Visible Change 1st Large Business Sheet is not the same as previously reported

Today at last I received a copy of the King Charles III 1st class Large Business Sheet which is due to have its philatelic distribution on 20 March.  (There is no first day of issue for business sheets.)

I should have realised, from the Royal Mail trade publicity about this and the booklets, that we might be in for a surprise and so we are.  

The clue is in the words 'visible change' because this has the new Relay UK phone number for Deaf, hearing or speech impaired users, rather than the textphone number.  Consequently this is a quite different printing to the one previously reported.  The other was printed in 2024 and coded M24L, the new one in 2026 and coded M26L.

King Charles III 1st class Large Business Sheet coded M24, the printing is much less clear than on the M26L. This image has been digitally enhanced and the M24L can just about be seen.

King Charles III 1st class Large Business Sheet coded M24L printed in 2024 and found in November 2025.

The new printing is much clearer - M26L MBIL.

King Charles III 1st class Large Business Sheet coded M26L with first day of philatelic availability 26 March 2026.

M26L examples for sale -
I asked for expressions of interest for the 1st Large business sheet stamp when it arrived.  Now that we have yet another new one, I feel it best to ask again.

So please email and tell me how many of the M26L you would like; they will be only a little over cost plus postage.  

Also as we have a definite first day of (philatelic) availability of this one, please email if you would like a single M26L on first day cover with appropriate postmark (Windsor permanent will probably be used if any are wanted.)

As for the M24L version, it is likely to be very scarce with most examples I suspect being sold through Royal Mail's website to business customers.  I know that many post office branches are still holding the Machin version and won't have ordered any more.  They won't get an automatic distribution of even the M26L version but it seems more than likely that Royal Mail will want this distributed when needed as it has current information on it.

All copies of the M24L 1st Large have  now been sold or reserved, as have most of the other new business sheet stamps.  The first batch of orders was posted today.  Others, mainly for people who also want booklet stamps, should be posted week commencing 13 April. 

I will contact my correspondent of this and ask if he would like to dispose of any.   Please email if you would like any of these (how many).  No obligation of course as I don't know what price I shall have to charge.  But the M24L version should be included in the Gibbons Concise Catalogue as the primary stamp with the subsequent versions in the usual table.

UPDATE  - I've been asked about the other two values of Business Sheets - 1st class and 2nd class.  I had not planned to get these as I didn't have the imagination to realise that the Visible Change would be for M26L stamps as I expect these two values to be also.  
Updated update: I've been told that the 1st class business sheet VC is 2025 2nd class VC is 2026. I think that still makes them both new.

1st class M25L MBIL Business Sheet

2nd class M26L MBIL Business Sheet

 

So if you wish to have these, please also say so, although if I cannot sell sufficient at a 'close to face' price, I will have to charge more to cover the ones that I have to sell for postage.
And the FDC would be for three stamps!

UPDATE 24 March: I've been told that the 1st Large booklet did not arrive at Tallents House until Friday 20th, so distribution by Royal Mail will be delayed.

There's never a dull moment, is there?  I'll be posting images of the new booklet stamps in a separate post when I have them all. 

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