New on our web shop

Whilst stocktaking we found that some stamps had not been listed on our web shop, or had been removed in error.  So here are a few special offers and new listings available now.  Some are in small numbers, so buy now!


3626A - World War I set (2 complete PSB panes incl SG 3629A) from 2014 PSB with all over phosphor on all stamps - 25% off.

3844A - World War I 2016 complete pane of Post Office Rifles stamps

3958a/61a - Machin 50th anniversary 2017 pair of PSB panes with set of six embossed stamps - 11% off.

SG 4067-70 - Red Arrows prestige book pane complete with 4 stamps - 50p off.

More to follow!

And thanks to Scott for spotting this on the blog's page-view count

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Movember starts new month of slogan postmarks

After a dry-patch as far as slogans are concerned in recent months, November kicks off right away with the men's health campaign, Movember.

The first example is from Sheffield Mail Centre on 01/11/2018.  (See also Nov 23rd update, resumption of this after others.)

STOP MEN DYING

TOO YOUNG

SIGN UP OR 

DONATE AT

MOVEMBER.COM

UPDATE 6 November.
Thanks to MB for sending two examples, one from Medway MC on 2 November is the illustrated version, and one from North West Midlands on 3 November which shows better than the one we received.   The illustrated version has a different slogan:

STOP MEN DYING TOO YOUNG

SIGN UP OR DONATE AT

MOVEMBER.COM

MOVEMBER® FOUNDATION

UPDATE 7 NOVEMBER.  Royal Mail has advertised it's Armistice slogan on social media.  I'll post copies of actual slogans when we get them.

UPDATE 9 November.  We got two different copies of the Armistice slogan today, one from Peterborough Mail Centre 7 November, and one from Chester 8 November.

Lest we forget

11.11.18

#Armistice100

UPDATE 14 November.  Royal Mail has marked the 70th birthday of HRH the Prince of Wales not only with a miniature sheet of 6 stamps but with this slogan.  Hopefully it continued today and collectors could try to get first day covers with this machine slogan.
Update 23 November:  Thanks to JE for news that the slogan was not installed in IMP machines until 14th, the actual birthday, rather than on 12th as planned.  This is why the armistice continued until 13th.   See example from Lancashire & South Lakes MC on 14th, in which the text is laid out over 5 lines instead of 3 on the iLSMs.

Happy 70th Birthday to

HRH The Prince of Wales

14th November 2018

 

 

UPDATE 22 November:  In my absence a number of readers have sent examples of the latest slogan, which marks the circumnavigation of Great Britain by swimmer Ross Edgley (as reported here by Red Bull).  This one seems to be going on, with several dates reported; more extensive than some of RM's slogans this year, and he gets more, apparently, than the POW!
Shown here Edinburgh Mail Centre 16-11-2018 and North & West Yorkshire 20/11/2018. Also reported Peterborough, Manchester & Glasgow 19th, and North West Midlands 15th.

Congratulations

Ross Edgley - 

the first swimmer to

circumnavigate

Great Britain

Nov 23rd: We're told that Movember is now back in use from 21/22 November at Peterborough and Preston at least.

December 1st:  November goes out with the Post Early for Christmas slogan, seen for the first time from Sheffield Mail Centre (and another indistinct) 29 November 2018.  (Thank you to JW who has sent an even less distinct example from Southampton dated 28 November.)

Remember to

Post Early

this Christmas!

Thanks for all the reports this month; this will continue in December with the same slogans, and probably many more.

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Post and Go Poppies include new printing this year.

The Post and Go Poppy stamp will make a further return appearance in Post Office branches nationwide, from 23 October 2018 in time for Remembrance Day and the many special covers which are being produced by the usual cover producers.

I've been told (thanks RW & SL) that this year stamps will be from a new printing with the year code showing as R18YAL - although branches with existing stocks will be likely to use those first.  Look out for stamps with 2nd class service indicators - it's bound to happen somewhere!

UPDATE 12 October.  Press release from the Postal Museum:

The poppy stamps with an overprint reading ‘The Postal Museum/ WWI 1918 – 2018’ marking the centenary of the armistice ending World War I will replace the Mail by Sea designs. Stamps will be available on all values and will run until 30 November.

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Early sale of World War I Centenary stamps

This year's stamps marking the Centenary of World War I are due for release on 13 September.  But the Commonwealth Stamps Opinion blog reports an early release offered for sale on an internet auction on 28 August!

Given that many Post Offices don't use higher values it's surprising that this is the £1.55 value, rather than a 1st class.   See more here.

If you're interested in Post and Go, Commonwealth stamps, thematics, or provisionals, the latest epistle from WhiteKnight also includes the latest Post & Go from Guernsey, and some provisional surcharges from The Republic of South Sudan.  If you are tired the easy task of collecting GB stamps, you could do worse than look for commercially used covers from smaller African nations.  They must be scarce!

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All quiet on Machin definitive stamps - until next month

Most readers will be aware that the vast majority of this year's Machin definitives that are likely to appear have been issued from Tallents House or made an appearance in Post Offices.  In fact in the last couple of months, especially during the hotter periods, the lack of new stamps has given us a welcome respite from the office.  Following my comparison of the UK's stamp press new issue announcements last week one of the editors asked me if it was a 'slow news day'.  Indeed it has been.

The only normal stamps still to come - by which I mean the ones that we would expect to see every

year - are the 1p, 5p & 2nd class Large counter sheets, the 2nd class Large business sheet, and the 1st class from a prestige stamp book (PSB).

So in three weeks at Stampex, Royal Mail will issue the remaining counter sheet stamps on Wednesday 12 September, including the 2p which missed their spring delivery but which we have had in stock for some time.

On Thursday 13th, the World War I Centenary PSB will include the 1st class coded MPIL M18L.

Any customers who require first day covers of these stamps please let us know immediately. 

For the counter sheet stamps detailed catalogues will say that the (official) date of issue is 12 September although it has been available since May.  Because of this we will include the 2p on FDCs unless you request that it is left off!

Comparing the Poppy stamp in this year's PSB with that in the previous WWI books (2015/6) it seems to be identical, except that on the latest ones we have the poppies and stems are slightly more to the right than before.  So this will not be included on FDCs.

Also included as part of the WWI set will be a mixed-content retail booklet, but as that contains 1st class stamps coded MCIL M18L - already included in several booklets this year - that is not a new stamp.

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Stampex: World War I Centenary, and Post and Go Mail by Bike.

An update on Royal Mail's plans for Autumn Stampex, held this year from September 12-15 at the Business Design Centre, Islington north London.

Post and Go
As in spring, there will be no Royal Mail Post and Go kiosk at Stampex so there will be no special printing for the Mail by Bike issue on 12 September.  The stamps will be in the machine at the Postal Museum so there will be a special inscription there.  We understand (not from Royal Mail) that the island Postal Administrations will bring their Post and Go machines.
   Guernsey will have a commemorative inscription for the Royal Air Force Centenary on their flag stamps.  The flowers issue will be available without additional inscription.  The RAF/Flag stamps will also be available from their bureau.
   Jersey Post will have a new set showing Nautical Knots which will also be available from their bureau.  At Stampex they will also have a RAF Centenary inscription on their flag stamps; this will also be available from the bureau.


World War I Centenary
The final set in Royal Mail's five-year series will be issued on 13 September and for the first time include a retail booklet.  This will contain the usual Machins (coded M18L MCIL) and two different Poppy stamps.

Royal Mail will also be issuing a Composite Sheet containing all 30 stamps in the series, at their original face values.  These are shown on two FDCs on the Buckingham Covers website.  This is a limited edition sheet which will not be distributed on standing orders.

Royal Mail have reminded collectors preparing FDCs that only one handstamp can be used on any one date, and that the official day of issue postmarks can only be used on the new stamps.  Therefore any FDCs of the Composite Sheet can only be cancelled with an operational or a sponsored handstamp.  This would, of course, include the WWI Centenary and National Arboretum variable date handstamps shown on our website.

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Images of 2018 World War I Centenary stamp designs now on the web.

And as the August 16 (Captain Cook) issue is revealed to a wide audience (see below) Buckingham Covers have put added the World War I first day covers to their website.

As with previous issues we are not yet allowed to show the World War I issue, but you can see the set, the miniature sheet, and the prestige stamp book panes here.

As usual the 1st class stamps include a new Poppy design, a poem - this time by Wilfred Owen - and a solider.  The airmail stamps show art, an artefact (airman's googles), and the Tomb of the Unknown Solider in Westminster Abbey.

The prestige stamp book panes show that there should be one new stamp for Machin collectors, the 1st class deep scarlet, gummed, coded MPIL M18L, the other four stamps being the definitive-sized poppy - again.  The PSB also includes, as usual, the full 2018 set with the final pane containing the other four poetry stamps issued 2014-17.

There is also a retail booklet which containing the Poppy stamps from 2014 and 2018, and as announced at the start of the series, there will be a composite sheet of 30 stamps, a row for each year, and a column for Poppy, poetry, people, art, memorials, and artefacts.

Mail by Bike:  Thanks to NG for pointing out that the Mail by Bike Post and Go stamps are shown on the Bradbury website.

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Autumn Stampex Post and Go

We have some information about the Post and Go stamps available at Autumn Stampex, which is at the Business Design Centre, Islington, London N1, from 13-16 September 2017.


Royal Mail Bureau Machine B001

Now available to pre-order, the following stamps:

Mail by Air - available as 6 x 1st class, Collectors Strip of 6 values, or Collectors set of 36 (6 values of each design).

Machin Anniversary, with additional inscription Autumn Stampex 2017 - available only as 6 x 1st.

Remembrance Poppy with additonal inscription WWI Battle of Passchendaele - available as 6 x 1st class, or Collectors Strip of 6 values.


We also have unofficial information about the kiosks at Stampex. 
The Mail by Air stamps will be available from machines A012, A103 and A104.
The Machin stamps will be available from A012 and A013.
The Poppy stamps will be available from machine A014.

Unofficial information concerning other Post and Go stamps

September 13th will be the first day of issue of Jersey Post's new Post and Go design, Fruits and Berries, which will be dispensed from kiosk JE01. 
The machine will also dispense the Jersey Flag stamp with an additional inscription: HRH Prince Philip 65 Years of Service.

The Fruits stamps will also be available from Jersey's Broad Street JE01 machine, and both Fruits and Flag with Prince Philip inscription will be available from the Bureau B002 machine.

Available at Stampex from Guernsey Post's GG01 machine will be the Guernsey Flag stamp with a HRH Prince Philip 65 Years of Service inscription. 
Reel 2 will contain the Lighthouse stamps.  The stamps will be available after Stampex from the B machine at their Bureau by visiting www.guernseystamps.com or contacting philatelic customer services on +44 (0) 1481 716486.

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As usual we will obtain stamps to order.  Customers requiring the Royal Mail output from machine B001 must let us know by midday Wednesday 30 August.

A very limited number of 1st class stamps will be obtained for stock for those who only want single stamps.

Customers requiring Jersey and Guernsey from the Stampex kiosks stamps must let us know by 5 September.

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July Special Issues - Landmark Buildings and World War I (1917) Designs

At the risk of being repetitively boring I must remind you that I am unable to provide much detail about these two stamp issues, but that has not stopped others who are not bound by the same contractual obligations with Royal Mail as I am.

My friend WhiteKnight's Commonwealth Stamps Opinion reports today on these two sets and shows all the designs.  You can see them here.  The World War I (issued on 31 July) set is in the usual format of 3 x 1st class and 3 x airmail (£1.57).  The Landmark Buildings set (issued on 13 July) is all 1st class and shows 10 very different modern buildings from around the United Kingdom, including two in Scotland, one each for Northern Ireland  and Wales, with the rest from England.

Here are a couple of tasters:

More detail on our website when Royal Mail have published details through their own media.

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For Sale: Bowie Fan Art, Accession FDC, scarce presentation packs & FDCs

I've been having a bit of a spring clean and have found a few odds and ends of covers etc, which I am going to offer for sale here, rather than add them to our web-shop, at least initially.  Mostly there is only one of each of these, so this will give blog-readers a chance to buy before the other shop users.


Some of these were obtained for customers who changed their minds, in other cases there was a misunderstanding* about what was wanted, and in others I decided to do one more than was ordered 'just in case'.   If you would like to buy any of these, send an email at the usual address (see top right), and leave a comment to say that you have sent the email and about which item.  That way other readers will know that they are reserved.   *I'll wait a week after publication of this blog in case there was a double misunderstanding and the original customer did actually want it, before we close the deal and make arrangements for posting and sending.   These items can be combined with purchases from the shop for one postage charge and one payment, so if you buy from the shop and want to add one or more of these, please do not pay online, but choose the 'pay by cheque' option on the shop and wait for an email about the total cost. 

1.  The David Bowie Fan Sheet - price £29.50-----------sold
2.  £5 Accession Anniversary Machin first day cover - £9.50   --------sold
3.  Europhilex 2015 Penny Black Exhibition Pack - £20    --------sold
4.  Europhilex-issued new Machin Horizon Label FDC - £15
5.  World War I 2016 Presentation Pack error - £75

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1. The David Bowie Fan Sheet is one of the products produced by Royal Mail for Bowie Fans rather than for stamp collectors.  The idea is that the stamps in the fan products (such as in previous high-cost prestige stamp books) will be exactly the same as those sold in Post Offices and so you, the collectors, won't need to buy them.   Except of course in this case Royal Mail made a major and silly mistake by producing all the Fan Sheets on cheap gummed paper whilst printing the stamps for postage on self-adhesive paper.

Due to the premium price these will probably not be given a full listing in Stanley Gibbons' catalogues.  But the German catalogues are different: these are different stamps, and stamps printed by a different process normally get a MAIN number in Michel.  And that means that users of Lighthouse, Lindner, SAFE, KaBe albums will find that there is a space therein for these ordinary gummed stamps.   Only 10,000 of these were produced and I believe 2,500 were retained by Royal Mail for their special 'packages'.   But you won't want to break up the sheet for the album!  The sheet square is in a white open-top sleeve, which itself is in a black side-opening sleeve.

This sheet has been sold on eBay for at least £85, but also lower.  Our price is £27.50 plus postage: this is 240mm square so will have to be posted anywhere as a Large Letter.  Packaging will also make it heavier than a packet of stamps, but we will use collectable stamps and have them hand-cancelled at the PO counter.

2.  The £5 blue Accession Anniversary stamp was available in only a few post offices so collectors were unexpectedly unable to create their own first day covers.  We have one copy left, with the Buckingham Palace pictorial postmark at £9.50 plus p and p.

3.  The Europhilex Limited Edition Penny Black Miniature Sheet Pack
This was Royal Mail's first recent foray into postally valid exhibitions souvenirs, intended to encourage attendance at the 2015 show.  Whether or not there were any left to be destroyed at the end of the show, it was in short supply away from London and rapidly climbed in price.  We have one left, priced at just £20.

4. Still on Europhilex, we have one first day cover with the new Machin Horizon label.  This is on the webshop at £19.95 but we are offering it here at £15, subject unsold.

5.  2016 World War I Presentation Pack Error.  Embarrasingly Royal Mail didn't notice that the name of the PO Rifles Victoria Cross winner was wrong in the presentation pack, where he was named Albert Knight instead of Alfred Knight.  Packs with the error reached the lofty heights of £180+ on eBay before settling to more sensible figures, but some dealer price lists still show 'POR', and Packs and Cards list it at £120.

The pack contains the set of 6 and the miniature sheet and set of 6 stamps.  Our price is £75 for the error or £85 for both error and reprint, plus postage and packing.

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Royal Mail 2017 stamp programme announced - plenty of Machins

As promised, Royal Mail have now released their 2017 programme and many lucky people have already received the January Philatelic Bulletin.  On the back page is a list of 2017 issues (see left), and a selection of pictures which may or may not be used for stamps - no promises given that one of them shows a 2015 post and go stamp!


The programme (updates highlighted in yellow,):

17 January	Ancient Britain
6 February	65th Anniversary of the Accession - £5 Machin definitive We're told that Tallents House customers with regular orders will NOT get this stamp unless they have high value definitives as part of their regular order.
15 February	Windsor Castle set and miniature sheet PSB* and retail booklet
15 February	Post and Go Postal Heritage: Mail by Rail
14 March	Music Giants - David Bowie
end March	New Tariff Machin and Country Definitives
6 April	Racehorse Legends
4 May	Songbirds
24 May	Exhibition Generic Stamp Sheet Finlandia
5 June	Machin Anniversary including PSB
5 June	New Style Machin Anniversary Post and Go 1967-2017
20 June	Windmills and Watermills
13 July	Landmark Buildings
31 July	World War I including PSB
22 August	Classic Toys
13 September	Post and Go Royal Mail Heritage: Air Mail
13 September	Postal Museum Opening stamp sheet (Generic/Commem?)
14 September	Ladybird books
20 October	To be advised
7 November	Christmas
16 November	Lunar New Year of the Dog
20 November	To be advised

* The four panes in the Windsor Castle PSB contain
a. 2x 1st (external) and 2x £1.52 (internal) views
b. single 1st (external) and single £1.52 (internal) views
c. Eight Machin definitives: 2 x 2p, 2 x 10p, 3 x 1st class, 1 x £1.05, so only one set - again!
c. Eight Machin definitives coded MCIL M16L: 2 x 2p (new), 3 x 1st class deep scarlet (new), and 2 x 10p and a single £1.05 as already issued in Beatrix Potter PSB.  So TWO sets of the new stamps. 
d. 4 stamps from miniature sheet in different positions
The retail booklet contains 1st class deep scarlet Machins coded M17L MCIL

Post and Go News for 2017 from the January Philatelic Bulletin
a. More Enquiry Office machines countrywide from April
b. More static sites
c. Exhibition programme

Spring Stampex 15-18 February
Scottish Congress Perth 21-22 April
MIDPEX Warwickshire Exhib Centre 8 July
Autumn Stampex 13-16 September

Confirmation of 2016 developments which impact on 2017: Pictorial stamps used in Enquiry Offices in parallel with those at Post Office SSKs, new labels introduced at PO SSK machines for parcel/packet barcoding, 'Post a Parcel' tested at the party political conferences - although it is unclear how much of a test this was given the limited access: one can imagine only those who actually wanted to post a parcel from the conference would actually do so whereas collectors with access would have tested it anyway!

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Important Announcement from Royal Mail regarding World War I stamp issue error

Readers may have already read the comment on the blog posted this morning:

Just to let everyone know I have just spoken to Tallents House and they told me that the 1st World War issue will be delayed by up to 8 weeks caused by a printing error. They could not tell me if the 2nd 90th Birthday booklet due to be issued with it will also be withheld. More bad news from Edinburgh.

This comment was made in good faith, and the information was provided by Customer Services in Tallents House in good faith, but there is no printing error as such.

Royal Mail have confirmed to me that:

- the stamps, miniature sheet, PSB, and first day envelope - which are already with dealers and Post Office branches are correct in every way.

- the date of issue remains 21 June, next Tuesday and all first day and other special handstamps will be applied to first day covers sent to special handstamp centres.

- a minor production issue has affected some products not mentioned above, and this will have to be corrected.  Consequently the distribution of these stamps to Tallents House ordinary customers, and casual buyers will be split, with the products mentioned being distributed as normal (ie on or for Tuesday 21 June).  The distribution of the affected products only will be delayed by up to 8 weeks.

I am assuming that the second Queen's Birthday Retail Booklet, which somebody said was being distributed at the same time as WWI, will form part of the first distribution.

UPDATE 21st
1. Reports from all quarters say that PO Ltd have told their branches not to sell the Presentation Pack OR the miniature sheet.  Seeking clarification from Royal Mail. 
     Clearly a misunderstanding between POHQ and branches, and possibly RMHQ and POHQ, not helped by the fact that the miniature sheet appears not to have been in the PO Horizon System this morning. 
     Despite that some people have managed to buy all mint stamp products with no problem. 

2.  This is the letter sent from Tallents House to standing collector account holders re the items which would be delayed.

As is always the case, RM Special Handstamp Centres will accept covers for processing when they are eventually sent, ie in a couple of months' time.


However, the Trade has not been told to hold back on distribution of serviced Royal Mail FDC.


UPDATE 22 June:
This is the notice that was sent to Post Offices on Monday.  The layout could cause confusion and may be the reason that some offices decided that the Miniature Sheet could not be sold.  But anybody who read the whole instruction would have got it right.  Of course it doesn't help that the product codes are not on the actual products, otherwise there might have been less confusion.

1. It states three items.
2. It shows which items they are - and most offices do not get any stock of the first two.
3. The last line shows that 'all other products supplied should be sold as normal'.
4. There is no mention of the blank first day envelope, which has the same insert as the souvenir products, and so the same error!

But if you don't get right to the end, the eye will settle on 'Mini Sheet' and 'Pres Packs'.  The notice may (or may not!) be easier to read on the Horizon screen, but the way it translates to the paper makes it open to misinterpretation. 

Meanwhile, as indicated in the comments, dealers are happily selling both the pack and the first day covers, because we have not been asked not to.

UPDATE 23 June
I had the opportunity to ask my village postmaster (who wasn't on an Outreach this morning) what he thought of the notice above.   He looked at it again and said, "I didn't understand it... I don't know what these things are, so I took everything off sale."  He said that it seemed clear that the Mini-sheet (and hence the Presentation Pack) were wrong.   I explained what the 'souvenir' items were - things which he didn't get anyway - and told him what he was able to sell.  He shrugged and said that for the time being they can stay in the safe!

16:00  Latest update from Post Office is a new instruction to make sure the things which should be on sale are on sale: 

UPDATE 7 July
I remember when a certain south of England company used to 'tip' certain stamps as being 'hot' and worth much more than the catalogue value, and urged people to buy now, and later making good buying offers for the same stamps.  A few years later the advertising referred back to those adverts with messages on the lines of "did you listen to us when we said...." and now the catalogue value had gone up much more.

Well, popular as this blog is it seems there are many people who don't read it - or they think that the demand for the Presentation Pack with the error will far outstrip supply.  Top achieved price seen so far is £175, although a current eBay auction has over a day to go and the bidding has already reached £182.   And the dealer who made the four highest prices shown here didn't even mention the error!

UPDATE 8 July
Whilst we have been told of a couple of possible causes for the reprint, I have refrained from writing about them in case (a) Royal Mail haven't found them (b) these are not the cause of the reprint.

In an unexpected email this week I was told that a first day cover had been purchased through eBay which showed a corrected version of what we regard as the most likely reason for the reprint.  According to the seller, this cover was purchased from a PO on 21 June and then serviced in the normal way.  The card insert has the what we think is correct text; mine have the wrong text.

I don't think it possible that both error and correct cards were printed at the same time in the same master sheet. Unlike old stamps, where each would be a separate cliche and each could be different, presentation pack carriers and FDC insert cards are printed in sheets, the plate for which is generated by what we used to call 'step-and-repeat': in other words each one is exactly the same unless an extraneous matter intervened.

This suggests that the error was spotted by Royal Mail early enough for a reprint of the FDC insert to be arranged well before distribution to POs, and it may well be that the supplies which went to POs were correct.   Only later did RM realise that the same text was on the pack carrier, which would have to be reprinted as well, and they took the opportunity to prevent the sale of these at Post Offices.  (Hence POs were told not to sell them - although some did.)

UPDATE 9 AUGUST 2016
Just for the record, although many people will know the reason for the reprint by now, here are the wrong and corrected versions of the presentation pack carrier card for the miniature sheet.  The original wrongly identifies the well-known Post Office Rifles VC recipient as Albert Knight instead of Alfred Knight (as shown in the 2006 Victoria X Prestige Book!)

Keywords: royal mail, presentation pack, world war I, error, first day cover.

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2016 WWI Stamps include MS and PSB, but no Machin definitives

Some collectors will be disappointed, and some will be pleased that their pocket will not be raided on this occasion as Royal Mail's mid-way commemoration of the Great War is revealed.  As usual there are six stamps and a prestige stamp book, but this year also a miniature sheet, marking the contribution of the Post Office Rifles.

The stamps of the miniature sheet (above) are also included in the PSB (below), so there will be plenty of additions to the catalogue and pre-printed albums will have space for these.

The national flag (and Northern Ireland's fields) get another run out, and the gummed definitive-sized poppy gets another airing which - depending on phosphor, shade, etc - may mean that this pane does not create any new stamps.   Time will tell. 

Full detail of the designs, and pictures of the set of 6 can be found on our website.  Special postmarks are in Royal Mail's Postmark Bulletin available for free download.

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ANZAC Commemorative Stamp Sheet and Generic Smiler Sheet for New York 2016

Royal Mail have issued pictures of the next Commemorative Sheet and Exhibition Smilers Sheet.

The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) was a First World War army corps of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force that was formed in Egypt in 1915 and operated during the Battle of Gallipoli. General William Birdwood commanded the corps, which comprised troops from the First Australian Imperial Force and 1st New Zealand Expeditionary Force. The corps was disbanded in 1916 following the Allied evacuation of the Gallipoli peninsula and the formation of I Anzac Corps and II Anzac Corps.

The sheet recognises the role played by Anzac troops in WWI on the Centenary of the first official ANZAC day which was first observed in Australia in 1916.  The 1st class Poppy stamps are attached to 10 different labels depicting various aspects of the Anzac regiments.

Price £14.95  Royal Mail product code AV042

These special postmarks have been announced for this sheet, available from the London (13796) and Cardiff (13802) Special Handstamp Centres (updated 5 April 2016).

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The World Stamp Show NY2016 will take place in New York City from 28 May to 4 June 2016.  Royal Mail will be present and will issue an exhibition generic sheet on the opening day.  Following the style of previous exhibiton generic sheets it contains 20 x 1st class Hello stamps with images of New York on the attached labels.  Unusually the labels in the first column form a composite picture with the Statue of Liberty (emblem of the show) pictured.  The self-adhesive sheet is printed by International Security Printers (Cartor) in Litho.  The price is £13.30.

Royal Mail's Post and Go machines will also be at the show selling, among others, the New York skyline stamp from a single-design roll.

UPDATE 16 May: Postmarks available (in the UK) coinciding with the New York show:

The Broadway postmark (13827) is available from Midland Special Handstamp Centre, and the Lincoln one (13830) from Northern Special Handstamp Centre.

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