Having had stamps for 75th and shorter anniversaries, Royal Mail have now plumbed the depths of the entertainment media stamp circus by producing a set marking 20 years of the Harry Potter "wonderful wizarding world".
18 October: Royal Mail have announced yet another "problem with supply": the PSBs will be shipped "after 26th October". You would have thought that they had ordered these early enough from the printer. Maybe there were errors in the make up, like with the Shirley Bassey PSB.
The Special Stamps focus on the Battle of Hogwarts and the characters as they appear in the later films - both good and evil. Fan favourites Harry, Hermione, Ron and Lord Voldemort feature, alongside members of Dumbledore’s Army and the Order of the Phoenix, as well as Lord Voldemort’s followers and Death Eaters. Presenting these characters as they appear in the later films, these Special Stamps have a darker tone, which those who have grown up with the franchise will recognise and enjoy.
All the stamps are 1st class.
The full list of characters featured on these special stamps are: Ron Weasley, The Weasley Twins, Minerva McGonagall, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Harry Potter, Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, Hermione Granger, Molly Weasley, Bellatrix Lestrange, Narcissa Malfoy, Fenrir Greyback, Scabior, Lord Voldemort, a Death Eater, Severus Snape, Alecto Carrow, Draco Malfoy and Gregory Goyle.
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| Set of 10 x 1st class Harry Potter stamps issued 19 October 2023. |
The wizarding world is also full of fascinating creatures and beings – six of whom feature on the issues Miniature Sheet. From Aragog, the Acromantula king, to the big-eared, big-hearted house-elf Dobby, the full set also includes Harry’s beloved owl Hedwig, Fawkes the phoenix, Buckbeak the hippogriff and Hermione’s cat Crookshanks.
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| Miniature sheet of six x 1st class Harry Potter 'Creatures and Beings' stamps issued 19 October 2023. |
Technical details
The 37 x 35 mm stamps are printed by Cartor Security Printers in litho on gummed paper in 2 sheets of 50, 10 se-tenant strips of 5, perf 14 x 14.5. Designed by True North. (c) Royal Mail Group Ltd. The 192 x 74 mm miniature sheet is printed by Cartor Security Printers in litho on self-adhesive paper. Stamp Sizes: Hedwig and Aragog: 60mm x 21mm, landscape (p 14.5); Dobby: 27mm x 37mm, portrait (p 14); Crookshanks and Buckbeak: 41mm x 30mm, landscape (p 14.5 x 14); Fawkes: 35mm x 35mm, square (p 14.5).
Acknowledgements: WIZARDING WORLD characters, names and related indicia are © & TM Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Publishing Rights © JKR. (s23)
Prestige Stamp Book (£25.25)
The Prestige Stamp Book is a 24-page book on Harry Potter and The Battle of Hogwarts. Inside we explore the seven Horcruxes Harry, Ron and Hermione set out to find and destroy to bring an end to Lord Voldemort’s immortality and destruction, leading ultimately to the final duel with the Dark Lord himself.
The book contains, as usual, the 10 special stamps plus the six stamps from the Miniature Sheet, all perforated as stamp panes within the book. There is also an additional pane of definitive stamps (numberd pane 2 in our documentation), which unique to the Harry Potter Special Issue. This contains 2 x 20p, 2 x 50p and a £2.20 definitive stamp (£3.60 in total). It is expected that they will be coded M23L MPIL.
Print: The stamp set panes (1 & 5) are printed in litho and PVA gummed. The minisheet panes (3 & 4) and the mixed definitive pane (2) are printed in litho and are self-adhesive.
UPDATE 29 NOVEMBER: In a demonstration of just how little interest there is in these on of my customers has - nearly two months after issue - drawn my attention to the image shown of Pane 1 which is missing the King's head and value! This is the pre-release image provided by Royal Mail and they got it wrong. Obviously the actual panes do have both features otherwise they could not be used as stamps. The same wrong image is also used on Royal Mail's website shop pages.
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| Harry Potter prestige stamp book covers and panes (click on images to enlarge.) The white blocks will accommodate the retail barcode and FSC Certificate. |
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| Scan of actual definitive pane from Harry Potter PSB - click to enlarge. |
Collector Sheet
As usual with stamp issues like this there is also a Collector sheet which contains all 10 sheet stamps with labels attached, all printed self-adhesive so making them different to the actual sheet stamps. (Details as above)
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| Harry Potter self-adhesive collector sheet (£12.50) |
Fan Sheets
Again, as is often the case, this issue has fan sheets - as if the whole thing isn't aimed at fans anyway. Three fan sheets priced at £7.50 each in an edition of 5,000. The Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort sheets are gummed, the Dolby fan sheet is self-adhesive making the stamps the same as issued in the regular form.
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| Harry Potter Fan Sheets (click to enlarge each image). |
Standard Products
Set of 10 stamps, miniature sheet, presentation pack, first day covers x 2, prestige stamp book, collector sheet, fan sheets.
Additional Products
A limited edition prestige stamp book pack (only 5000 at £49.99) includes a set of six 'spells and charms' postcards, which come with features only seen under ultra-violet light. Six iridescent ink spells and charms are featured on the pages of this limited edition book - I presume this is the text pages, rather than the stamp panes.
A souvenir art print folder (run 5000 at £24.99) contains ten high quality enlarged prints of the Harry Potter Special Stamps, each with its own stamp affixed and unique handstamp*, perfect for displaying. It also features a Creatures and Beings enlarged miniature sheet print and an individually numbered certificate of authenticity. (* As far as I can see this is a cancellation but not a postmark, and will not be available for first day covers etc.)
Others: medal covers, stamp packs (containing either 10 'good' or 10 'evil' stamps), press sheet of 12 miniature sheets, framed products, Harry Potter 24 carat gold (plated) stamp ingot (£49.99), Harry Potter 24 carat gold (plated) miniature sheet (£149.99).
These products are available on the Royal Mail website.
All so very predictable.
ReplyDeleteThe miniature sheet has nice artwork, but I can't defend the excessive level of products being sold for this issue. And who needs 16 Harry Potter themed stamps when there hasn't been a film since 2011?
ReplyDeleteAnd all 1st class, shortly after increasing the price of such stamps yet again - just a coincidence, I'm sure.
DeleteThey would have been printed a few months ago, and Royal Mail's price increases are decided totally independent of the stamp programme - and vice versa.
DeleteThe 2 white blank windows on page 2 of the PSB are a puzzle though.
ReplyDeletePresumably those who buy the PSB will need to use their UV lamp to find out what's in th eblanks?
DeleteOne of the spaces will be for the barcode; I can't remember what the other is for.
DeleteProbably the FSC details
DeleteYes, thank you. That will be it.
DeleteApologies for the "Anonymous" yesterday - my google account had got confused (again!) and I didn't notice.
DeleteNo problem. Every time I have to restart the browser I have to go through hoops to be able to comment/reply. That happened after the storms and it took 3 days more on the other blog because although I was signed in it wasn't reflected in the other blog on the same account.
DeleteI don't like to think ill of anyone - especially someone I have never met, and I am unlike to meet - but I really, REALLY hate Matt Parkes and everything he as overseen since his appointment as MD, Royal Mail Stamps & Collectibles.
ReplyDeleteWhile I question the relevance of this issue, why does every issue now need to come with a self adhesive collectors sheet? It effectively doubles the number of stamps and the cost and drives more collectors away. (I’m of course being sarcastic… it means more money for Royal Mail and these self-adhesive stamps will rarely be used for postage). I know other countries issue their stamps in two formats but the self adhesives are issued in booklets and will see genuine postal usage.
ReplyDeleteWhy do you think that these stamps - or of any commemorative issue - issued in prestige books will be bought by someone who is not a collector and just wants stamps for postage?
DeleteI'm willing to assert that not one prestige book of this issue or any other issue for many years has been so bought.
I think Chris means the equivalent of barcode booklets rather than Prestige Booklets. Otherwise, you are right. The only time a rational person buys Prestige Booklets for postal usage is when they are for sale on eBay at less than face value.
DeleteI think Chris is writing from Australia. Many of their special issues (not the 'collectibles' that they flood their customers with) come in conventionally gummed sheets and self-adhesive booklets of 10/20 or rolls of 100. The most convenient way to buy - as here - is in booklets, to such an extent that finding VFU stamps from the gummed sheets is a quest, while self-adhesive are common.
DeleteInternational rate stamps are almost all self-adhesive as far as I know.
Added: With no mixed-content booklets being produced here there will usually be only one stamp seeing postal use. The Collector Sheets are just that: made for collectors and unlikely to be used postally. This was relevant when they provided collectors with a cheap way to get Smilers stamps - those specifically designed for personalisation. But as that facility - and the Greetings Stamps - have been off the menu for a long time now, there is no justification for any of those sheets.
DeleteIf there hadn't been a 1st class postage rise this month, I would have been buying lots of this issue (some of my penpals and/or their children are Harry Potter fans). However, I will still buy some, definitely the miniature sheet.
ReplyDeleteI am a stamp user and have seen comments from a few other stamp users around the world saying that the UK has the best issues. I quite like what the USPS and Deutsche Post have been doing (the latter already has provisional details of the 2024 stamp calendar, and USPS will probably announce well before Christmas theirs).
Colin
ReplyDeleteWhat a ROYAL mail ? All these stamps for a fictional person, Yet for our late Queen`s death.... just 4 black and white stamps.
The posting mentions that this issue is for the 20th anniversary of the Harry Potter "wonderful wizarding world" but the first Harry Potter movie came out in 2001, so I'm not sure what Harry Potter anniversary this issue is commemorating.
ReplyDeleteThe press release from Royal Mail states "For over 20 years, the world has been captivated by the magic of the Harry Potter films", so it isn't even an anniversary commemoration set.
Deletehttps://www.internationaldistributionsservices.com/en/press-centre/press-releases/international-distributions-services-plc/royal-mail-pays-homage-to-the-wizarding-world-with-a-set-of-atmospheric-special-stamps-inspired-by-the-battle-of-hogwarts/
That was the wording in the information pack to dealers as well. I copy some text and paraphrase the rest: maybe I should have made more of that, given that the films were released 2 & 3 years ago.
DeleteWe might hope that that is the last of the Harry Potter stamps, but it seems more than likely that in 2027 we might see a set for the 30th anniversary of the first book's publication.
White Knight comment - I do hope that this current phase of RM philatelic madness is over by 2027 and someone has drawn a line under this exploitation and shortsightedness. Hopefully Mr Parkes will have moved on to another excruciatingly well-paid job involving promotion of childish products in some other industry or the other by then and British stamps, if there still are any, will once more celebrate the important things about the United Kingdom, honour the worthy, have dropped the woke and will commemorate the truly memorable things about the country.
DeleteIan,
ReplyDeleteAs for anniversaries that we might expect how about
2024 - 150th anniversary of the Universal Postal Union,
2024 - 150th anniversary of the birth of Winston Churchill, and
2024 - Centenary of Britain's first Commemorative Stamps ?
I wouldn't hold my breath, especially with how Churchill and the British Empire are now regarded.
We haven't for some years now. The 2010 programme was announced in outline in February 2009. The 2016 programme was announced in November 2015.
DeleteBut after that Royal Mail's PR team decided that the best time to reveal the programme is in the week between Christmas and New Year when there is no other news. What they didn't realise is that the mainstream press has very little interest in publicising new stamps then either and sometimes coverage is poor.
It also runs the risk of being pushed off the front pages by much bigger events - the 2004 Tsunami, the 2007 Assasination of Benazir Bhutto, for example.
What they want to do is control the news output for maximum effect when the stamps are (about to be or actually) issued. This is why we can no longer publish details 13 weeks ahead of the issue date and allow people to prepare their own covers etc.
2024 - 50 Years of Porridge (the TV series not the breakfast food...)
Delete2024 - 60 Years of Disney's Mary Poppins
2024 - 60 Years of the Pink Panther (the cartoon character and the Peter Sellers films)
Get back to true British Anniversaries
Delete2024 - 80th Anniversary of D-Day
2024 - 200th Anniversary of RNLI
But Matt Parkes has probably got more dribble to release on the general public instead.
Probably more to Mr Parkes' liking:
Delete2024 - 50th aniversary of Dungeons & Dragons, 40th anniversary of Transformers, 20th anniversary of Peppa Pig
More serious anniversaries (in addition to those already mentioned) include:
Delete100 years of the Met Office's Shipping Forecast
75 years of NATO
30 years since the opening of the Channel Tunnel
But since none of these obviously lend themselves to issues of 8-10 stamps plus a 6-stamp miniature sheet, I doubt that any will feature.
Just Visiting has a very good point there... Many other postal authorities have issues of a single or pair of stamps which would be enough to mark some of those examples. In 1994, we had the 1994 Channel Tunnel issue of 4 stamps, 2x 1st and 2x Europe so why not do that again for the anniversary? 200 years of the RNLI is an excellent nomination from Chris and there must be enough archive photos to produce an 8 stamp issue (lifeboat designs through the years) and a 4 stamp MS. Plus a Prestige Book with the historical notes. Even better if part of the selling price went to the RNLI.
DeleteGiven Mr Parked’ public profile states the following, I think it’s fair to say that there will be more populist merchandising, rather than actual worthy commemorations. It’s clearly all about exploiting the licences they’ve acquired:
Delete“Since my appointment, I have pivoted what was a unit in decline into a rapidly growing and sustainable IP licensing and collectibles business, significantly exceeding revenue and profit targets each year.
I have developed and overseen the implementation of a new content strategy, acquiring major licenses including Transformers, Star Trek, Star Wars, Marvel Comics, DC Comics, James Bond, Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, Iron Maiden, David Bowie, Queen, Elton John and Paul McCartney.”
You can be sure that there will be a Barbie issue, including a Prestige Stamp Book. By the way, I'm a non-collector who buys them to use on my letters; but I won't be buying the Harry Potter issue (or Barbie in 2024).
ReplyDeleteWhy is the RM web site showing an available date of the PSB as 29-Oct (Sunday)?? Another RM error!!
ReplyDeleteWhile it is probably a typo for 29th, I haven't had the PSB yet, only the definitive pane. It may just be that this one will be late as well. Or they may be doing very special quality control...
DeleteSounds like another problem with manufacture / distribution, just like the Tutankhamun PSB of 2022.
DeleteAccording to an email from RM that I've received this afternoon, there was a "problem with supply" and the PSBs will be shipped "after 26th October". On the positive side, at least they did notify me of the delay.
DeleteDoes this mean that the PSB should really have a revised catalogued date of issue?
DeleteIt really should; if Gibbons are keeping their eyes open.
DeleteWhat date should FDCs have for the PSB?
DeleteThe pane that is on the FDC is already available and will be so for First Day Covers - that will be the date of issue of the definitive stamps listed in that part of the catalogue.
DeleteBut yes, this poor performance from Royal Mail makes official FDIs a laughing stock.
My PSB arrived this morning, loose in an A5 envelope. No packaging to protect it. It is now on its way back to RM for replacement as it is damaged as a result.
DeleteI can't quite see from the images, but are the KCIII definitives with or without the security slits? This might expose the truth behind the comment regarding the stamps without security slits on the first day covers earlier this year.
ReplyDeleteClick on the images to see enlargements. The first pane is the publicity image showing slits marked by grey lines. The second is a scan of the actual pane and the slits are clearly visible.
DeleteGiven the errors of the past, I expect the FDCs will be normal this time.
Thanks Ian - my eyes aren't quite as good as they were, so your clarification is most welcome.
DeleteSeeing we did not get any Stamps which showed the King's Coronation apart from a Mini Sheet with one almost about the Coronation! maybe we could have a 1st Anniversary of the Coronation in May with stamps in a sheet which can be used for Postage.I see our Islands can Issue nice Stamps for the King. pity we can't. RW
ReplyDeleteEqually surprising is that there is nothing for the King's 75th birthday (14 November). Combined with the absence of a 'proper' Coronation issue, I wonder if this is a Royal Mail decision or yet another signal of a changed attitude at the Palace.
DeleteDoes the Royal Mail get a special rate for trademarks? Almost every single issue has the FDC designers scratching their heads to avoid using anything that would send the cost sky high!
ReplyDeleteNo one was informed by RM about this, but they have taken the money from my bank account! Disgraceful!
ReplyDeleteScarcely any white border around each of the five definitives means that the slightest miscut might provide three new varieties !
ReplyDeleteGot my PSB today. It says the definitive pane is printed in gravure by Cartor, but it's definitely litho as you have stated above. Another error by by RM?
ReplyDeleteI believe that they've never changed that statement since the pane started to be printed in litho rather than gravure (from Tutankhamun Centenary PSB). Either the printer can't be bothered to change it, or RM can't be bothered to ask (or haven't noticed) - not very professional, whatever the reason.
Delete