May slogans and other interesting postal markings

May's slogan postmarks continued from April with the Coronation commemoration, which lasts until 9th May (probably: although Royal mail say 10th they usually mean the delivery date).

May's slogan postmarks will be shown here; please check for latest updates before spending your time scanning, but if you have something new or another format, then please do send it in for publication. 

My thanks to JE who sent this example of the Coronation slogan used on The Day at Manchester.

Coronation slogan postmark Manchester Mail Centre 06/05/2023

UPDATE 17 August

I've been sent several other May examples, most of which are the same layouts as the April ones, but this reverse layout from Birmingham Mail Centre (probably on a square envelope) seems to be from May but it isn't clear.

Coronation slogan postmark, reverse layout, Birmingham Mail Centre 09/05/2023

Coronation slogan postmark Peterborough Mail Centre 09-05-2023

A reader suggested that there might be a Eurovision slogan, but I understand that this will not be the case. It seems a shame, but maybe there are rights issues over the name.

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My thanks to a host of readers who sent scans of the next slogan which appeared from 13 May.

Mental Health
Awareness Week
15 - 21 May
#ToHelpMyAnxiety

Examples from Swindon on 13-05-2023, and in the other format from Nottingham Mail Centre and North & West Yorkshire (Leeds) 13/05/2023, Gatwick Mail Centre 15/05/2023, Cumbria Dumfries & Galloway (Carlisle) and Chester & N Wales 17/05/2023.  Only the better examples are shown here.

Mental Health Awareness Week - Swindon Mail Centre 13-05-2023

Mental Health Awareness Week - Chester & N Wales 17/05/2023

Mental Health Awareness Week - North & West Yorkshire 13/05/2023

Thanks to OT, MM, JE, JH, and RW.

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My thanks to RW who has sent this example of the default British Heart Foundation slogan, the first use reported in May.  South East Anglia (Chelmsford Mail Centre) 25/05/2023

BHF slogan from South East Anglia Mail Centre 25/05/2023

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Other postmarks, postal markings etc,

On the subject of the Coronation a couple of people have sent pictures of the Postage Paid Impression used by Isle of Man Stamps on some of their recent mailshots.  This features one of the stamps from their Accession set which you can see on the Commonwealth Stamps Opinion blog.  It was issued on 3 April.

Isle of Man Coronation mailshot with printed stamp from the Accession of King Charles III set.

If you have any other interesting postal markings, please send them to one of the email addresses in the top right of this blog.  Thank you.

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I was very pleased to find many post office branches in Cornwall last week, especially in small communities.  A big advantage of this is that post is collected at least in the afternoon, often as late as 5pm.  This is very useful if you are writing postcards to friends and relatives.  There is a chance that they may reach the addressee before you get home!

Remember, all postmarks appearing in May will be added to this post, so check here before you spend time scanning and emailing.  I'll add new ones as quickly as possible.

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KIng Charles II Coronation: Royal Mail decorates four postboxes, the public decorate others

Press Release 3 May 2023

Ahead of the Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla, Royal Mail has unveiled four special postboxes across the UK. The postboxes display the occasion’s official emblem in celebration of The Coronation.

The postboxes are located across the UK in:

• Westminster, London: Abingdon Street (on the corner of Great College Street), SW1P 3JY
• Edinburgh: High Street, EH1 1SG
• Cardiff: St John’s Street, CF10 1GL
• Royal Hillsborough, County Down: Main Street, BT26 6AE

The Westminster postbox is situated very close to Westminster Abbey, where the Coronation is taking place on Saturday, 6 May.

Government Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said: “The Coronation of Charles III is going to be a huge historic moment for the UK and one that will be celebrated with a weekend packed with different ways for people to get involved.

"Our postboxes are recognised the world over as an iconic symbol of Britain and these four iconic unique Coronation postboxes will leave a lasting royal legacy in London, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Royal Hillsborough."

David Gold, Director of External Affairs & Policy at Royal Mail, said: “The Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla is a momentous occasion and one that will be celebrated across UK. We are proud to mark such a historic event and to offer our warmest congratulations to the King and Queen”.

Double postbox in Westminster, London, decorated for the Coronation.

Postbox in Hillsborough, Belfast, decorated for the Coronation.

Postbox in Cardiff decorated for the Coronation.
Uproar over coronation postbox unveiled outside Owain Glyndŵr pub

Unofficial Box toppers made by 'yarn-bombers' around the country

From the top: Chesterfield, Edinburgh, Felixstowe, Gateshead, unknown, Cheadle.

Thanks for the Cheadle picture to AW; all other pictures from Twitter.  I'll not be posting any more as there are limits to just how many images Google will allow to be posted on blogs, and I am at 85% of that!

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Errors appear on Stampex Faststamps

Once again some errors occurred on the Post and Go machines at Stampex last week.  The pictures show two strips which were bought on the first day. A collector (who wants to stay anonymous) was lucky to get them.

I believe this machine (A2) was operating on a different IT network to A3 and A4 there were some difficulties; whether or not those contributed to this error, I don't know.  Thanks to VP (who didn't buy them) for the photos.

Details of the Faststamps available at Autumn Stampex (18-21 September)

At last we have definitive information about the Post and Go output at Autumn Stampex, which runs from 18-21 September 2013.

The Union Flag stamp with year code MA13 will be available with The Coronation 60th Anniversary inscription.

The Machin with year code MA13 will be available with no added inscription.

From 20 September the Freshwater Life: Rivers set will be available

All will be available in strips of 6 x 1st class, Collectors strips of 6 (one of each value), and relevant only to the Rivers set, Collectors sets of 36, being a strip of each value covering each of the designs.

The detail we have been given refers only to those stamps available for us to pre-order - I think these may also be available over the counter.

From 18th, machine B1 will have the Union Flag Coronation stamp and machine B2 will have the Machin.
From 20th, machine B1 will have the Rivers stamps, while the Union Flag will switch to machine B2.

We do not have details of which stamps will be in which public-access machines on which days.

We can accept no more orders for these stamps
We may have some stocks - especially of single 1st class Flag and Machin stamps and some FDCs after Stampex.  These will be on our shop and advertised here.

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Post and Go stamps (Faststamps) news round-up

A number of people sent information and images during and immediately after Spring Stampex and the Salisbury Stamp Fair, but it seemed sensible to wrap the news into one consolidating news item rather than scatter them in daily posts.

The first Stampex report is here.  This shows the 2nd class and Machin Coronation stamps and receipts, and a photo of the Smilers sheet.

These are the Pond Life stamps from the Presentation Pack, Stampex Hytech machine, and Trafalgar Square PO's Wincor-Nixdorf. (Click on any for larger images):

The presentation pack was printed using unit C2 and retained the indented second row of text. Stampex had kiosks A2-A4 with the second row of text as normal.

The Coronation overprint exists in two forms, as did the Diamond Jubilee; oddly these are both from machine B1, the later one (on the left) showing a more balanced alignment of the commemorative lines.  Now all we need is for the standard service indicators to show some balance.  You'll note that the 'Worldwide' line seems to be inset from the weight indicators all the time.

As previously mentioned the option exists on the Exhibition Hytech machines to pay for a half-sheet of 10 Smilers stamps.  Here are some images of the screen displays, the printer and a sheet showing a Hytech screen shot.

Thanks to John McC, Malcolm B and others for new images here.

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Salisbury Stamp Fair.
Most of the detail is shown on Brian Sinott's postagelabelsuk blog but here are some of his pictures.  The Machine set-up at Salisbury, and a Smilers Sheet.  Although photographs of the customer are the norm, sometimes an alternative is a good idea.  I believe some alternative images were available on the Royal Mail iPad.

 

 

Brian also reports that some 2nd class Post & Go Faststamps sold at Stampex (identified by the coding at the foot) have appeared with a Salisbury Stamp Fair overprint, postmarked Southampton.  I have a good idea who might have produced these, but investigations are continuing.

UPDATE:
I discussed this with Allan Grant of Rushstamps earlier this afternoon but decided at the time to wait to see if anybody else had the same guess as I did ! Now that the story is also on another forum, we can tell you about it here.


Rushstamps purchased the labels at Stampex so that they could overprint them using a 100-year-old letterpress machine.  This was a deliberate decision once it was clear that the Faststamps sold at local events such as York, Midpex and Salisbury would not have overprints.

These were used on mailing out Rushstamps pricelists as promotion for the fair.  Remainders were used on ordinary mailings, which is why this piece has at least 3 or 4 examples.

No mint copies exist. Allan subsequently told the Royal Mail representative at Salisbury about the overprinting. Clearly RM Southampton revenue Protection is used to Rushstamps' mailings and didn't give them a second glance.  

No mint copies exist, and none have been available for sale.

Comment.
Although the overprinting of miniature sheet margins and 'Boots' sheetlets was accepted, these overprints are on actual stamps so it would not have been surprising if they were rejected by Royal Mail's revenue protection department as defaced stamps!

Salisbury a success!
I wasn't able to go to Salisbury but both dealers and collectors have heralded it as a huge success.  One of the organisers, Tony Hender of Arun Stamps, told me that the attendance was over 1,500 - about 1,000 on Friday and 500 on Saturday, so clearly some collectors had a day off work to be there for the early bargains.

Speaking to the Salisbury Journal, Tony said:

“There has been so much interest already shown,” he said. “Dealers came from across the country, and there is a significant need for the two-day event.

“It’s the biggest stamp show in the south of England, and based on today’s popularity we will hopefully have another show next year.”

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HM The Queen - 6 decades of Royal Portraits stamp issue

A set of special stamps will be issued on 30 May 2013, a few days before the 60th Anniversary of the Coronation.  The set celebrates six decades of Royal Portraits.  Details provided by Royal Mail are shown below.

Printed by Walsall Security Printers in gravure, in sheets of 25/50, perforation 14.
Stamp size 27 x 37mm; all-over phosphor except for 2nd class, single bar.

Acknowledgements.
2nd class study for The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II by Terence Cuneo, 1953 © Royal Collection Trust/All rights reserved;
78p portrait by Andrew Festing, 1999 © Royal Hospital Chelsea;
88p portrait by Pietro Annigoni, 1955, Camera Press London/The Bridgeman Art Library;
£1.28 portrait by Sergei Pavlenko, 2000 © The Drapers’ Company;
£1.88 Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Richard Stone, 1992 © Richard Stone (presented to Colchester Borough Council by the artist).

UPDATE 30 April
As many people suggested, it makes no sense to have a set of 5 stamps to celebrate 6 decades, and there is no 1st class stamp in the original set.  This is because the 1st class stamp uses a brand new portrait; the first Royal Mail has commissioned. The stamp, which is a detail of the portrait is shown here.

Pictures of the full portrait will be released at the end of May.

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Stampex Faststamps - and Smilers Sheet

Thanks to our readers we can show you the Faststamps output from Spring Stampex even better than if we were there ourselves!  Thanks to Chris, Brian, and John for these pictures. 

We don't have these yet, and most of our stock was pre-ordered by regular customers.  If we have stock for sale a link will be provided in the blog.

Second Class Machin

a. with receipt

b. From machine A2

c. From machine A3, with the pair from the Bureau Pack for comparison.  The second line of text is indented on the Bureau pack.  It still isn't centred below the first line, so it's unclear what the actual format is intended to be, if indeed there IS a 'right' way.  And the year code is MA12 in the line leading up to the Queen's forehead.

Coronation overprint, with receipt, and then 1st class from machines A3 and A4.

Receipt showing purchase of Faststamps and Stampex Smilers Sheet.

John writes: "All three kiosks offer the option for a special Stampex Smiler sheet. - Pay via kiosk then see staff member who takes your photo for addition to sheet using i-Pad which then downloads to colour printer. The process takes about a minute." This is probably using the Smilers App developed by IntelligentAR referred to in an earlier post.

We've also been sent a picture of part of the Sheet, which shows that the captured image is only applied to 9 labels, with the 10th having the Stampex logo.

(And no, there is no prize for identifying the 'first-in-the-queue' customer pictured!)

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More news about Stampex products

Royal Mail have updated the information previously provided about stamp issues and Faststamps available at Spring Stampex (20-23 February 2013) at the Business Design Centre Islington North London.

The 2nd class Faststamp will be available at Stampex from day 1 (20th) but roll-out to Post Office branches is not now expected until the summer. (Two 'values' - 2nd class, and 2nd class Large)

The Machin Faststamp will be available from 20th February with a new Stampex-only 'overprint' marking the 60th Anniversary of the Coronation. This will be available in the standard 6 values.

The Pond Life set will be issued on 22nd February.

As usual payment at the public vending machines will only be possible via Credit or Debit Card.  The machines will dispense singles, multiples, and collectors strips of 6 of the Coronation or Pond Life (or 2 for the 2nd class).

As usual other machines will be situated in the back office producing stamps to be sold 'over-the-counter', and dealers' pre-release orders.   Items sold over-the-counter can be paid for in cash or by card.  Single stamps will not be available over-the-counter, but collectors sets will be.

Our wesbite has been updated with special postmarks for the 2nd class and Pond Life faststamps and the Jane Austen issue.  Stampex postmark designs have yet to be published.

UPDATE 31 January:
I do sometimes wish that Royal Mail had an interactive blog where they could field the questions that are posed by this blog and the comments it brings !

2nd class Faststamp  -  Back in November I wrote:

A new Machin Faststamp will be available from Post & Go machines printed blue with one phosphor bar for 2nd Class. They will be issued on the first day of Stampex (20 February) and start to be rolled out to Post Office branches in March.  This means that they will first be available from Hytech machines (v2) and only later from Wincor-Nixdorf machines.

Further update for clarification: As 20 February is the first day of issue, the Bureau (Presentation) pack will be issued on that date!

In fact, we understand that the 2nd class stamps will only be installed in Hytech v2 machines, which (as previously reported) have two rolls of Faststamps and no Post and Go labels.  This suggests it will only happen in offices which have several Post and Go machines.

Also as previously stated the intention of Post Office Ltd was to roll out the extension to branches in March, which is now postponed until later in the summer.  This may be a software problem, it may be to do with the change in postal tariffs.  

I have also read elsewhere that the Packet rate is to be suplanted into a changed set-up for Parcels.  That isn't how I understood the information I read, but maybe the writer had a different source.  

And just to reiterate, there will NOT be 6 stamps in a collectors strip of 2nd class as there are only two stamps available. (Somebody asked, "why not 6 though?" - well would you want to be forced to buy three sets when you only wanted one?) 
 

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