Post and Go and other Stamps News round-up

As reported elsewhere I was fortunate to visit Kidderminster last Sunday and buy some different Euro20/World10 Faststamps from the Wincor machine in the WHSmiths branch*.  It seem unlikely that any more new stamps will now be found (other than Winter Greenery perhaps) so it is a useful time to summarise and link to the stock we have on our shop.

Click on the image to go to that stamp in the shop, and click on Recent Additions when there to see the others - while stocks last!

Spring Blooms

Machin undated and MA13

Sheep and Pigs

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Freshwater Lakes

 

Also reported but not yet stocked by us, Cattle, Union Flag and possibly other Freshwater Life.

It's not clear whether the Winter Greenery stamps will appear in Wincor-Nixdorf machines.  The manager at Kidderminster told me that they had not had Poppies or Symbolic Flowers, so it seems unlikely.  The situation is not helped by the Royal Mail Post Office split, the official response from Royal Mail being:

The intention was for Symbolic Flowers to be followed by the Poppy and then, on 13 November, to be replaced by Winter Greenery. Maybe some offices didn’t receive the information and therefore didn’t order the stock.

This indicates that the PO Supplies Department at Swindon is not sending the stock out automatically (although I think they ought to for new issues).  If we are reliant on individual branches ordering new stamps then it may be difficult in the future to be sure what will be on sale where, unless concerned collectors and dealers approach the branches a couple of weeks before a new issue is due.  Even then, it's reported that NCR offices, which mostly have at least 3 machines, received two rolls of Poppies and then were unable to order any more, meaning that some have no Poppies on sale in the period immediately before Remembrance Day.

* For those visiting Kidderminster, the branch is about 150 yards from The Bullring, where you can also find J D Wetherspoons Penny Black pub which serves a good all-morning breakfast and Sunday Roast!

New printings of reissued stamps

I checked Norwich's stock of definitive-sized Lest We Forget Poppies stamp on 21 October and found that they had a 2013 printing.  However, the 1st and 2nd class 2013 Madonna Christmas stamps are also reissued this year (the 2007 stamps having been retired), and the ones that Doug has sent pictures of are new 2014 printings, 11 June for the 1st class, and 23 June for the 2nd.  

UPDATE: Robert reports 12 June for 1st class and 20 June for 2nd.  (21st & 22nd were weekend)

These top-half sheets do not have the cylinder numbers but I don't expect any changes there, especially given the 5-Nov-2013 Sale Date still present in the left margin (but who knows otherwise?)

Thanks to John F for pointing out that on the examples he has seen the date in the phosphor is still ‘2013’ for both first & second class. This points to the same cylinders being used and means that there will be no new catalogue entry for these.  However, it doesn't mean that there will be no shade variations, as happened with the various printings of the previous long term 'alternative' Madonnas.

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Yet another unannounced Post and Go Faststamp change

Remember the Tariff Change at the end of March, when Royal Mail suddenly realised that they really ought to keep the 97p postcard and basic Worldwide letter rate? 

Emergency measures were taken with Post and Go machines and, after a false promise of a nationwide change in April, the NCR software was changed in June so that the 'Europe up to 20g' stamp was changed to read 'Euro 20g / World 10g'.


The special machines in use at philatelic events, and at the BPMA and NMRN also used this service indicator.  Those of us who thought about it generally reckoned that with the Wincor-Nixdorf machines being replaced rapidly their software would not be changed.  The Philatelic Bulletin (October p 55) confirmed that "The dual-value label was not vended from Wincor machines."

So imagine my surprise when this picture turned up this week from the other end of England to where the main action was supposed to be going on (London and Portsmouth) :

From machine number 1, so clearly not an NCR machine.  In fact, Spring Blooms from Chester-le-Street's Wincor-Nixdorf machine!

We await with bated breath your reports of availability on other stamps.  Brown Machins (various dates), Union Flag (also various dates), Symbolic Flowers, and possibly some of the older stock if any of it is left in Post Office branches yet to be converted.

This undated Union Flag (collector's strip) from Leeds was listed on eBay by melrider1949 *:

* Update: the same seller now also has the new Poppy stamp with this change, despite assertions elsewhere that this would not be provided to Wincor-Nixdorf offices.

Undated Machin example from Farringdon Road:

The Collectors Set shows clearly how the new caption is out of step with he others which were changed earlier in the year.  The 60g stamps still have the 'wrong' size figures which means that there are three different types in one set!

UPDATE 27 October:
Cattle were in the Macclesfield machine on Monday, but when that roll was exhausted they switched to Sheep, and then Freshwater Lakes. (Thanks to Robert and Stuart for these pictures)

Meanwhile at Chester-le-Street, Freshwater Lakes are now in use (thanks to Brian for the image )

Iain reports having bought Symbolic Flowers and Freshwater Rivers, but I don't know which offices these came from.

UPDATE 28 October:
Now, here's a surprise - the Wincor machines were not all changed at the same time!  Roy reports that Chesterfield has two machines, with K2 being from the previous office at 1 Market Place and retaining the branch code of 011340.  Whilst K1 was changed as previously described, K2 was unchanged at 11.45 am:

This error has since been rectified.

UPDATE 3 NOVEMBER
As a result of advice from readers (many thanks all) I visited Kidderminster on Sunday and secured some Machin MA13 versions from their Wincor-Nixdorf machine.  No other Faststamps were available because all old stock was returned to store when the Crown House post office closed and operations moved to the WHSmith shop in Vicars Street, about 100 yards away.

Meanwhile, as reported in the comments, Macclesfield's WN machine has been removed and is not being replaced.  Fortunately Stuart managed to get me some Pigs and these (with the Machin above) will soon be in our webshop.

In its last 2 weeks Macclesfield was using up old stocks which included all of the Farm Animals and at least two of the Freshwater Life sets.

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On this subject, these reports have been received in the last few days:

(1) Further conversions to NCR have now reduced Wincor in the Capital to a handful.
Wood Green has been NCR for some time and recent conversions are Great Portland Street and Junction Road.

Kensington (of poppy fame) has had Wincor withdrawn so NCR is imminent there.

I am sure it is not official but from today's observations it seems if a Wincor goes defective it is not been given priority for repair with Farringdon Road and also 2 of the 3 kiosks out of service at both Tudor Street and Clapham out of service.

The kiosk at Holloway is showing a Windows start up fault as it did two weeks ago, not checked were Finchley Road and Balham.

(2) I'm reliably informed that Harrogate W-N machines were removed this week (16 October) and York will be changed on 30 October.

(3) London's Baker Street's 2 W-N machines were withdrawn on 21 October.

(4) Sevenoaks NCR went live 31 October; Macclesfield W-N removed 31 October and not replaced;  Leeds W-N removed 27 October;  York W-N last day was 25 October.

I'm trying to get up to date information from Post Office Ltd.

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Contents of Post and Go machines on change of tariff 2014

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

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

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

Mock-ups of what we can expect

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

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

Only on-topic comments will be published!

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

See PostagelabelsUK blog.

UPDATE 10 April 2014

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

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

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

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REPORT 31 MARCH 2014

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

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

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

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

Contents of Machines

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

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

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

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

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

Norwich

BPMA

Old Street, London, Sheep

Trafalgar Square/William IV Street Rivers

Old Street Flags

Durham Silver Street

Glasgow St Vincent Street
Pigs and Cattle

Harrogate Sheep

Leeds Birds 4

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

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

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Christmas Robins Post and Go stamps make a return

As expected some Post Offices and other outlets are to use Robins Faststamps again this year.  This post will help keep track of what is happening where.

There is no formal 'first day' of Robins with the MA13 code at post offices.

1. The new stamps have been installed at the British Postal Museum and Archive in Phoenix Place effective 5 November.  These have the BPMA inscription and are sold from the Hytech/Next Generation machine.  (For images see here.)

2. Stamps with no additional inscription were on sale from machines A3 and A4 at the Stafford Stamp Fair on Friday 8 / Saturday 9 November. (For images see here.)

3. Use at ordinary post offices will be varied.  Some will continue to use MA12 stock which they have left over from last year.  Replenishment orders from Swindon stores may be MA12 initially then MA13.  Available at Trafalgar Square on 12 November - others see below!

4. It is likely that any 'pop-up' post office, as at Camden Lock last year, will use new stock. We have no details of such a post office yet - expect it in early December.  Details now available here.


Update 7 December - Summary of comments so far:

Old St London    5 November - robins not yet available
Farringdon St      5 November - no robins available
York (Lendal)      5 November - Christmas Pigs 
Glasgow              5 November - Flags in 1 (since exhausted), Machins in 2+3.
Edinburgh           5 November - Rivers in 1,2,3
Stockport             6 November - Robins MA12
Plymouth             6 November - "have no intention of having Robins" (they say!) §
London Baker St  6 November - Rivers
York (Lendal)       8 November - Pigs (thanks PB!)
London Farringdon R 12 November - Ponds (Christmas Newt)
*Exeter                  11 November - Robins MA12
Devon/Cornwall  11 November - MA12 Robins widespread
Exmouth              12 November - Birds 4, Christmas Ringed Plover
Tonbridge             12 November - Pigs
Trafalgar Sq       12 November - ROBINS MA13

Aldwych              13 November - m/c 1 Rivers, m/c 2 Flags
Norwich              13 November - ROBINS MA13 
Reading               13 November - Rivers in both machines
Harrogate             13 November - Machins (1), Rivers (2)
Maidstone            14 November - Machin (1), Rivers (2) 
Plymouth  §          16 November - Robins MA12 in all machines
Macclesfield         16 November - Pond life
* Exeter               16 November - Robins MA12 in 1+2, MA13 in 3
Paignton               16 November - Rivers (update - see 19th)
Yeovil                   16 November - Rivers
Balham High St    18 Nov - Lakes
Clapham High St  18 Nov - Rivers x 3 m/c
Lavender Hill        19 Nov - Cattle (Clapham Junction)
New Malden         19 Nov - Rivers (1), Robins MA12 (2)
Croydon               19 Nov - Robins MA13 in all machines
Paignton                19 Nov - Robins, MA12  
Tudor Street (L)  21 Nov - MA13 Robins, Flag + Machin (* flag MA13 only briefly)
Aldwych (Lon)    21Nov - Robins MA13
Bristol Galleries   22 Nov - Robins MA12 in all 5
Aberystwyth         22 Nov - Cattle 
* Exeter               23 Nov - still Robins MA12 in 1+2, MA13 in 3
Blackfriars Road   25 Nov - Lakes
Great Portland St  25 Nov -  Machin Head original
Baker Street          25 Nov -  Rivers in both m/c
Paddington            25 Nov - Union Flag (original) in both m/c
Birmingham        27 Nov - Flag in #2; Machin in #3, 7 and 8; Fish in #4-6; Robin MA13 in #9-10
Plymouth   §        28 Nov - Robins MA13

Update 13 December
Farringdon Road - Ponds
Blackfriars Road, Southwark - Sheep (not Lakes)
* Tudor Street - Machins, MA13 in machines 1 & 3. Union Flags, no date in machine 2
Aldwych - Robins, MA13 in both machines (no Rivers)
Covent Garden - 2nd class & 2nd class Large Machins, MA13 in one machine
.... and because no Rivers at Aldwych:-
Baker Street - Ponds (not Rivers)

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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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Freshwater Lakes Faststamps from Midpex Hytech machines.

As previously announced Royal Mail took Post and Go along the Fosse Way to Midpex - but there were two machines, not just one.  

Machines A3 and A4 which were taken to Melbourne for the Australia 2013 show were available with, for the first time from the Hytech machines, the Freshwater Lakes designs issued in Post Offices on 25 June 2013.

Freshwater Lakes collectors set, receipt, and Union Flag collectors set.  The Flag set from Hytech machines were first issued 26 September 2012.

 

As can be seen the receipt records the First Day of Availability of the Freshwater Life II stamps at Midpex, on 06/07/2013.  There is an error on the receipt as the postcode of the venue is CV31 1XN not CV11 and, as pointed out in the comments, Leamington is spelled incorrectly!

Unfortunately the machines were also operating while dealers were setting up on Friday afternoon/evening, so some receipts are available with the 5 July date.  (or not! - see below)

UPDATE 9 July

On the Saturday morning (6th July) I was told by a dealer "I got some Post and Go for xxxx, and they all have yesterday's date!"  From that I concluded that some were dated 5th.  It seems that is not the case, as Vince has now sent this:

"On Friday afternoon (5^th July) the two machines were set up. Due to location of the venue (i.e. country side) there was a week WiFi signal. It was taking longer than usual to process each transaction.  Fortunately there was a telephone connection in the office next to the machine, the Engineer managed to use the cable and get the connectivity. Receipts for the stamps purchased that afternoon were dated 6^th July. I don’t think that there were any receipts dated 5^th July.

"As the machines were left on during the night of Friday 5^th July, early users (mainly dealers) of the machine on Saturday 6^th July found that the receipts were dated 7^th July (i.e receipts were dated 6^th on 5^th so it would change to 7^th on 6^th). This was noticed and date corrected before the show opened at 10 am. "

Thanks Vince!!

IMPORTANT NOTE for Collectors:
When I go to events like this, I will often buy some of what is available, especially for long-time customers who have asked beforehand.  Inevitably after I have posted images here, more people contact us to ask if we have any for sale.  Usually the answer is no, or not in the form required.

In future I will make more effort to solicit your orders within the blog, before I go.  But if I don't and you would like me to try to get what you want, then please ask before the event, or by email/phone early on the day (see website for phone and email details).  

There is nothing easier, and cheaper, than selling something to somebody who has asked for it.  There is much more effort in buying for stock, judging what to buy, adding it to the shop, and waiting for people to pay for it. So take advantage of the opportunity, and ask before the event.

I won't be attending the York Fair.

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Freshwater Life and Butterflies stamps coming in the summer

We're now able to show you the images for two sets of stamps to be issued in the summer.   On 25 June the second set of 'Freshwater Life' Faststamps will be issued from (Wincor-Nixdorf) Post and Go machines in Post Office branches throughout the country.  

Water creatures from Lakes are, shown from upper left to lower right:
Perch, European Eel, Crucian Carp, Cadis-fly Larva, Arctic Char, Common Toad.

As usual these will be available for 6 service-indicators, with a total face value of £6.42.  At Autumn Stampex it is expected that these will be available from Hytech v2 machines.

Official First Day Postmarks (other special postmarks will be on our website)

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The 10 x 1st class Butterfly stamps will be issued on 11 July just before the National Butterfly Count campaign run by charity Butterfly Conservation.  

These are now images of the actual stamps (click on the images to see enlargements):

 Row 1: Comma, Orange Tip, Small Copper, Chalkhill Blue, Swallowtail

 Row 2: Purple Emperor, Marsh Fritillary, Brimstone, Red Admiral, Marbled White.

The 37 x 35 mm stamps will be printed in two sheets of 25/50 by Cartor Security Print in litho.  The design agency is MARCandANNA.

UPDATE MAY 2013
Royal Mail have sneaked into the programme another mixed retail stamp book: the Chalkhill blue and Comma will be issued in a self-adhesive booklet of 6 stamps with 4 x 1st class red Machin definitives which have code M13L MCIL.

A very colourful set which ought to be popular.

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