December slogan postmarks and other interesting postal markings.

December starts (as November ended) with the default British Heart Foundation slogan. Again, JH has provided an example, but again it is difficult to read.

Default British Heart Foundation slogan Jubilee Mail Centre 3 December 2025

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Unlike last month - when we had only one example of the Remembrance slogan - while I have been away a flood of examples has reached me from readers - thank you all!   This is for the state visit of the German President.  This occurs in 3-line versions: JM sent the best one from Manchester (with others in the same format from LT, AA & RW are less than ideal which is a shame for a very short-term slogan). The Nowich one in the other 2-line format from JH is the best we've seen so far.  But we have had one from Sheffield here, which is quite poor, but in the reversed format on a square envelope!

Welcome
President
Steinmeier
State Visit 2025

Welcome President Steinmeier State Visit slogan Manchester Mail Centre 03/12/2025

Welcome President Steinmeier State Visit slogan Norwich Mail Centre 03-12-2025

 

Welcome President Steinmeier State Visit reversed slogan Sheffield Mail Centre 03?-12-2025

 

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We will expect some form of Christmas posting slogan from Royal Mail very soon, probably replaced later by a 'Last Posting Dates' slogan.  As we understand that there are no Universal machines now in use, it will be interesting to see what appears other than from the regular ink-jet machines.

Don't rely on my post or everyone else sending examples!

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Other postmarks and postal markings, etc

Recipients of my sendings last week may have been able to determine that they were posted in Street, Somerset.  The light was in the wrong place get a good photo, so here is one from Google StreetView when it was still a branch of WHSmith. Now it is a One Stop, but at the same address in the HIgh Street postcode BA16 0EZ.

Street, Somerset, branch post office from Google streetview March 2024.

I was able to get my post cancelled at the counter with the self-inking counter datestamp GG shown on the left below.    Also shown is one I obtained in 2017, unit E.  Note that this one, with quite different spacing, has an unexpected error, with two M's in Sommerset!

 

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US Tariffs - did Royal Mail deliberately route some mail through Europe?

JW reports a discussion on Reddit about an International Tracked parcel from the UK to USA.  It appeared to be stuck in limbo in the USA, but was returned a month after sending with a CN15 Return label from Hungary!  And this wasn't just a one-off.  This was the label shown by user Leading-Pie1366 at the beginning of December. 

Another user reported that they too had this problem: "after clearing customs at usps.com it was showing that it was scanned at 'BUDAPEST 1005, United States of America'."  This person obtained a refund for their postage label from Royal Mail.   

Google AI suggests that because of backlogs Royal Mail was shipping via Hungary, but that doesn't quite match up with the tracking routing described on Reddit.

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Remember, slogan postmarks appearing in December will be added to this post, so check here before you spend time scanning and emailing.

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More one-off errors and quirky things for the collector - week 46.

As I work through my accumulations looking for what I really want to keep, and therefore finding things that I don't, there will be more one-offs that will be offered to blog readers first.

Items offered have now been consolidated to one place, which is a linked page, rather than a blogpost.   

Such was the speedy success of the Football Legends book, that I've decided to make one post a week, but probably with additions during the week.  So when you first look there may be something that you don't want but if you look at the same post later, then there may be additions.  At least that's the way I shall try to do it.

In all cases if you want the item, please leave a comment with your name or first name and initial, and then send an email with your name and address to my usual address - see top right.  And indicate which item you want (A, B, etc) in case more than one is available.  Please check the existing comments before you write.   If you already have my bank details send the money and I'll post as soon as I can.

Buyers outside the UK email and I'll provide postage cost and payment options. 

Each new item on offer will be sub-headed, thus:

A. 97p Counter Sheet date block mis-perf. - SOLD

I can't find this shown on the blog when it was discovered back in 2014.   It's the counter sheet of 97p Machins printed 18/09/14, with the die-cut perforations shift left, into the design, and down.

 

 

 

Although not clear on the image (click on it to enlarge) the selvedge extends to the full height of the row above.   Price is £25 including UK postage.   

SOLD - thanks to several people who asked.  Sorry Bill S - too late.

B. Postal Union Congress £1 reproduction pack £14 plus £1 UK postage (1 available)

In 2010 at the London Festival of Stamps Royal Mail issued a wide range of products associated with two new stamp issues.  They also issued extra unrelated products for the international audience that attended the show, one of which was a high-quality reproduction of the PUC £1 stamp in a block of 4. Individual stamps from the block are being bought on eBay for up to £6.50.  

 

I have one of these.  Remember - check the comments before putting your name down to make sure they are still available.  I will process requests in the order they are received but not always immediately - I am not checking every five minutes!   If two other people have already asked, by all means put your name down, but if those are successful your comment will not be published, nor answered as there is no way of doing so.

Postage internationally depends on destination. 

C. 1948 Olympic Games reproduction pack £7 plus £1 UK postage - SOLD

A Facsimile pack, written by Douglas Muir, includes details of the selection process and unadopted designs from the 20 artists and printers who were invited to submit designs for consideration by the Stamps Advisory Committee of the time. The pack includes a non-postally valid Facsimile Sheet of the four stamps printed in gravure as a block of four.

Postage internationally depends on destination.

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Another one-off error for a collector of the unusual - Football Legends 1996 - SOLD

When Royal Mail issued the Euro 96 set of five stamps in 1996 they came with all the usual associated products - presentation pack, PHQ cards etc.

But there was an extra product, a souvenir postcard book entitled Football Legends.  The normal book is widely available from dealers and on eBay. 

This contained not only the PHQ cards, bound in, but also photocards of oher legends of the game - Billy Meredith, Joe Mercer, Frank Swift, Alex James, and Pete Doherty.   These were all monochrome so no room for error.  But the PHQ-type cards have black borders and colour for the queen's head, as the stamps.  The book I'm offering has a startling mis-print.

Just one available and yours for £7.50 plus Large Letter postage £1.50 inland - payment by bank transfer on cheque.   (International postage will be at discounted rate.)

If you would like this please leave a comment and email as usual - check the comments before putting your request in.  

SOLD

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New duplication on Greenwich Observatory PSB.

I think it's over six months since we had a new prestige stamp book error, so it's my pleasure to show this duplicated pane in the Royal Observatory book, courtesy of JF.

It's difficult to take a photo of such errors as there is a risk of damaging the stamps, so this has been slightly enhanced.  As you can see, there are two copies of pane 2.

Duplicated pane 2 in Royal Observatory prestige stamp book.

 

UPDATE:

My thanks to the new owner of this booklet (MB) for a better picture

 

 

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Royal Observatory Coin Cover error - check yours!

If you buy Royal Mail's coin/medal covers, do you always check them for errors?  MC noticed this one, and it may be that all are like that - check yours!

Royal Observatory coin cover with missing postmark error!

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Christmas stamps 2024 error of datamatrix codes (2nd & 1st).

I'm indebted to the editor of the Deegam catalogue for bringing another datamatrix error to my attention. As with many other errors, it raises more questions than can easily be answered, and for which we are unlikely to get answers from Royal Mail.

A Scottish subscriber purchased these on eBay (so we have no information as to where they were found or how many). 

The image shows two Christmas 2024 stamps, a 2nd-class and a 1st-class stamp.  The mysterious thing, however, is that both stamps have the same barcode date 250624, the same barcode stamp value of 00085 and also an identical coding S112 in the 5th to 8th positions of the barcode.

2nd & 1st class Christmas 2024 stamps, the 1st class datamatrix code showing 85p rather than the first class rate.

The complete first part of the 2D data matrix code on these two Christmas stamps reads as follows:

1st-class  JGB S11251017031170047360008525062402 

2nd-class JGB S11251017031233603360008525062402

The 1st class normally has a barcode of 100624 and the 2nd class 250624.  In between the miniature sheet was printed with stamps coded for 17th, 18th, 20th, 21st, and 24th. Even if the datamatrix printer was set up to print 2nd class when 1st class stamps were inserted in error.  But in that case why is the 1st class colour correct?

If anybody else has any similar error please contact me and the editor at deegampub@gmail.com.

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Post and Go News 2025 - includes PO Branch self-service kiosks.

This post and its comments will hold all news on Post and Go stamps, machines, and PO Self Service Kiosks (SSKs).   

For details of new Post and Go stamps issued by the postal authorities in Guernsey and Jersey I recommend WhiteKnight's Commonwealth Stamp Opinion. All issues from the islands, and Gibraltar and the SOAR stamps from Isle of Man and Ireland will normally be pictured there as announced.

Anything about the old Royal Mail machines and any later news for PO SSKs will continue to be added on the 2024 blog post. Please continue to make comments there or send me news/images by email.

 

Self-Service Kiosks

All readers and collectors should be indebted to Malcolm, Trevor and a few other people for their continued perambulations around the country reporting on the rapidly diminishing estate of Self-Service Kiosks in Post Office branches.

These will continue to throw up errors and surprises and they will be reported here either as comments or, if significant enough, as edits to this original post.

The reducing number of machines in use means that the large stocks of Queen Elizabeth Machin blanks will be spread even more thinly and take longer to use up, especially as branches now offer different service, such as Tracked24/48 or Evri, DPD, etc as alternatives to Royal Mail services.

Whereas the casual poster of packets might have visited the SSK they may now think twice (if the queues are not too long) and use a counter service.

So to start this year off with a picture last week, I don't know when this fault occurred at Cheltenham (WHSmith) PO.  The black ink is missing in the centre, leaving 2nd class short of an s and truncating the datastring.   The base stock is CL16S.  Thanks to JG and his friend for supplying this.

Machine fault causing omission of some of the black inscription on 2nd class (CL16S) stamps at Cheltenham PO.

UPDATE 13 January.

If you read the comments you will see that Post Office Ltd (POL) has awarded a contract for the supply of new SSKs to imageHolders - that may mean new stamps, time will tell.

Trevor has added this information from the imageHolders website website:

Post Office branches continue to play a vital role in communities
As Post Office branches continue to play a vital role in communities, this initiative ensures they meet the evolving expectations of today’s customers. The new self-service kiosks will enable quick access to key services, like:

Postal Services: Send parcels, buy stamps, and more.
Home Shopping Returns: Return items without the hassle.
Electronic pre-advice and overseas services
Printed confirmation and tracking detail
By streamlining these services, the kiosks will allow staff to focus on complex queries, enhancing overall customer satisfaction.

Kiosk Accessibility at the Forefront
We’re committed to ensuring these kiosks are accessible to everyone. Our design is focused on inclusivity, with features like ergonomic screens and assistive technology support, including screen readers and braille interfaces. It’s all part of making sure that every visitor to the Post Office has a positive experience.

Richard Satchell, our CEO, shares:

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Post Office to help deliver more efficient and accessible services to customers across the UK. Our self-service kiosks will not only reduce wait times and improve customer satisfaction but will also ensure that these essential services remain inclusive to everyone, regardless of their abilities.”

Kiosks Rolling Out Across the Nation

The nationwide rollout is set to begin in Spring 2025, with self-service kiosks being introduced in a select number of Post Office branches before expanding to more branches across the country. This partnership signifies a major milestone in both imageHOLDERS’ and the Post Office’s ongoing missions to modernize service delivery, enhance customer experiences, and meet the changing needs of today’s consumers.

“Post Office is committed to enhancing customer service across the network, working in partnership with our Postmasters and retail partners,” commented Neal Newbrook, Propositions Manager, Post Office.

“Introducing these new self-service kiosks will make it easier and more efficient for customers to access the Post Office mail products they require. We are excited to work with imageHOLDERS on this key project that will help postmasters and our retail partners meet evolving customer needs.”

We look forward to this new chapter and can’t wait for you to experience our kiosks in action!

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Update 28 April

Various contributors have mentioned kiosks now being 'Card Only'.  (See details in the comments.)

From RW here is a picture of the screen as it now appears.

New screen display showing 'CARD ONLY' on self-service kiosk in PO Branch Paignton.

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UPDATE 8 May 2025.  In connection with Trevor's comment of today, this is the label on the machines in Sunderland.

Added to NCR SSK machines at Sunderland. (Thanks Trevor)

UPDATE 5 June 2025

The Postage Labels UK blog has been revived and contains information about the machines which will replace the currently failing SSKs.  The new machines will be non-cash (as the old are becoming), with more details, picture, and links here.

UPDATE 10 June 2025

I asked Post Office about the situation at Sheffeld and Chesterfield (see comments). I didn't get  an answer about those branches, but they did say:

"We are continuing to develop and test new look SSKs over the summer and launch initial capabilities in the autumn with the existing 200 or so branches with SSKs getting these new machines by March 2026.

"The SSKs will continue to be developed and we expect other designs becoming available and further expansion of automation solutions over the next 2-3 years and this will be spread out to big branches across the country."

UPDATE 21 June 2025

Here is the error described by Trevor in the current note.  This occurs at Gt Portland Street branch on kiosk 67, with the 1st class stamp printed from the second class slot and the 2nd class stamp was printed on the top half of a standard QE label from the third slot.

Errors on kiosk 67 at Great Portland Street June 2025.

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UPDATE 17 April 2025

RW sent this picture of a Guernsey Arms Post and Go stamp with the inscription G.I.C. and reports that the kiosk that they used to print this stamp was being moved and they dropped it.

It's reported that they can't repair it and the one in the Bureau is not compatable so there is some question about what will happen with the 'Visiting Cruise Ships' overprints.

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UPDATE 9 September.  News from RW of Singapore's POPDrop machine, of which more details here on their website.

Singapore Post's POPDrop machine

We don't have any examples of the labels or stamps from this yet. 

Update 7 October.  My thanks to KR who provided this image of a label (of Aug 2025) from the General Post Office machine. 

KR writes: Singapore is celebrating her 60th birthday in 2025 (National Day is 9 Aug) (hence the SG60) on the label.
It may be a time-limited label for National Day - I will update on what labels it dispenses should I visit the GPO again.
The dragon playground is nostalgic for Singaporeans as it was built in the 80s around the neighbourhoods  

Singapore POPDrop machine 5c label with SG60 logo.

Update 11 November

KR reports that the National Day labels are no longer in use and these are now dispensed.

For more information on similar (ATM) labels worldwide visit the Gulfmann ATM Collection blog. 

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All news about P&G in 2025 will be here, and comments for the old (January 2024) post have been closed.   If you have any late news for 2024 please email it to me at the usual address and I will add it.

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Amazing Prestige Stamp Book Errors - the latest episode.

Ever year, though not every issue, we report different types of error on Prestige Stamp Books: missing panes, duplicate panes, inverted pane, perforation errors, miscuts, and so on.

But we've never had anything quite like the one in the image that was sent to me today.

Churchill PSB definitive pane on Tallents House FDC - with duplicated datamatrix code!

My thanks to IG for sharing this with us all.  It's an amazing error - and of course there must be more because however these are printed, in whatever sheet or reel format (probably the latter as it is especially for automatic addition to Royal Mail first day covers) - each of the stamps should have a unique datamatrix code.  The two codes on each stamp are indeed different.

If anyone else has received a similar error, it will be very interesting to know just how many we can record.

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Late arrival in the Machin collection.

It's 18 months since the King Charles definitives were issued, but as we know Royal Mail printers produced an enormous number of 2nd and 1st class Machin definitives such that they are still being sold now, and are certainly still being provided in the SwapOut scheme.  

But there is still room for discoveries and I am indebted to CB for sending this picture of a massive shift of the iridescent layer on a 1st class booklet stamp.  So large is the shift that it is impossible to establish whether this is from a book of 8 MEIL or book of four, MFIL.

UPDATE: Thanks to HJF & DG I can confirm that this is a MFIL/M22L stamp with barcode date 14.03.22 based on interpretation of the barcode.

1st class Machin booklet stamp with 2mm left shift and slight downward shift of the iridescent printing.

The email reminded me that I had been given an identical stamp (on cover) by a relative.  Unfortunately neither example is postmarked so we don't know where the stamps were used.  

Second example of a 1st class Machin booklet stamp with 2mm left shift and slight downward shift of the iridescent printing.

If you do get stamped mail - and Christmas is coming - it's still worth looking for oddities like this.  Whilst not valuable it is interesting, especially if you can include a photograph in your collection which shows the error more clearly.

I don't recall seeing anything as prominent as this on the barcoded stamps before.

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PSB make-up errors are back - Dungeons & Dragons with two definitive panes

It's four years since we reported on duplicated stamp panes in prestige books (the last duplicate of any sort was the cover of the Platinum Jubilee book), but I am pleased to say that another one has occurred.

My thanks to PMJ who bought this book in Reading Post Office.  The first image shows the back of one self-adhesive pane and the front of the other.  The second image is unfortunately out of focus but it's difficult to take a photo one-handed while splaying the pages with the other hand.  But obviously there are two definitive panes.

Dungeons and Dragons Prestige Stamp Book with the plain reverse of a definitive pane on the left facing a second pane.

Dungeons and Dragons Prestige Stamp Book two definitive panes.

Please let us know if you find any other errors on PSB make-up.  And browse here to see many previous instances.

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July Slogan Postmarks and other interesting postal markings.

With the general election campaign in full swing, the Postal Vote slogan continued into July.  Other postmarks which I suggested might appear in June did not, and Dog Awareness Week is marked this month.

The reminder to return Postal Votes early.   A very clear example from Birmingham Mail Centre dated 02/07/2024 has been sent by JG,

Return your
postal vote early
for 4 July election 

Postal Vote slogan Birmingham Mail Centre 02/07/2024

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That was the last day for the voting slogan, and it was replaced the next day with the Dog Awareness Week slogan with the usual circular design, but without the dates, and with the added slogan Protect Your Postie.  Here's one from JG from SE Wales 03/07/2024.

DOG Awareness Week slogan, De Dd Cymru SE Wales 03/07/2024

UPDATE:  Thanks to JE for the other layout of this slogan from Croydon Mail Centre 04-07-2024

DOG Awareness Week slogan, Croydon Mail Centre 04-07-2024

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UPDATE 19 July:  My thanks to KD for sending this example of a Movember slogan, used in July!  Not from Tyne & Wear, the usual place for 'out-of-time' slogans, but Jubilee Mail Centre on 18-07-2024.  This is actually a wording that I don't remember seeing before:

It's time to rethink men's health
Be part of the solution at
Movember.com

 

New 'Movember' slogan used at Jubilee Mail Centre 18-07-2024 (yes, July!)

UPDATE 22 July.  My thanks to JLB for a second example of the Movember slogan from North & West Yorkshire Mail Centre - unfortunately the date is illegible, but it does seem likely that this is a nationwide campaign - I await information from those who have more access.
 

'Movember' slogan used at North & West Yorkshire Mail Centre ??-07-2024.

UPDATE 23 JULY: I've had a couple of reports of the Movember slogan from other mail centres, including Medway on 19th July.  But a letter we received this morning from Chester Mail Centre posted Monday 22nd July which uses the default British Heart Foundation slogan.

Default British Heart Foundation slogan, Chester & N Wales 22/07/2024

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OTHER POSTMARKS AND POSTAL MARKINGS

Again thanks to JLB who sent this copy of a Certificate of Posting for Online Postage. The package was taken to Lincoln DO (having failed to be collected) where it was stamped with this red oval.

Lincoln DO red oval handstamp dated 26 SEP 2023

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UPDATE: From time to time questions are asked on forums, or I get emails asking about the dumb handstamps introduced back in 2015.

This is the latest.  There aren't many of these in use now, and it may be that the ink-pads (they are supposed to be self-inking, like counter datestamps) cannot be renewed.  If the device is held opened, and banged onto a traditional ink-pad thus inking the frame, thus accounting for the box around the wavy lines.

I still think this would have been better:

Wavy lines and Maltese Cross handstamp trialled in 2015.

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If you have any other slogans used this month, or any other interesting postal markings from any period or place, please send them to the email address in the top right of this blog.  Thank you.

Remember, all postmarks appearing in July will be added to this post, so check here before you spend time scanning and emailing. 

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More on pre-printed King Charles stamps on Direct Mail (PPI)

We in the UK hear a lot about 'non-doms' in the media and from politicians and tax campaigners.  If you are not aware of this don't worry, this is just a play on words, because here we have what is, as far as I can recall, the first 'non-denom'.  An NVI in the truest sense!

Apparently this is the latest mailshot 'To The Occupier' from the Salvation Army and the picture was sent to me today by DR, who says a number of his friends have received them.  

I don't think we have seen one like this before, nor from the previous reign (though your memory may be better than mine!).

Non-denominated 2nd class green PPI King Charles III definitive on Salvation Army mailshot.

UPDATE 23 April 2024

My thanks to Jon on Stampboards for showing this amazingly poor example of the 2nd class King Charles PPI - it should, of course, be green.

Mailshot from Leaders of Great Britain (LCGB) of London, events organisers, with very poorly printed 2nd class King Charles III imprinted stamp.

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Christmas 2023 booklet with missing barcodes sold over PO counter.

In October last year a postmaster found, in his new stock, a sheet of 2nd class stamps with no datamatrix barcodes, which we reported here. 

Well before the stamps were due to be issued an image of this sheet was shared on a postmaster chat forum and, although we don't know the full facts, it came to the attention of Royal Mail and it seems that Post Office Ltd arranged for the stamps to be withdrawn. They were apparently never sold over the counter, nor direct to collectors or dealers.

Not so in this case.

Earlier this month I was alerted to another case.  The writer had found the earlier blog post and wrote with details and an image, and this time the error is on a 2nd class booklet. 

Christmas 2023 2nd class booklet with missing barcode

The writer tells that the booklet was sold at a branch in Surrey.  

This error is previously unreported: nobody has mentioned this or similar errors to me before, nor to the Modern British Philatelic Circle (MBPC), the Great Britain Philatelic Society, and no dealers have reported it, and nor have the three monthly magazines with wide circulation in the UK.

The owner is interested in its value.  As I explained, 

The way they are printed, there must be - unless quality control only let a few out in error - a dozen or more, maybe 50.  The fact that they haven't been reported means that:

- they were spotted after your booklet was sold, reported, and returned to the warehouse;

- they were sold but haven't been used, which would be unlikely for Christmas stamps at Christmas;

- they were sold and people who bought them are holding on to them to see if any others are reported - if everybody does that of course it is down to the first one to blink. 

---- or a combination of these.

UPDATE 3 March

I suppose it is a sign of the times that the first comment on this is that the booklet might be counterfeit, never mind the fact that there would be no point in counterfeiting an error rather than a stamp-as-issued. This reflects the plethora of forgeries on the market now, not only of Machin and KC3 definitives, but also many Christmas stamps and, more latterly, gummed special stamps.

To my mind it is an error, nothing more nothing less.  Let me remind you that these were probably printed in the summer, at a similar time to the sheet stamps with missing barcode which were recalled before they could be issued. 

Christmas stamps are printed well in advance of issue. Other special stamp issues are not printed quite as far in advance of the issue date.  Also issued last summer was the River Wildlife set which included the error of a single phosphor band on the 1st class stamps. 

And in February the King Charles valued definitives were printed in sheet form.  We don't know exactly when the coil stamps for first day covers - produced erronesusly without U-shaped slits - were printed but it would have been well before November.  What seems evident is that all these - River Wildlife, Definitives, Christmas sheets and Christmas booklets - were produced during the first 9 months of 2023. 

Although there were other errors, most notably involving prestige stamp books which had missing or duplicated stamp or interleave panes (or covers), or which had serious miscuts or other misalignments, these types of errors were occurring many times over the life of this blog.  

If you look at the word-cloud in the right-hand column of this page, you will see that 'Error' runs to 127 posts.  This does include pre-release usage, and various Post and Go errors, as well as errors in the design (Wales 1st class font types), the missing P from the source code in PSB stamps (M_IL), and errors of colour the 81p PSB stamp) or make-up/inclusion (The £1.17 stamp included in a PSB after it ceased to pay a postage rate), but it also includes many instances of "these should not have made it to the public"!

So errors of one sort or another have abounded, and they really came to a peak in 2023.  It doesn't seem to be unreasonable that the booklet under discussion is another one in the 2023 errors saga.

I hope that publication here and by the Societies and magazines will come to the attention of anybody else who might have one of these and we will then have a better idea of how many there might be.

If any dealer wishes to suggest a value for my contributor, then I shall be pleased to pass it on.

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