It is always nice when customers from long ago keep in touch, either through reading these musings or by commenting or writing. Such is the situation with this story, which comes from 'A', a customer in Scotland who we had not had any dealings with since 2019. He is the source of this:
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| 1st Large King Charles III business sheet with new crown and logo discovered in Scotland November 2025, but apparently printed in December 2024. |
King Charles Business Sheets were announced in March 2023 to be issued on 4 April. Supplies were duly delivered to standing order customers and dealers, but only three sheets were supplied. The 1st Large sheet was not included.
Towards the end of April I was told that it was 'at the printers'. In late May we were told that "it will not be printed & made available for the time being". In June 2024 Royal Mail advised that "it is unlikely to be printed this year, but that it should appear some time in 2025".
As collectors and dealers had been able to produce first day covers for the other three values in April 2023 I made the point "hope that the S&C team are told early enough to make an official day of issue, so that collectors and dealers can produce first day covers. "
Sadly this was not to be. As with the 4 x 1st retail book with the new crown & font, stamps have been provided to Post Offices before the Philatelic Department of Royal Mail is aware of them.
As you can see 'A' bought the sheet and produced for himself a first day cover with Windsor handstamp for 21 November 2025.
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| 1st Large King Charles III business sheet first day of availability cover 21 November 2025. |
Although I don't have a picture of the coding - the source is particularly difficult to see - it is M24L MBIL. If my interpretation of the datamatrix code is correct these were printed on 18 December 2024 and show a postage rate of £2.60, which was correct at the time.
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| Interpreted by iPhone QR-reader. |
Philatelic Availability
As before, Royal Mail Tallents House have been alerted to this discovery on their doorstep and we await details of when it will be made available to dealers and collectors.
It is unfortunate that Royal Mail's internal organisation is such that although they have the printer produce stocks ready to be called off either by Royal Mail retail (Edinburgh) or by Post Offices branches from the POL warehouse, the philatelic department are not kept informed as to when stocks are low so that they can arrange a philatelic release (and sell some first day covers). Instead, usage of new (from a philatelic point of view) stamp occurs without their knowledge even though all other similar products are accorded official first day of issue status. I am sure the people at Tallents House share our frustration!
If anybody else sees any of these locally or as an online sale before their philatelic release, I shall be pleased to record it here.
And if you want one or two of these stamps I will be able to supply them just as soon as we get supplies, so don't go for mad prices on eBay should they appear. My price will be much more reasonable.
When you get them Ian I would like 2 stamps please, but i will order when I see them here thank you .
ReplyDeleteRobert
ReplyDeleteIf when you get them could I have two (2) please best Wishes to everyone and a Happy New Year. RW
Now being over twice the price of '2nd Large' might be why '1st Large' stamps have been selling slowly.
ReplyDeleteI see that the RM website still warns that you might get QEII rather than KCIII if you order a 2nd Large business sheet. Either Tallents House still has an overhang of 2nd Large machins, or they've failed to update the website.
ReplyDeleteAlso relating to definitive supplies: a couple of days ago I went into my local (large) supermarket to buy a book of 8x1st (for the first time in well over a year!). I was given 2 books of 4x1st QEII. When I asked, I was told that this was a permanent change. It would appear that they don't sell enough 8x1st to justify stocking any. This is pure speculation on my part, but maybe the last-minute issuing of Xmas booklets of 4 is a straw in the wind?
John