DUCK!!! - Flock of 10 landing on 11 September 2025

These stamps have quite attractive photographs and the set includes a mix of 2nd and 1st class stamps which will please letter writers across the country - as well as those collectors who are still buying everything that Royal Mail churns out.

But why?  This is a continuation of the Animals and Nature series - but we had Garden WIldlife in March, and Mushrooms in July.  At this rate can we expect Royal Mail to be issuing as many stamps as their fulfilment services in Duxford and Edinburgh, and the printers, can cope with?

I've delayed so far and I must now quote to you Royal Mail's justification for this set - aside from the fact that they know collectors will but them there are, apparently a lot of influencers out there videoing ducks - I kid you not!

Reason (slightly edited)

Royal Mail are excited to reveal a set of 10 stamps celebrating the UK species of ducks. Of over 120 duck species globally, 22 are found in the UK, inhabiting our rivers, wetlands, coasts, and estuaries.

Ducks have become surprisingly collectible (albeit mostly the rubber variety!) and are now a full-blown TikTok sensation with adorable ducks waddling through kitchens to pet ducks splashing in bath tubs, the hashtag #ducks has racked up hundreds of thousands of posts and millions of views.

With these stamps we extend our animals and nature series of issues, with a set of ten stamps featuring many of the popular breeds found in the UK both in flight and in their natural environment.

The stamps

Set of 5 x 2nd class and 5 x 1st class stamps featuring British ducks issued 11 September 2025.

2nd Class: Goosander, Indian Runner, Mallard Duckling, Mandarin and Call.

1st Class: Aylesbury, Pintail, Silver Appleyard, Shelduck, and Eider.

Now I know it's fine to show both male and female of the species, but the male eider is one of the most distinctive ducks in the country.  Not just for its call but for its striking plumage of black and white, with green patches and a pink lower breast.  (What other bird has this colour green?)  Seen widely but especially on the east coast from Aberdeenshire to Northumberland this is one you couldn't fail to identify - once seen never forgottne.  But not the female on the stamp which, from a distance, looks much like many other female ducks.

 Male eider duck pictured in a harbour on Aberdeenshire's north coast.

Technical details and acknowledgements

The 37 x 35 mm stamps are printed in two sheets of 50 in litho with ordinary gum by Cartor Security Printers, perf 14½ x 14.   Design was by Michael O'Shea and copyright Royal Mail Group Ltd 2025.

Collectors Sheet

A collectors sheet consisting of the 10 stamps in the set with accompanying labels of ducks in their natural habitat. The stamps and labels are set with the lower border showing a female Goosander carrying her chicks.
Note: The Collector Sheet is printed on self-adhesive paper so these stamps are a print variety.

Sheet containing  5 x 2nd class and 5 x 1st class stamps featuring British ducks
issued 11 September 2025.

Products available 

Set of 10 stamps, first day cover, presentation pack, collectors sheet, framed set, framed sheet.

 

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River Wildlife - 2nd class special stamps in abundance - 13 July 2023

Although for many years Royal Mail have said that they don't want to give the wrong impression by using 2nd class stamps to commemorate any person or event, it  doesn't seem unreasonable that some of the many thematic sets which commemorate nothing should at least include 2nd class stamps.

The Blackadder set in May this year did include a pair of 2nd class stamps, but the River Wildlife issue is the first to have 10 stamps divided equally between 2nd and 1st class.  This means the cost is only £9.25 rather than £11 for 10 x 1st class.

Royal Mail included this in their reason for this issue.

Rivers are among the most spectacular of all UK ecosystems, carving pathways through our history, shaping our landscapes and supplying our water. 

They feature a remarkable diversity of plants and animals, either adapted to live beneath the water surface or in closely associated habitats to which rivers bring critical life support. But, without protection, river wildlife faces a range of risks.

All very well.  But that's it.  The presentation pack "showcases the spectacular ecosystem of rivers and explores the habitat diversity, while the outer of the pack goes into more detail about each animal. Written by Professor Steve Ormerod a professor of ecology and former Chair of the RSPB Council".

So unless Prof Ormerod has space in the pack to highlight the threats to each of the species shown, this is in reality just a series of attractive photographs!

Stamps are, at the time of writing, available for pre-order on Royal Mail's shop.

So on to  The Stamps

Set of 10 River Wildlife stamps (5 each 2nd & 1st class) issued 13 July 2023

 

UPDATE 14 July - the 1st class stamps have a single central phosphor band, the same as the 2nd class, in error.   So far no 'correct' ones have been reported.

Update 19 July - reprint due!

I've received this communication from Royal Mail Stamps & Collectibles:

Due to a technical error in the printing of our River Wildlife Special Stamp issue, some of the 1^st Class stamps in the set may be processed as 2^nd Class stamps. We have removed the affected products from sale and apologise to any of our customers who have been affected.

We are  currently setting up a mechanism for customers who have purchased 1st Class stamps in this issue, or products that include those 1^st Class stamps,  to exchange these for replacements free from technical errors.

Further information will be communicated in due course.

So I was wrong in doubting that there would be a reprint!

UPDATE 27 July. The 1st class stamps are once again on the Royal Mail wesbite.  The technical specification reads "bars as appropriate" - which it probably did before, but they might mean it this time!

2nd class: Beaver, Atlantic Salmon, Kingfisher, Beautiful Demoiselle, Water Vole
1st class:  Grey Wagtail, Common Mayfly, Otter, Brown Trout, Dipper

Technical Details and Acknowledgements

The stamps were designed by Studio Up, using photographs as detailed below, and printed by Cartor Security Printers in litho on paper with ordinary gum. The stamps are 41 x 30 mm, printed in two sheets of 50, in se-tenant strips of 5 as shown.

Beaver © David Chapman/Alamy Stock Photo; Atlantic Salmon © Keith Ringland/Alamy Stock Photo; Kingfisher © Wild Birds, Alius lmago/Alamy Stock Photo; Beautiful Demoiselle © PjrNature/Alamy Stock Photo; Water Vole © Terry Whittaker/naturepl.com; Grey Wagtail © Gavin Rowley/Alamy Stock Photo; Common Mayfly © Paul Young/Alamy Stock Photo; Otter © Dave Vowden/Alamy Stock Photo; Brown Trout © Paul Colley/Getty Images; Dipper © Andy Rouse/2020VISION/naturepl.com

Products available

Set of 10 stamps, first day cover,, postcards, presentation pack, collector sheet, framed set and sheet.

Collector Sheet

The sheet, costing £10.45, predicatbly includes all 10 River Wildlife stamps, printed on self-adhesive paper making 10 different stamps to those available at Post Office branches.  The stamps are printed with similar images on the se-tenant labels.  Although the labels are slightly larger and do not have the King's head or value, they are similar enough to stand a good chance of passing for stamps!  

Collector sheet of 10 River Wildlife stamps alongside labels showing similar images.

The Framed set and sheet are priced at £34.99 each.

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First Post and Go Stamps Illustrator, Robert Gillmor, dies at the age of 85.

The death has been announced of Robert Gillmor MBE, one of the country's most popular and respected bird artists, aged 85.

Robert Gillmor at his North Norfolk studio overlooking Cley Marshes (Photo: John Walden)

 

He is best known to the stamp world as the illustrator for Royal Mail's first pictorial Post and Go Stamps, then known as Faststamps issued in September 2010, which depicted garden birds.  This first set of 6 was followed by more Garden Birds, Water Birds, and Sea Birds.

He was also responsible for the 2012 Farm Animals (Sheep, Pigs, Cattle) and 2015 Fur & Feathers series of Post and Go stamps.

Before that he produced designs for the local carriage labels of the Summer Isles, off the coast of Scotland.  

Six 'stamps' from the (Scottish) Summer Isles depicting birds often seen in the area of the western isles: Arctic Tern, Red-breasted Merganser, Gannets, Barnacle Geese, Heron and Gold Eagle.

But he was known for much more than stamps: the first publication containing one of his works appeared when he was still in his teens.  Many obituaries have been published, including this one in The Guardian.

A more personal comment appears in John Cooper's blog "Britain is no country for old men" (a quote from W B Yeats).

Robert, who has died at the age of 85, was a highly regarded by ornithologists throughout the world for his illustrations in numerous books, especially those on bird behaviour. He drew from life and his many hours of observation were reflected in the quality of his final prints, in which he captured the essence of the birds, using his brilliant draughtsmanship and beautiful compositions. From an early age, the Quaker blend of humility and a celebration of life, shone through all his work.

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When Mark Avery asked Robert : "How many individual pieces of bird art have you produced?" as part of his interview for inclusion for his 2015 publication, 'Behind the Binoculars', Robert replied : "I haven’t the faintest idea!  There would be several thousand drawings altogether and then all the paintings.  All the calendars – I did calendars for over thirty years and latterly there were two calendars a year, needing twenty-four paintings, so those add up". In recognition of his work, in 2020 Robert received the 'SWLA Outstanding Contribution to Art & Nature Award'.

 

When the Norfolk & Norwich Philatelic Society commemorated its centenary in autumn 2011, the project leader compiled a book of Norfolk Posts & Personalities (still available here!) which included as many stamps associated with Norfolk, and Norfolk-related stories about stamps as he could find. 

Robert was kind enough to be interviewed, and to have photographs taken for publication in this book. He also loaned some of the original artwork for our exhibition, which he attended, signing his latest book of bird illustrations, and our souvenir covers (and some past first day covers). A charming man, and I am pleased to have a complete set of 4 of the Post and Go birds first day covers signed by him - probably unique.

Detail from signed commemorative cover, 2011.

He said, "It is a delightful thought that my stamps will appear on people's letters and packets using the very latest technology, especially as my artwork was created using a 150-year-old printing press.".

UPDATE: My fellow-blogger WhiteKnight shows on a recent post (Commonwealth Stamps Opionion) some stamps designed by Robert in 1972 for the Seychelles.

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Latest maximum card

There is not a great deal happening at present until the pre-release images of the Cats stamps break the embargo and are shown elsewhere!

So here is my latest maximum card, the only one I produced from the Migratory Birds set.  I didn't have time to search for or buy other subject cards.  

The card design is by Robert Gillmor who produced the designs for Royal Mail's Post and Go Birds stamps and others.

1st class stamp illustrated by Killian Mullarney. Postmark Nightjar Close, Poole.

Nightjar maximum card, Migratory Birds stamps, 7 April 2022 with Poole pictorial postmark.

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Blog access fixed, Website update, New stamps, and more postal forgeries.

Hope everybody had a good Easter break.  I've had trouble again with the software used to upload files to the website.  Every time Apple releases a new version of the Mac operating system the transfer software fails and a new version has to be created.  There is often a few days' delay while this is done. 

You have probably noticed (or maybe not) increasing use of secure websites even for information-only pages.  This is partly because Google and other search engines are giving priority to sites which have secure (https://) access over those which only have http://.  For our main website this matters little, apart from dumping us way down search engine results compared with where we used to be when we were allowed (by Royal Mail) to publish news rather than acknowledge their new stamp issues.

I recently changed the set-up for the blog (which is powered by Google) which meant that some bookmarks did not work, and there was no feed to our website.  That's now been fixed with a new version of the feed link, so if you are on our home page you can see if there is anything new here.

Update: I've been told that the new feed has links only on the individual entries not on the blog title, meaning that to see other posts you have to click on 'next' or 'older posts'. While I work out how to change this, there is a workaround.  Once you get to any blog post, if you click on the blog title "Norvic Philatelics Blog" at the head of the page, it will then refresh to show a page-full of blog, starting with the most recent post.

Website update
And if you go there, you will see that there are now new pages showing good resolution images of the Reintroduced Species stamps out next week on 17 April, and the 10 x 1st class stamps showing adult and juvenile Owls to be issued on 11 May.

It would have been better if those had been issued in March, but of course with the Centenary of the RAF celebrated on 1 April, the stamps had to be issued around then - so why not on March 28th, perhaps, with the new rates so that they would at least see some postal use after people were made aware of the anniversary.  They could have been advertised during the tv programmes!

Forged stamps
Roughly once a week I get emailed by either recipients of surcharged mail, or people who have bought stamps on eBay to use, and are suspicious.  Most of the recent enquiries I have been able to identify positively from the images sent.  The latest batch of 1st class Large business sheet stamps has two glaring errors: no source or date code, and a bar-code in red instead of blue.

Many modern forgeries are difficult to pick up from photos and almost impossible from scans.  But all red stamps must have dates from 2012 or later.  If no year code, then they smell - and not of rats, but if powerful chemicals used in the printing process.  The picture alongside was taken from an eBay listing, so I could even see that it was 'wrong' without buying it!

Royal Mail know who is selling these, but I suspect they want to trace the supply route back at least part way to its source.  Whatever happens, the consumer ends up paying, either with a surcharge or with higher postage rates than there needs to be.

A reminder that Gibbons are changing almost all the U-numbers for security Machins in the next edition of their Concise catalogue.  The next edition of our checklist will show the new numbers alongside the old; I'm just working out how we can do that without turning the pages to landscape!  Meanwhile any dealers who would like to know the new numbers please contact me asap, because...

Holiday
As I mentioned at the end of March, our shop is now closed temporarily giving time for some packing and a short break.  (Yes much shorter than the long one!)  There may be some new Machin definitives while we are away; but we know that the 2nd class books of 12 with February 2018 packing dates still contain M17L stamps, so there is no sight yet of any M18L other than those we know about already.  We'll be back after the Mayday holiday, but may have access to allow comments through while we are away.

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Royal Mail uses blog to publicise a few 2017 stamp issues

I mentioned in mid-December how dealers who are not cover producers are restricted from doing any form of publicity about new issues until Royal Mail's own publicity machine has crawled into action.  But they don't tell us when they start, so using Google news alerts and watching other blogs I can now add to the information already supplied.

The Windsor Express reports not only on the set of 10 Windsor Castle stamps that will be issued next month but continues,

As part of the Royal Mail’s Special Stamp Programme, which this year is showcasing the

‘Best of British’, April will include 1989 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Desert Orchid as part of a Racehorse Legends package.

May’s theme will be Songbirds, while July will feature Landmark Buildings as well as commemorating the First World War.

Of course when those 'Landmark Buildings' are revealed we can expect the local press to be alerted to pick up on that news.  No such pre-issue publicity has appeared yet for the Ancient Britain stamps to be issued on 17th of this month.  Doubtless the press release will be sent out for publication the day before.

Meanwhile the Machin Mania blog, not bound by the same contractual restrictions that I have, has copied the new £5 definitive from a first day cover website.  As you can see, this is not the final version but a pre-issue publicity picture. The actual stamp will have iridescent security printing, and probably security cuts in case one gets sent through the post, by-passes cancellation in Royal Mail's high-speed but hit-and-miss mail centres, and the recipient is tempted to use it on a parcel of their own!  
    But it's not very original is it? Even the font used for the £ sign is the same as the 1977 version.
UPDATE 13 January.
I'm reminded by Peter (see comments) that Royal Mail customers with regular orders from Tallents House will NOT get the £5 Accession stamp unless they have high value definitives as part of their regular issue.- Thank you Peter.

Meanwhile the Commonwealth Stamps Opinion blog publishes the programme in full, and even fills in the November 20th issue as "Platinum wedding anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II and The Duke Of Edinburgh".  I suppose that wasn't too difficult to work out, was it?

Finally, I was pleased to see that at last Royal Mail have their own blog!  To be strictly honest it started last August with an article about Postboxes and Anthony Trollope, and has had articles about
Star Wars, Beatrix Potter, and so on.  But unfortunately there is no interaction: you can click the Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and email icons, but not comment or ask a question.
       Which rather suggests that they don't actually want you to ask questions, nor do they want to know what you think about their stamp issues which is a pity.  Fortunately some of them read the philatelic press and several blogs.  The Desert Orchid stamp from their blog is shown above, and the wren from the Songbirds set is show here.  I don't know who the artist is, but it is an attractive work (you can probably see it larger if you click on this image) and it is good to have art instead of library or even commissioned photos.  (Is there any point in paying for a bird photo to be taken when so many good ones already exist?)

Update:
As mentioned by a reader, The Racing Post, Betfair, and others give more details about the Racehorse stamps:

Eight horses - four Flat and four jumps - from the past six decades will be honoured with an original-artwork stamp. Desert Orchid's portrays him en route to winning in the 1989 Cheltenham Gold Cup, while his career highlights also included four King George triumphs.

So, that's the round up of news from other sources.  The Windsor Castle and Mail by Rail stamps pages have been added to our website.

Happy New Year!

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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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This week's stamp news

Alice booklets slip-up

When ISP moved to new premises at Wolverhampton they were able to use their new Cerutti press for the Alice in Wonderland retail booklet.  Hopefully this will improve quality and reduce the registration errors that have been a feature of booklets over the last few years.

However, the early signs are not too good.   These two booklets were received in Holland from Royal Mail's Edinburgh Bureau, and as well as illustrating a nice miscut, they also pose some questions.

As you can see (click on the image to enlarge), the lower (miscut) booklet is missing part of the caption on the leading edge, and the magenta cylinder number is tight up to the edge.

As our correspondent wrote:
Note on top the trimline between books and also the outer ellipse at the right edge which has the same height as normal books. So this must be done after the books are trimmed from the large printing rolls.

However, even that situation is not as straightforward as it seems as these pictures show.

Firstly, the two booklets lined up so that the Alice stamps are in the same place.

Then, the booklets lined up as cut - in which the two cut-outs are close to being in the same place.  Lastly lined up so that the trim-line is level with the top of the correctly cut booklet.  Neither of these shows the cut-out in the same place, which suggests that some of the height is removed in the cutting process. 

Good luck to ISP, it will be interesting to see how they get on with other similar booklets.

UPDATE from somebody who has been to the new factory:
I don't think this type of error can be laid at the foot of the Cerutti printing press.

The press prints both side of the web in one operation and then rereels it back into a jumbo roll. This is a high speed process.  The operational web width is 800mm; with booklets being about 170mm one can get four columns (the Chesnut was two columns). The web isprobably slit into two working rolls on press. These jumbo rolls will thenbe put into store.

Subsequently, a working reel will be mounted onto the next machine (a slower speed process) that will do the die cutting; draw off the stamp matrix and then sheet the web into gangs of six or eight. Its only at this point in the production cycle cutting of the web occurs or further on. This part of the operation probably hasn't changed from the old site. 

The final phase will be to take the gangs and guillotine them into booklet form; fold them and pack them.

Old Birds Hang Out in Grimsby

When the Post and Go machines were affected by the March 2014 tariff change we published (and added to) details of the various sets which had been found around the country.  This included Birds 2 at Grimsby, stamps which were bought in early April.

At the time, and even last week when our round-up of the year was published, Birds 1 hadn't been found with the 60g values.  Issued in September 2010, to only a small number of offices, surely they must all have been used?  Well apparently not, as this set was also bought in early April 2014 and is currently available on eBay from seller 12pea.  Available for (up to) 30 days - yours for only £1,250.

 

Thanks to the people who told me about this.

UPDATE: At the York Stamp Fair I was shown 60g values from Harrogate. The date of production was not available.

Short-term error 'missing BPMA'

Sadly not on the stamps themselves but on the receipt.  This error occurred on 29 December and we think it was probably corrected quite quickly (I haven't seen any on eBay!).  The difference to the receipts results from the software change (machine reset) after the Winter Greenery issue was taken off sale.
 
But I notice also poor (or non-)wrapping of the details, on the earlier receipts with the description overrunning the quantity.

Thanks to Malcolm for what is probably quite a scarce error - and he didn't notice it until he got home!

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Jersey to post first pictorial Post and Go Faststamps

Jersey Post will issue Post and Go stamps featuring protected species stamps at Stampex.

First reported in Stamp Magazine, the stamps depict a puffin, agile frog, red squirrel, hedgehog, barn owl and green lizard and will be issued on 18 February.

UPDATE 12 January.
The stamps are now shown above.  As with UK stamps, all 6 designs may be obtained in all 6 'values", which with Jersey Post are:
 
Local Letter / Local Large / UK Letter / UK Large / Europe up to 20g / Intl Letter up to 20g

More details soon, meanwhile you can get a flavour of the designs by looking at Andrew Beckett's portfolio here. None of the designs to be used is on the website, however.

Information will also be at www.jerseystamps.com - but not yet.

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Post and Go Puzzles at Truro

When is a set not a set?  When the Post and Go machine dispenses something really strange!

I've been sent these photocopies from Truro, where Birds 3 was still available on 10 April 2014.  Truro is undergoing refurbishment in anticipation of NCR machines being installed, with little lighting and a skip near the front door!  This may have affected the power supply causing the time in these receipts to suggest that the office was open in the late evening (23:07 !)

The collector used three separate transactions to buy one Collectors Set, one set of 6 x Europe 60g, and one set of 6 x Worldwide 60g.

All went well with the first set - all 6 values, on all 6 birds - session 33082



Session 33083 dispensed 6 at Europe up to 60g

In this case the Mute Swan has flown, and an extra Great Crested Grebe stamp makes up the set, so Grebes are in position 01 and 06. (right)

Note that there is damage to the surface of stamp 06, with the Queens' head missing, and some damage above the back of the bird.   Currently rolls are sealed with a small piece of peelable label, which - with care - can be removed without damaging the surface of the stamp. But if this roll is the remainder of one part-used when originally issued it could have been taped closed with totally different tape.

But why was the Grebe where the Swan should be?  The most likely explanation is that the Swan was damaged and was replaced by a different stamp from the (new) beginning of the roll.

Worldwide up to 60g strip of 6 produced in session 33084

How, then, can we explain a similar occurrence on here in which the Mallard (next in sequence after the substituted Grebe) was substituted for another Swan?

And there is another puzzle with the Worldwide strip: the receipt states that some items could not be printed - yet they all were, AND the message at the foot of the receipt states that 1 set of Letter Worldwide was presented !

Unfortunately the collector was buying so many different stamps that he didn't have a chance to examine everything until he got home.  Only then did he see these anomalies!

And I have absolutely no doubt that the collector concerned was not involved in interfering with the roll to change the sequence before printing.

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Contents of Post and Go machines on change of tariff 2014

New postage rates will be introduced on 31 March 2014.  In Post and Go machines the Worldwide 10g and Worldwide 40g stamps will no longer be relevant and they will be replaced by Europe 60g and Worldwide 60g stamps.

The new 'values' or 'service indicators' are expected to be available on Machin head, Union Flag, and Spring Flowers stamps, but will also be available on previous issues where they remain in the machines.

If you find any of these I will be interested in obtaining stock of both new values, both for myself and for customers.  I still need Machin MA13, Union Flag MA13, Robin MA12, and all Freshwater Life.

Mock-ups of what we can expect

In order to keep track of which designs of Post and Go stamps are available this post is available for readers to record what has appeared, and where - and on which type of machine, as the NCR version is rolled-out through the country.  Mock-ups of what might be available

Some people have asked about FDCs for the new rates. Apart from the very first sets of brown which was sold in a pack of 5 values, and the first set of blue Machin heads, Royal Mail have only ever produced official FDCs for the designs, rather than the values.  However FDCs can be obtained by dealers and collectors.

Only on-topic comments will be published!

UPDATE 28 MARCH 2014
For both Wincor-Nixdorf and NCR Post and Go machines (and the BPMA machine) I have reliable information that the new stamps will be available from start of business.  A notice should tell customers wanting Worldwide 10g to buy Europe 20g.  At a later date the Worldwide 10g option will be reinstated under the 'post an item' menu.

See PostagelabelsUK blog.

UPDATE 10 April 2014

Apologies for not adding this earlier: I thought it had been done, but I now rectify the omission! Regarding the future value of obsolete Post and Go stamps Royal Mail have advised:

"Existing P&G stamps for WW 10g and WW40g and other previously issued NVI’s for which there is no current postage value e.g. WW Postcard, will continue to be valid for the next applicable weight step up from its stated value i.e. WW 10g stamp will be valid at the WW 20g value and the WW 40g stamp will be valid at the new WW 60g value."

I'm not sure of the position now that the basic Worldwide 10g and Postcard rates have been re-instated to the tariff.

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REPORT 31 MARCH 2014

Contrary to statements by some people who thought they knew something that Post Office Ltd and Royal Mail managers did not, the software changes for the new tariff were effected before the branches opened for business this morning.

Wincor-Nixdorf machines dispensed Europe 60g and Worldwide 60g stamps, and the Worldwide 10g and Worldwide 40g options were no longer available.  To cater for the restored world postcard and Worldwide 10g letter rate of 97p, a magnetic notice was affixed to the machine advising customers who wanted to post such items to choose the "Letter Europe (up to 20g) option" for a 97p stamp (see pictures).  Unfortunately the body of the machine is mainly plastic so the label placed on the red and white metal pictogram panel below the screen.  One unfortunate side-effect of the software change is that instead of dispensing up to 99 stamps the machine will now only take orders for up to 20, meaning far more transactions.  [However, it is still possible to purchase at least 5 x Collectors Sets of 6 in one transaction.  I regard the reduction as a fault and have reported it as it does produce longer queues.]

The IAR Machine at the BPMA produced Machin stamps with MA13 and Union Flag with no year code.

Reports from two NCR machine locations referred to software problems.  Apparently the machine displayed the 60g options, took the money, gave change and printed receipts but not stamps.  The fault was reported before noon and it is to be hoped that it will be rectified by tomorrow.  If it is, then 1 April will be the first day for NCR 60g stamps - unless anybody can tell me any differently ?
A second report was that when a 'Collectors Set' was selected, the 4 old stamp values were printed but the two 60g were not, so producing a strip of 4.

Contents of Machines

I'm grateful to the many correspondents who have phoned, left voicemail messages, and emailed, about what they have found in various machines from Truro to Glasgow and many points between.  I'll summarise this and put some more pictures up in this same blogpost later.

Meanwhile, here is a picture of a collectors set of the Spring Flowers from Norwich, demonstrating the small figures of value used for the two 60g stamps, compared with the others.  Also the weight line is inset compared with the Europe 20g but is in the same place as the Worldwide 20g.

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Table of contents as advised to 2 April.
Please see added comments for ongoing details of machine contents, 
which will only be shown here if they are new stamps to the list. 

Location	Contents	Comment
Norwich	Machin undated. Also Robin MA13 Spring Blooms	1 out of order
York	Machins in both.
Barnsley	Spring Blooms
Camden High Street	Cattle, Union Flag
Truro	Flags Birds 3	Birds 3 available on 31 March, only just reported.
Sutton (1 m/c)	Spring Flowers
Croydon (6 m/c)	#1,3,6 Flags no year code; #2 spring blooms;  #4 Machins no year code; #5 Robins MA13
Darlington	#1 Cattle; #2 had Flags on Saturday
Trafalgar Square	#1 Spring Blooms,   Rivers in all other machines
Aldwych	Machins (no year) in both
Old Street	Sheep; Flag (no year); Machin (no year)
Holborn	Machin (no year); Rivers 8 April update: Lakes
Baker Street	Rivers (both) 8 April update: Ponds
Paddington	Flag (no year)
Glasgow (branch?)	Pigs, Cattle
Harrogate	Sheep, Flags
Leeds	Birds 4, Pigs
Birmingham Pinfold St	2 out of order; most had Machins One: Flowers jammed, second flowers jammed, so replaced with Flag
Basildon WHS	Machin no year	(no magnet)
Southend-on-Sea	1. Spring Blooms; 2. Machin (no year)	(magnet)
Golders Green	Machin (no year)	(magnet) 'Newvision' on receipts
Blackfriars Bridge	Machin (no year)	(no magnet)
Cirencester (NCR)	Machin – Col Set of 4, no 60g
Stroud (NCR)	Machin – Col Set of 4, no 60g
Bristol	2 x Flags; 3 x Spring blooms	(machines labeled with contents)
Durham	Spring Flowers; Robins MA12
Plymouth	Machins (no year)	All 3 machines
Macclesfield	Spring Blooms (1st and 2nd)	-
Manchester (Spring Gardens)	Machins in 2 m/c)	One machine not working
Sydenham (NCR)	Machins (1st and 2nd)	All working well Tuesday 1 April with upgrade.
Grimsby	Birds 2	Seen on eBay 20 April, with April purchase date (see below)

Images from Norwich and supplied by readers. (Click on each for larger images)

Norwich

BPMA

Old Street, London, Sheep

Trafalgar Square/William IV Street Rivers

Old Street Flags

Durham Silver Street

Glasgow St Vincent Street
Pigs and Cattle

Harrogate Sheep

Leeds Birds 4

Spotted on eBay (not bought on 31 March but in April)
Birds 2 from Grimsby

And lastly, Lakes and Ponds from Paignton (update 15 May)

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