More Machines Materialise at Crewe and Bradford

Royal Mail have announced an extension to the Post and Go Enquiry Office Trial first reported in November.

The placement of Post and Go machines in the Royal Mail Enquiry Offices at Crewe and Bradford North seems to have been reasonably successful so far, and is to be extended for a further 6 months. 

Due to exhibition requirements the two existing kiosks will be replaced by two new kiosks, M002 in Crewe and M003 in Bradford North, and will carry location IDs “Crewe” and “Bradford N” respectively. 

The kiosks will be changed over on the 9^th February and should be available from 14:00 in Crewe and 16:00 in Bradford North.  They will both carry 1^st and 2^nd Class Machins.   According to the Royal Mail statement it is expected that the new M (Mails) series kiosks will develop further to offer other Enquiry Office services.

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Flag Faststamps on restricted distribution!

A contact has written alerting me to the fact that the Union Flag Faststamps (Post and Go stamps) which should be available from today are not being distributed to standing order customers of Royal Mail.

This remarkable news is announced in 'first', Royal Mail's colourful pamphlet about new stamp issues, but it is hidden on page 3 of the Diamond Jubilee issue:

Ok, that may not be restricted distribution, as such, but it's not automatic distribution, which collectors might have expected.  None of the Faststamps are listed in the 'Special Stamp Programme' in the 6 x 1st stamp retail booklet, so nobody had any clue that these would not be sent to Post & Go standing order customers automatically.

Now my copy of 'first' arrived this morning but my correspondent only learned about this from a friend and hasn't yet had his own.   If he had, he would also see that the order form, predictably, indicates that the usual handling fees will apply - £1.45 UK, £1.55 Europe, £2.15 Rest of World.

UPDATE from Royal Mail Day 2 6.30pm (really!): "we will still process orders for FDCs at Tallents House for those people who received the communications late."

UPDATE (Day 1): other writers have said that the situation is worse even that we thought. At the time of writing some Post Offices cannot sell the packs today, the day of issue, because the pack is not yet on their till system (Harlow, Cambridge so presumably all.)  This probably means that they won't sell FDCs either.  (see comments, also)

There is likely to be considerable demand for FDCs produced by dealers!
LATER: Norwich PO was able to sell packs mid-afternoon on 1st day.

Day 2: Bought my Flags this morning without the problems that I had with the pigs, although £20 notes still not accepted (even for a £100+ purchase - they are normally restricted to purchases over £10 anyway).

I noticed that a customer using the 'post it now' menu for postcards for Hungary (87p) received 20g Europe Faststamp (which is also 87p).  That's the first time I've seen a Faststamp produced from the 'post it now' menu other than the 10g Worldwide (which is also currently 87p!).

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Buyers pay dear for Sheep Faststamp Miscuts on eBay

The Sheep Faststamp packs have also been attracting attention on eBay.  As reported here, there are several versions of these. 

The correct version has the Welsh Mountain Badgerface as the top stamp, matching the write-up inside the pack.  Two other versions have been delivered to collectors as part of their bureau standing orders, with either the Soay or Suffolk stamp at the top of the strip.

These have been selling for upwards of £12 on eBay compared with the face value of £2.76.  If you buy, make sure that you get what is advertised: it is not unknown for sellers to use stock photos instead of scanning their items, and all the official pre-issue publicity images had the Soay at the top of the strip.  It is also possible, with great care, to resposition the stamps on the backing paper.  As all of the stamps on the strip have the same code numbers (ending 05) rearrangement will not be evident other than if the stamps are not properly lined up.

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Alignment error on Wincor Post and Go machines

A report from Durham showing significant variation on the printing alignment on their Wincor-Nixdorf Post and Go machine #1.

This is not uncommon, but there is clearly an additional blank line inserted between the 3rd & 4th label.

Thanks Brian for the image.

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New printer for Horizon labels - any differences??

According to Stamp Magazine for April, the contract for printing Horizon labels as moved from De La Rue to Walsall Security Print.

Royal Mail aims to have them looking the same, but as we know there is also a serial number on the back of the backing paper, and if that isn't different I will be very surprised.  These are expected to appear in the summer, and I look forward to receiving your reports and observations!

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Sheep Faststamp Packs with mis-cut strips

The Farm Animals Faststamps (Post and Go stamps) available from Royal Mail and some Post Offices were not printed wholly by Walsall in gravure as the Birds were, but had the service indicator etc overprinted using the Hytech dispensing machines used previously at Stampex, on basic Walsall stock as supplied to Post Offices for their Wincor Nixdorf machines.

The publicity image of the strip and the pack had the Soay breed at the top:

However the stamps dispensed at Stampex, and the packs we received, have the Welsh Mountain Badgerface at the top.  This is because the description printed in the pack has that breed at the top. Nonetheless, some packs have been produced with strips miscut with the Soay at the top!  Despite assertions by some that all registered dealers received the miscut packs, this is not the case and I know of at least one* collector who received his as part of his standing order.  So check yours!

* OK, it seems like everybody who writes now has got the miscut pack, so maybe all standing order customers got them?  Anybody needing one of the correct ones and wanting to do a straight swap, please email ian AT norphil.co.uk 

Is there no end to this??   At least three Royal Mail customers have received their orders from Tallents House with yet another variation of the miscut, with the Suffolk stamp at the top of the strip!

 

Thanks to Kevin for this image.  

 Once again anybody needing one of the correct ones and wanting to do a straight swap, please email ian AT norphil.co.uk

And another:  MikeE has reported that his pack has the Dalesbred stamp at the top of the strip! 

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Who let the sheep out? Faststamps used early in Bath.

It's been mentioned before that some PO branches hadn't really taken any notice of which Birds rolls they were loading into the Post and Go machines, and I suppose that was especially important if they were busy.  

Well maybe the Central PO in Bath has run out of Machin Faststamps - because they were using the Sheep (due for issue on 24 February) yesterday:

Thanks to Robert for this fine example - his other one didn't get a postmark - still time to repost it and try again for an early posting example!

Note that Bath is also using the original font, which means that the Worldwide 10g stamp will be printed with no weight on, and all service indicators and branch/session codes will overlap the picture.

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Please let us know if you see any early uses from Bath (when did they actually start) or anywhere else!

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UPDATE:  Malcolm reports more sheep were let loose at Farnham and were on sale on Saturday 18th February.  These were the standard (by which I think he means new) font.

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Major developments in British philately over the last 20 years.

At the start of the year the American weekly, Linn's Stamp News, ran an article by respected philatelist and writer on British stamps David Alderfer about what he regarded as the major developments in British philately over the last 20 years (January 9, 2012, edition).

His five key factors/events are shown, with a summary of his reasoning:

1. The introduction of elliptical perforations to Machin definitives. Initially album pages had an odd look as some stamps had traditional and others the new perforations, but now we all expect them as a matter of course.

2. Unsoakable gum - a development also adopted by the US postal service. Many collectors collect the new security-featured stamps on paper, neatly cut out.

3. Computer-generated labels, specifically the Horizon label - are they stamps?  Collectors had to decide whether to include these in their collections.

4. Discontinuation of postage due stamps in January 2000 - the end of a chapter and facet of British stamp collecting.

5. The introduction - and abandonment - of the £10 Britannia, the British stamp with the highest face value ever.  Comparison with the £5 Queen Victoria and its present value.

Such an article is always a personal opinion, and should encourage discussion among collectors. Whilst I agreed with some of the writer's suggestions I thought there were other events and changes which collectors of GB might think more important.  The editors of Linn's didn't have room for another article of the same size but were kind enough to publish some of my suggestions as a letter.

The three points which Linn's had room for (February 13 edition) were these:

a. The introduction of pictorial country definitives in 2001.  Machin collectors in particular had to decide whether to include these stamps in their Machin collections now that the main feature was not the Queens' head.

b. The introduction of Post & Go vending machines, producing not only the 'post it now' labels (which reduce the number of postage stamps used), but also the Machin Faststamps.  Again, Machin collectors were faced with a dilemma - is it a stamp, how many different ones to include in a collection. And then when the pictorial Faststamps were issued, up a whole new area of collecting opened up.

c.  Also of major significance in recent years has been Royal Mail's concentration on new markets, attracting 'niche' collectors. The 'Action for Species' started in 2007 and the Kings and Queens series started in 2008. All the stamps in these series have been kept on sale for a number of years, instead of being taken off sale 12 months after issue as previously. Royal Mail acknowledged that they no longer cater for 'completist' collectors but, with new thematic subjects, are targetting new collectors who may go on to buy more than they were originally attracted to. This has made acquisition of a complete collection – with all issued varieties – ever more expensive.

Two other points:

a. It was the security overprint rather than the introduction of water-soluble gum on the security stamps which was not the key factor, and which put the hunt back into collecting as most variations are not available from Royal Mail's philatelic service.  As we know, for one variation only 5 used copies are known.

b. The Horizon labels introduced in 2002 were not of interest to most collectors, apart from the fact that it reduced the number of stamps used.  Rather it was the later change to the Machin-head label which was of interest, particularly Machin collectors.

So what do you think?  Look back over the last 20 years, leave a comment, on what you think has been significant in the collection of British stamps between 1991 and 2011 !

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More new Faststamps at Spring Stampex?

Pure speculation on my part, but following the adaptation of the Hytech Post and Go machines at Autumn Stampex last September, can Post Office Ltd and Royal Mail ignore the proximity of the anniversary of the Accession (6 Feb) to do something similar at Spring Stampex (22 Feb)?

Don't be surprised to see the Machin head Faststamps with a Diamond Jubilee 1952 - 2012 inscription before the new pictorials (Sheep) arrive on Friday 24th.


Well, whadd'ya know?

Available from self-service machines and over the counter. 

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Birds 1 Faststamps v2 - validly issued in Cambridge

Just when we thought there could be nothing else to report on the birds, a report from Cambridge that Birds 1 was in use in machine 2 this week.  They were probably loaded in the machine on 23rd/24th, and were probably exhausted late on 25th or during 26th.

This is a set produced on 25 January.

Our reporter writes:  "Normal usage is 95-100 transactions per day (and is remarkably constant) and there were 193 transactions in a day and a half. So someone may have bought a number of strips with individual receipts."

Despite our best endeavours (thanks John and Richard) we didn't manage to get any of these for our customers - yet.  Apparently the person who loaded these into the machine "wasn't aware that it was old stock, or that the stamps were different from the current birds stamps."  So if Cambridge can have some old birds hidden in a back-office, so could other Birds 1 offices!

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Faststamps Font error in full

Early in December we mentioned the incorrect font on the Worldwide 40g stamps being dispensed from Kiosk 3 at St Vincent Street, Glasgow.

We've now been sent  a Collectors Set from the same machine.  Our set shows the Machins but sets were also printed on Birds 4 stock.   As has been observed before the 10g Worldwide stamp is missing the weight, and thus has no indication of its value.

The 40g stamp has the weight in the correct font.  The other 4 stamps have the weight in the original font.

It has been suggested that this happens when the machines are returned to a default setting.  However in the original setting it was not possible to select 40g, and the Worldwide 10g stamp was not produced on the 'stamps for later' menu, but on the 'post now' menu (which otherwise used the wider non-pictorial label stock).

It remains to be seen how catalogue editors deal with the Faststamp variations.  We know that some so-called errors have been produced, especially on Hytech machines, when the customer has pulled the free end of the strip, causing misprinting and sometimes blank labels in a strip of 7.  Birds 2 & 3 have been legitimately used by post offices instead of Birds 4.

In the Stanley Gibbons Concise catalogue 2011 edition a separate catalogue number has been allocated to each of the 5 service indicators so clearly an additional number or sub-number will need to be used for the Machin, Birds 2 & 3 sets. (Birds 4 is not included in the 2011 edition and a 40g value was available on the first day, so its inclusion in the catalogue should not be a problem).  There are also rumours that a part-roll of Birds 1 was used up in a machine after the upgrade and 40g stamps and/or collectors sets produced.  Doubts have been cast upon the legitimacy of these if they exist.  In the same way, until the truth about the circumstances of the production is known,  one might question the use of Birds 2 at offices not originally supplied with that set.

Update: Birds 1 now confirmed legitimately issued from Cambridge - see here

But maybe Messrs Gibbons will revise the catalogue to a more logical 'by design' listing, with sub-numbers for the different values.

Finally here's an example of the 10g stamp with the missing value taken as a 40g stamp to make up the total for this 40g International Signed For item to Australia

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Post and Go v2 - Birds 2 also exists with 40g Worldwide

We reported here on the upgrade and roll-out of Version 2 of the Post and Go software.  Who could have guessed that so many old birds were still lying around in Post Office branch store-rooms?

We've already shown the not-unexpected Birds 4, and the slightly-more-surprising Birds 3, but now we can show Birds 2.  As usual this is a strip of 5 plus a single.  We will be contacting regular customers about these early next month when we have caught up with email and post.

UPDATE 2 January 2012:

Our supplies of Birds 2 came from Grimsby.  I'm told that Plymouth also had some, to be precise:

only 30 strips of 5+1 printed before the roll ran out and was changed to Machin; they come with error of year on receipt 2006.  (Thanks JG for the update).

 

It is surprising that so many of the previous issues were still in post offices.  This suggests either that usage of the Post and Go machines for take-away stamps (rather than "post it now" labels) has been very low at these offices, or that they used the default Machin head stock, rather than the birds pictorials.  In theory the Birds 2 (issued 24.01.10) should have been used by 19.05.10 when the Birds 3 (Waterbirds) were issued; and they in turn should have been used by the time the 16.09.10 Birds 4 (Seabirds) were issued.   

Of course if one issue had not been exhausted by the time the next was issued, old stock should have been removed from the machines so that collectors could access the new.  It is more than likely that Birds 4 will still be in some machines when the sheep arrive on 24 February!

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Post and Go v2 produces 40g Birds 4 - and Birds 3!

As reported here, the 40g Faststamps are rolling out.  

Thanks to a correspondent in cold and snowy Scotland we can now report that machine 2 at the St James Centre, Edinburgh PO, was dispensing Birds 3 earlier this week (shown below at left).  At the same time machine 3 at the St Vincent Street, Glasgow, PO was dispensing Birds 4 with the original Wincor font, thus printing over the picture.

Let us know of any other errors found after the v2 update!

Golden Machin Horizon label mark III now in use.

The recent batch of Mark II Horizon labels were incompletely cut, resulting in a 5-8mm portion at the top of each label remaining on the backing if the label was removed from the foot.  Because of this many offices reverted to white labels - giving rise to many 'rare' narrow font labels and labels with the new VAT codes appearing on eBay.

The Mark III golden label is now in use.  This has die-cut curves at the left and right, and semi-circular ones in the corners, but no slits at all at the top and foot.   The serial number printed on the back of the one I used this morning is U082597507. I hope somebody will be able to provide a picture soon.

The picture here compares the Mk II version at the top, with the Mk III version below.

The concave (inward pointing) semi-circle starts immediately above the 'A' in the top image, two convex (outward pointing) semi-circles run below the ends of the concave one.  The one on the left runs through the A, just at the top of the triangle, the one on the right is in a similar position in the coronet, with the right end pointing to the cut in the corner.

In the lower example, the corner cuts are present but the other three are not.  This applies to the top and bottom of the label, but the similar cuts at left and right remain.

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Post and Go version 2 update brings 40g for Birds 4

The delayed upgrade of Post and Go machines to software version 2 is now under way in earnest.  We're told that about half of the machines have now been upgraded in bulk by an internet download, rather than the attendance of an engineer to each machine.


Although many offices are using Machin Faststamps we have received Birds 4 and we're hoping to get Birds 3 later this week.  Just how many offices have Birds 4 is unknown, although as distribution was originally very limited (due to stock-control errors at Swindon which were later corrected) many offices will be back on Birds 4 after having initial stocks exhausted.  Just how many still have Birds 3 is more difficult to determine.  We had very few reports of Bird 3 continuing until September.


With version 2, the scanning equipment is now operative, so customers can purchase non-stamp products such as stationery which are on sale at many offices.  Shown here alongside the Birds 4 40g stamps is a receipt for a roll of tape from Old Street machine 1.

Spotted on eBay: Birds 3 40g from Ludgate Circus PO in London - 7/12/11.
Birds 3 also reported (10/12/11) from Dartford machine no 1. (Thanks KH)

December week 1.  - see separate blog entry for images

St Vincent Edinburgh dispensing Birds 3

St James Glasgow dispensing Birds 4 but with original font, printing over image.

6/12/11 - Paignton, Plymouth & Exeter on v2, but Paignton shut down on the same day - see Comment.

Further update 11/12/11 (thanks Malcolm)

Barnet EN5 5UU dispensing Birds 4

The following are dispensing Machins

Holloway N7 6HY,   Upper Holloway N19 5TA   Golders Green NW11 8RT

Balham SW12 9AF and Hampstead NW3 1QL

Clapham Common SW4 7ST is still version 1 dispensing Machins

10/12/11
Norwich both machines converted, one at least has Birds 4. (thanks to IS)
14/12/11
DR Confirms that Boston has 40g but no Birds.

12/12/11

Dartford v2 dispensing Birds 3

Orpington v2 dispensing Machin but wrong typeface (up to 40g seems correct though, see attachment)

 

17/12/11

Clapham Common still v1

Blackfriars Road and London Bridge v2 dispensing machins

Acton v2 dispensing birds 3

Sutton v1 dispensing birds 4

Post and Go Faststamps for 2012 - dates and subjects

Royal Mail's Stamp Programme mini-calendar lists some definitives and Faststamps as well as the expected commemorative issues.


Dates and subjects for Faststamps are as follows:


24 February - Sheep (by Robert Gillmor)
24 April - Pigs (by Robert Gillmor)
21 May - Union Flag (design as used in PSBs and Smilers Sheets)*
28 September - Cattle (by Robert Gillmor)

 The Union flag could be very useful for the Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics.  Maybe other flags will follow with a White Ensign Post and Go machine at Portsmouth and Chatham Historic Dockyard!

Post and Go version 2 brings 40g - and premium services!

The delayed introduction of version 2 of Post and Go software has at last brought the Worldwide 40g Faststamp (current price £1.65).

The new value first appeared at London's Broadway SW1 branch on 13 October 2011.

At the same time changes to the Post and Go system also allows customers to post Recorded Signed For, Special Delivery, Airsure and International Signed For  Royal Mail products as well as Parcelforce Express items within the UK and to the EU.

Examples of the Recorded Signed For, 2nd class Letter <100g (£1.13), 1st class Large Letter 170g £1.86)

The machine dispenses a certificate of posting upon which the RSF label number must be affixed.  Unfortunately, but sensibly, the certificate has to be posted over the counter to receive the counter date stamp as proof of posting.  It remains to be seen whether there is a fast-track queue for this service, otherwise the benefits of speed by using the Post and Go will be lost.

Birds 4 are expected at Broadway soon.  Pictures when we have them.

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Horizon Label Codes September 2011

There's not much detail about the new reasons for the new coding on Horizon labels yet. There is an extra letter after the Royal Mail line, and an extra number after the Postage Paid line.  The following noted so far:

Airmail (within the EU) International Signed for - Royal Mail h / Postage Paid 4
Special Delivery between 2kg - 10kg (ie £22.70 rate) - Royal Mail y / Postage Paid 4
Special Delivery Saturday Guaranteed* (ie £9.24 rate) - Royal Mail y / Postage Paid 6

Reported:

1st Class Recorded Letter 1L Royal Mail b    Postage Paid 4
1^st Class Recorded Packet in 251-500g price band (£3.25)- Royal Mail.d / POSTAGE PAID UK.4
1st Class Packet (£1.96 or £2.48) - Royal Mail d / Postage Paid 4
1st Class Large Letter (£1.46) - Royal Mail c / Postage Paid 4 
2nd Class Packet - Royal Mail g / Postage Paid 4 
2nd Class Packet (101-250g) - £1.72 - Royal Mail.g / Postage Paid UK  4
2nd Class Packet (501-750g) Recorded - £3.38 - Royal Mail.g / Postage Paid UK 4
 

If there is any pattern at all it is that, as far as I know, all the above except SDSG* are exempt from VAT, so that maybe code 4.  Saturday Guaranteed SD is standard rated for VAT (which might explain code 6). 
The alpha code doesn't change according to the weight, and is unaffected by the recorded signed for option.

Please let us know what codes you get on the labels! - ian at norphil.co.uk

Thanks to Sam (1st 1PK rsf), Jon (1PK, 1LL), Mike (1L rsf), Melvyn (2PK), and Chris (2PK and 2PK rsf) for their reports.

Faststamps to get an extra value - 40g worldwide

We have been told that the 5 existing Faststamp values will soon be supplemented by a sixth value, for the 40g World Wide letter rate.

The update to Post and Go software is scheduled to take place in July/August: as always each machine needs to be updated individually so there will be no nationwide first day of issue for this rate.

The new rate label will be similar to this, and I have been assured that Norwich (019136) will NOT be among the early branches to be changed!  Please do not ask for these as they are not yet available.

Later, another software change will see the addition of a ‘collector’ button that will automatically produce a version of each value to make it easier for collectors to obtain the set. The Wincor-Nixdorf machines will still not produce a strip of 6, so the best way to get these will be as a pair of 3.

UPDATE: Latest information is that "40g should get into some branches before Stampex!"which is not helpful - it will mean that some offices will have 5 values when Birds 4 are issued, and some will have 6.  Not much good for getting full sets of 36, or full set FDCs :-(

Faststamps: Full list of Post and Go machines

As previously reported, the Birds 3 Faststamps will be dispensed from all Post & Go machines in the UK.

We now have a full list here.