Marshall Islands Queen's Diamond Jubilee Anniversary sheet of Machin definitives - two available!

I first mentioned this stamp issue from the Marhsall Islands back in 2012 not long after the blog started. 

Issued on 6 February 2012 the Marshall Islands miniature sheet marks the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II and contains 6 x $1.05 stamps each illustrated with a British Machin definitive.

The stamp illustrations show stamps in multiples of 10, the 10p orange brown, 20p bright green, 30p olive-green litho printing, 40p azure, 50p self-adhesive 2009 security issue, and 60p light emerald. All the illustrations are slightly larger than life-size and have a line through the face value.

I have now found three of these sheets and they are available at £6.50 each including UK postage. International postage on request.

FOUND ONE MORE! 

And that's gone too!

This can be combined with anything from the shop or our sales lists (to be updated very shortly).

Please email to ian - at - norphil.co.uk

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So where are the 6 x 1st Jubilee booklets ?

... and was there any point in producing them?

It's been an interesting year for definitives, with two special issues running in a sort of parallel existence.

The London 2012 definitives were issued in January, to be replaced a month later when the Diamond Jubilee Machins were issued.  The intention was that these would be used until July when the games started, then the London 2012 stamps would be re-distributed, being replaced again by the Jubilee stamps when the games were over.

That made a lot of sense for the sheet stamps, but was less straightforward for the booklet stamps.  The London 2012 stamps were issued only in booklets of 6, whilst the Jubilee stamps were issued only in booklets of 12, so they could run side-by-side.  But post office branches tend to get new booklets only when they are ordered and, if they had plentiful stocks of previous stamp booklets, receipt of the new stamps would be delayed until they were needed.

And then there was the surprise issue of a 1st class gold book (M12L) which had been packed up in December 2011!  Why was this even produced if the London 2012 and Jubilee booklets were going to be issued in January and February?

As it turned out the greater than normal increase in postage rates in the spring meant that many stamps were purchased before the rise, money in stamps for postage producing a better return than money in the bank, and there were shortages in many post offices.  Country definitives were distributed from stores - even to the wrong countries we understand - when Machins had been ordered, business sheets were broken up and sold as singles or blocks.

After that, many people had enough stamps to last them for years and then we were distracted by the Olympics and Paralympics.  And there were gold medal 1st class stamps to use.  However, when that was all over, it was back to the normal programme.

A mixed 6 x 1st booklet of Jubilee Machins and Scottish Locomotives was issued on 27 September.  The Christmas booklets of 12 1st or 2nd were due for issue on 6 November, and the new colour stamps, including booklets of 6 and 12 x 1st were scheduled for 3 January 2013.

But there was still one Jubilee variant missing, the one coded MSND.  The booklet of 6 x 1st Jubilee stamps with this code were scheduled for philatelic release on 1 October, and released they were - from Edinburgh to collectors and dealers.

As far as I can tell, nobody has found these in any post office branches yet, except the designated philatelic ones. Many branches are still selling London 2012 booklets.  Indeed we were told that these had been recalled after the games: one office which returned them and then ordered replacements were supplied with - yes, more London 2012 booklets!  (It has even been suggested that the Post Office Supplies Depot at Swindon has not received any Jubilee books of 6, which might explain why they are not in post offices.)

Supermarkets and corner shops could be selling them, but they will have had Christmas booklets since early November.

So if you know of any outlets - Post Offices, corner shops, newsagents, office suppliers, or supermarkets - which have or have had these for sale, please let us know.

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New Union Flag Diamond Jubilee Faststamps at Stampex.

Royal Mail have announced the programme for Faststamps at Autumn Stampex from 26-29 September.  For the first time there will be no Machin Faststamps available.
NB Availability - See note at end of post.

The following items will be sold by Royal Mail:-

1. ‘Union Flag’ Stamps with ‘Diamond Jubilee 1952-2012’ overprint.

2. Unoverprinted ‘Union Flag’ Stamps.

3. British Farm Animals 2 - ‘Pigs’ Stamps.

4. British Farm Animal 3 - ’Cattle’ Stamps. (Available from 28th September)

All these will be available from self-service machines in singles and strips of up to 6, and they will also be available over the counter in strips of 6 (single values or collectors strips).

The usual values will be available (face values in brackets)

1st (60p)

1st Large (90p)

Europe 20g and Worldwide 10g (both 87p)

Worldwide 20g (£1.28)

Worldwide 40g (£1.90)

Collectors strips will be sold for £6.42, sets of 36 different animal stamps will be sold for £38.52.

As you can see the coding at the foot of the stamps is quite different.  We understand that these are new Hytech machines and the meaning of the letters and numbers at the foot is new.  More details later.

We will be writing to existing customers about their requirements for these.

We will not be attending Stampex. We have ordered stocks sufficient for declared customer requirements and do not expect to have any spare.  If you have not already asked - before 8 September - then may not be able to supply you. 

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Diamond Jubilee Machin & Wilding from Prestige Stamp Book

I should have provided these Diamond Jubilee PSB images much earlier, my apologies to Chris who sent them on 2 June. 

The first shows clearly the MPND code on the Jubilee Machin from the 31 May PSB.  The other shows phosphor bands well clear of the perforations on the definitive pane in the booklet.   In my experience the shortness at the top is not matched by phosphor over-running the perforations at the foot of the pane, so the overall height of the phosphor band is less than the gap between the perforations.

If I could scan like this I could tell whether our stock is really as short as that!

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Marshall Islands first to show GB Machins on stamps?

We think this is the first foreign stamp set to show Great Britain Machin definitives. Issued on 6 February 2012 the Marshall Islands miniature sheet marks the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II and contains 6 x $1.05 stamps each illustrated with a British Machin definitive.

The stamp illustrations show the 10p orange brown, 20p bright green, 30p olive-green litho printing, 40p azure, 50p self-adhesive 2009 security issue*, and 60p light emerald. All the illustrations are slightly larger than life-size and have a line through the face value.

 * The security details are not very clear here but if you click on the image you should get a larger version.

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Diamond Jubilee retail booklets full of errors

The Diamond Jubilee Commemorative retail booklet has been delivered and we can show these images, courtesy of Chris H.

As expected, the source code is MCND in the usual position.

Cylinder numbers W1 start above the TH (iridescent), the E+space (phosphor) and then diamond blue, black, cyan, yellow and magenta.  The diamond blue is outlined in reversed-out white as shown:

Quite a high proportion of the booklets have phosphor band short at the foot, to a greater or lesser degree.  Some are almost 1mm clear of the top of the perforation hole.  This also affects the commemorative stamp, as shown.

However, the 'invisible' phosphor is not the only registration problem that Walsall has had with this booklet as this picture shows, with a unusually large shift of the magenta:

We don't yet have the sheet stamps or the prestige books but will report on them next week.

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The Flags (Faststamps) are out early at Swiss Cottage

IN providing an update on the situation at various Post & Go offices one of our correspondents on the Pigs discussion announced today that Swiss Cottage post office (North West London*) has the Flag Faststamp in use already (not due for issue until next week!)

Swiss Cottage Branch Office
18 Harben  Parade
Finchley  Road
LONDON NW3 6JU

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Diamond Jubilee Prestige Stamp Book panes - in draft, at least

We are now able to show preliminary images of the panes in the Diamond Jubilee Prestige Stamp Book.  

It is clear from the perforations that these are studio mock-ups and we are not sure in which order they will appear.  The Machin stamp will almost certainly have a new security code in the iridescent overprint.  As far as we know, the Wilding stamp will not have any security overprint.  We don't know whether and of the stamps are gummed or self-adhesive.

As you will be able to work out, the total face value is £11.84.  We understand that the selling price will be £12.77.

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Machin and Country Definitives for new tariff 25 April

Royal Mail have supplied publicity photos for all the new stamps to be issued on 25 April in connection with new postage rates.  Unfortunately these are only design studio mock-ups so the Machins show completely wrong security overlays and the airmail versions have no security slits.

Note that the 6 February self-adhesive (small) Jubilee definitive appears in this pack.

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Diamond Jubilee Large Letter Machin officially on sale 27 March 2012

Post Office Ltd have officially confirmed that the Large Letter Diamond Jubilee Machin definitive stamp will be on sale at all branches from tomorrow, 27 March.

We believe that, aside from those branches that are already selling them, the Business Sheet and Retail Booklets will not be on sale automatically tomorrow as branches will only receive these when the order them to replenish stocks.  But you should, from tomorrow, find the counter sheet stamps are available even if the branch still has stocks of gold 1st class Large.

We still have no information about the official position regarding Royal Mail first day covers for this stamp.

Updates
See also: http://norphil.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/post-office-ltd-instruct-withdrawal-of.html


Regarding the FDCs we understand that the official FDC will bear 87p, 1st Large, £1.28 and £1.90 in that order, reflecting the 1st Large new value of 90p even though when issued it's face value will be only 75p!

Update: here is our FDC with the three different Large Letter Jubilee stamps.

 

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All Large Diamond Jubilee Machin Stamps now on sale at post offices.

As mentioned in an earlier post, the counter sheet stamps were available in early March.  The Business Sheet version was seen on eBay a week later.  The last piece of the jigsaw, the retail booklet of 4 was on sale in Post Offices last week. 

This has the lettering [JUBI]LFE to the right of the Queen's head, with the usual 'F' for (book of) four.

For the record, the counter sheet (LEE) and the Business Sheet (LBE) are shown below.

We understand that stock of gold 1st Large stamps in all three formats are exhausted at PO Supplies Department, Swindon, which is why these have been distributed early. From the point of view of Post Office Ltd the issue date of these is still 27 March (so initial stocks of at least the counter sheets must have been sent to all branches for issue on Tuesday).

However, as far as Royal Mail Tallents House is concerned, these stamps will be included in the presentation pack with airmail and make-up stamps for the (as yet unannounced) new tariff, and the jubilee stamps will not be issued/distributed until the new tariff stamps are distributed.

This almost certainly means that Royal Mail standing order customers will receive first day covers dated at least 2 weeks after the last of the three Large Jubilee stamps has been issued by Post Office Ltd, and probably 4 weeks after the (unrecorded) first day of sale of the counter sheet.

We understand that the official first day covers will bear all of the new stamps, which is something of a pity.  The new airmail and any make-up stamps probably won't be sold early at Post Office branches, but the official FDCs will bear all of the stamps, new and somewhat 'old'.

It would seem like a good time to prepare your own FDCs for the actual new stamps, and return the 'very-post-dated' standing order FDCs to Edinburgh for a refund!

What do you think?  Is there any point in having a FDC for either 27 March or mid-April for these Large Jubilee stamps?  Leave your comments, please!

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Monday round-up: Large Jubilee Business Sheet, and more coils on eBay

Large Jubilee definitive business sheets have been seen on the eBay auction site this week, meaning that we are now only waiting for the retail booklets of 4 to make an appearance and there will be little point in going through the pretence of having an official first day of issue in April !

The sheets currently listed are described as:

Printed by Walsall Security Printers
These stamps have the Diamond Jubilee overlay 
Date = 26/01/12
SSN = 0156293 - Printed Vertically
Type 1 Security Cut  =  NO INTERUPTED CUT on 'Paper Clip' Top and Bottom

And we have had more reports of the counter-sheet stamps being sold or received on letters.

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Meanwhile also on eBay after the report of a 2nd class Sunday Times coil piece being sold for £113, a second example has been chased up to £129.66 in ten bids in a listing where bidders' identities were kept private for some reason.  Given that eBay hides the bidders' user-IDs through a a*****d code all this move by the seller does is hide how many unique bidders there were.  More people are finding these and I suspect the number now known about is around 30, although one dealer was reported to have 40 in stock. This has not been verified and I suspect there may have been some confusion with the gummed coil version.

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Miscut Sheep Faststamp Packs are becoming more common - or at least they are being advertised for what they are by the sellers rather than being 'discovered' by knowing buyers. Royal Mail Tallents House must be surprised at the additional orders they are receiving, from people trying to get a different version to the one they were originally sent!

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And over the weekend this blog passed 300,000 visits - thank you all for your interest, and keep sending the reports! 

Post Offices sell Large Diamond Jubilee Machin stamps early.

As mentioned earlier in the blog, and on our website, the Diamond Jubilee


"1st class Large versions will be issued in March or April when the new tariff stamps are issued."

However, intent and actuality are not always the same thing, and as PO Supplies Department at Swindon have sent these to some Post Office branches already, some of those are selling them already.  This one came from a post office branch:

With the official first day of issue some weeks away, we will be interested to hear of any reports of these appearing on your mail!  Leave a comment !  (Thanks as usual to RP for the picture.)

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New printer for Machin Stamp Business Sheets

Although Royal Mail provide plenty of publicity for their special and commemorative stamps, and other collectables, details of Machin definitives are often only provided if we ask - and not always then.

We have already reported that the new M12L printing of the 2nd class Machin stamp is printed by Walsall Security Print, rather than De La Rue (who have probably been busy printing new airmail rate stamps).  Now we have a suggestion that the Diamond Jubilee 1st class stamp in Business Sheets - issued only on 6 February this year printed by De La Rue - has now been printed by Walsall!

The gap in the security cuts is clearly different.  We don't yet know the printing date on the Walsall printing.

This is the Walsall-printed retail booklet of 12, with code MTND referred to by Anonymous in the comments. 

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2012 Machin Security stamps in circulation

A week after Stampex, and all Faststamp FDCs are done and off to the handstamp centres, almost all emailing up to date, so it's time for a blog update, and there's a lot of news.

The new postage rates have not yet been announced, and Royal Mail have said that the new Large Letter Diamond Jubilee stamps (sheet, business sheet and booklet) will be issued on the same (as yet unannounced) day as the new tariff stamps - Machins and Country definitives.  As already reported and corrected, there will not be a new 50p definitive.  The Large Letter Jubilee stamp will look something like this:

2012 Security stamps

The 2nd class retail book of 12 (MTIL/M12L) stamp has already been reported, and now there are some surprise 2012 versions of last year's new tariff stamps.  The 68p is shown with a better picture of the 2nd class - with irridescent layer shifted slightly right. (Thanks to Chris H for the 68p report.)

We have a small quantity of both of these which are being allocated to existing customers first and will be added to our online shop when we have more supplies, together with the other values as they are available.   The 68p M12L stamp was reprinted on 25/01/12 and as its life is short (only until the rates change) you should look out for it and the others at post offices.
Thanks to Richard P for the images!


Date watchers have been mightily confused by Royal Mail's policy on Year Codes!

Recently discovered reprints are the £1 dated 12/01/12 and the 76p dated 10/01/12.  Both these are  M11L, despite being printed in 2012.  The 76p has also been founded dated (like the 68p) 25/01/12 with a M12L code.  (Note the £1.10 and £1.65 will also exist M11L from  10/01/12 and M12L 25/01/12 if previous printing layout is followed.)  It's odd that the £1 is reprinted again so soon as the last known printing was only 30/08/11.

Other new dates; the 1st class 2011 is reported with 20/10/11 and the 2p, 5p and 20p self-adhesive (which still haven't made it to all post offices) exist with:
31/08/11
01/09/11
24/01/12
25/01/12

Back in January we reported a shortage of stamps at post offices and the early use of Roald Dahl commemoratives instead.  With the postage rate change not yet announced, and an heavy programme of stamp issues in the summer, the three printers on Royal Mail's books are going to be busy in the next few weeks!

April: Tariff change, Machin and country definitives (DLR & Cartor)
31 May: Diamond Jubilee set and PSB (retail book by Walsall unaffected as all 1st class)
19 June: Charles Dickens set and MS
27 July: Olympic Games welcome
27 August: Paralympic Games welcome
27 Sept: Olympic and Paralympic Memories
16 Oct: World of Dinosaurs
30 Oct: Space Science
8 Nov: Christmas set and MS

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Jubilee definitives Part 2, and change for 50p - but not yet!

With the Diamond Jubilee MS and 1st class definitive (in its various forms) being issued tomorrow, we can now confirm that the Large Letter versions - counter sheet, business sheet and booklet of 4 - will be issued on Tuesday 27 March. 

On the same date the 50p Machin definitive issued on 17 February 2009 in grey will be replaced by a new stamp in 'rust', a colour which has been used before.  No reason for this change has been announced.  It is close in colour to the diamond blue 1st class but not, I would have thought, close enough to warrant a change.

An informed source has said that this will have a single phosphor band,

A more informed source has now said that there will be no change to the 50p colour during 2012, but the colour may change next year.

Another source has said that at the end of this year the diamond-blue 1st class will be changed to post-office red.  Does this mean more colour changes - and for what purpose?*

At this time the new postage rates have not been announced, and they are unlikely to be announced until near the end of this month, for implementation at the end of April or in early May, so this colour change would not seem to be caused by the tariff change.  We'll publish the official explanation when we get it.

The 50p grey has not so far been reprinted in 2010/11 and so only exists from counter sheets with no year code.

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Diamond Jubilee Miniature Sheet and Business Sheet

I can now show the actual miniature sheet and business sheet for this issue.

 

 

Printing date for the Business Sheet is 02/12/11.  The security source codes are MMND for the miniature sheet and MBND for the business sheet.  

Images of source codes:

 

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The stamps are printed in four colour process (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black) rather than the original colours, and registration is not perfect in some cases. See this example:

 

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Diamond Jubilee booklet

The covers of the new Diamond Jubilee booklet match the colour of the stamps inside, so it's goodbye to gold and hello to the wishy-washy-grey-blue.  Calling it 'diamond blue' doesn't really make it any better.  Word is that at the end of the jubilee year we will see 'flame' or orange again instead of gold.
Here are some pictures:

The cylinder numbers are W1 blue, W2 phosphor, W1 transparent/silver overlay.

Pack details are:
SB12F JUB, 25/10/11, 
barcode 5 014721 112329

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Diamond Blue 1st class Machin - Security Codes

We're reliably informed that security codes are present on the Diamond Jubilee Machin definitives from booklets - and probably business sheets and possibly the miniature sheet.


The booklet code is the letter T as usual (for Twelve).  The changed text is behind the hair 'bun' on the Queen's head where MOND reads MTND.  We do not expect any year codes as this colour will only be issued in 2012.  

The code for the Miniature sheet is MMND in the same place, and I think we can safely assume that the code for business sheets is  MBND.

Pictures as soon as we have them.

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Friday 13th - lucky for some!

We've had a report that a sheet of Diamond Jubilee definitives was bought from an office in Scotland this morning - over 3 weeks early!  Surely they can't have sold all their Olympic/Paralympic definitives already?

We can now show the actual Diamond Jubilee definitive - thanks to James for sending this:

 

The Glasgow postmark uses roman numerals for the month, so this reads 13 I 2012

 

Thanks to James also for this image which better shows the security overlay:

 

If you find any in post offices, or receive any early-release covers we would be pleased to picture them here - with your address blurred, of course.

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