.
This is the standard wording for a counterfeit stamp surcharge label for £2.50. It was addressed to the Southampton area.
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| Counterfeit Stamp - Invalid Stamp 1159 Fee to Pay stamp with £2.50 overprinted. |
When a definitive stamp with no barcode is used - or when the Revenue Protection department thinks that the stamps used are no longer valid - this label is used. In this case it is the Olympic definitives are deemed invalid.
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| Stamp No Longer Valid for Postage Fee to Pay stamp £1.10 with no identification number |
For many years 'tick-box' labels have been in use and P6715 is the current(?) one, which now has provision for a wide selection of mis-use.
As well as he 'Size and.or weight' deficiency, this includes the following:
- re-used stamp
- Unofficial Redirection
- Unpaid PPI
- Counterfeit Stamp
- Defaced/Barcode Removed
- BR Cancelled.
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| Multiple-reason 'tick-box' Fee To Pay label P6715 for £2.50 |
Unofficial Redirection is something that has worried some in the Union for sometime; casual redirection rather than payment for the full redirection service means that the letter is being handled twice for no additional payment.
Unpaid PPI (Postage Paid Impression) is an odd one, because if the mail had been posted without a contract posting docket being provided by the license-holder, then that should have been picked up at the office of posting and the license-holder's account charged. The only explanation for this being used, that I can think of, is if a license-holder provided a PPId envelope for a reply, when of course the docket could not be provided at the time of sending. Either way, the license-holder would be charged - or is there another explanaiton.
The meaning of BR Cancelled has been the subject of some speculation with possible explanations being: Business Reply account has been cancelled, or "Barcode Recorded" - which would effectively cancel the stamp.
Any other thoughts, or knowledge from insiders, are welcome!
If you have any other interesting postal markings, please send them to one of the email addresses in
the top right of this blog. Thank you.
Remember, any other slogans appearing in September will be added to this post, so check here before you spend time scanning and emailing. I'll add new ones as quickly as possible.
For the benefit of my own confusion, were the Olympic definitives invalid?
ReplyDeleteOlympic definitives were on the 'may be swapped' list, rather than 'won't be valid'.
DeleteBut advice from some RM quarters said that as they were issued as definitives they would be invalid. But on the other hand they were on-off-on again definitives. I think it's likely that you would find it hard to persuade RM that they should still be valid.
Thanks Ian. I still have a number of old eg Smilers stamps but hesitate to use them for fear of falling foul of an over-zealous postie!
DeleteYou comment that "casual redirection rather than payment for the full redirection service means that the letter is being handled twice for no additional payment" but I always understood that postage is set at a rate to cover the occasional casual redirection, return to sender or other such second journey, and I hadn't heard that this has changed. .
ReplyDeleteYou are correct; but I am sure I have seen comment in The Courier and on postal forums (as you probably have) about 'free redirections for months'. I knew a delivery person who used to carry on unofficial redirections long after the paid for period (if any) had expired. That doesn't help finances.
DeleteIan,
DeleteOkay, but I took "casual redirection” to mean by a resident rather than an unofficial redirection by a post(wo)man after the paid for period had expired which I know does occasionally happen, but I doubt if Revenue Protection would check for that which is rare and loses little money compared to all the PPI mail that gets into the system without payment.
I think you are right, casual redirection would be resident; unofficial wouldn't be noticed because the person concerned would just deliver to the new address.
DeleteI wouldn't think much PPI gets posted as individual (wrongly used as SAE) but in bulk without accurate dockets?
Ian,
DeleteSorry, I didn't make myself clear. By "casual redirection” I meant a resident crossing out their address, adding a new one and putting it in a post box to be redelivered by Royal Mail. That has always been free.
Given the pressure staff are under resulting in so many stamps not being cancelled I'm sure likewise dockets for much PPI mail doesn't get checked properly.
I thought contract stuff was handled by specific people who specialised in that - or is it just random?
DeleteI was meaning post(wo)men on collections mostly emptying boxes who also pick up post from some businesses.
Delete