Slogan postmarks for July 2026 - and other interesting postal markings.

We are a third of the way through July but so far I have had no reports of new slogans.  Royal Mail has featured in many news articles about dog attacks on postal workers, and by now we would have expected to see a Dog Awareness slogan, but no.

So once again we have the British Heart Foundation, and I can show both examples received here. Bristol Mail Centre 04/07/2026 and Norwich Mail Centre 08-07-2026.

BHF Norwich Mail Centre 08-07-2026

BHF Bristol (BA,BS,GL,TA) Mail Centre 04/07/2026

 

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OTHER POSTMARKS AND POSTAL MARKINGS

Our reader in Canada (SS) has sent a picture of a cover with a new counter datestamp.  This is another case of not identifying the town or area because the inscription on the SID is simply VICTORIA ROAD.  This could be in north London, in Romford, Leeds, Swindon and Kirkby in Ashfield. Fortunately, being tracked, we can see that it was posted in the Swindon area.

Victoria Road, Swindon, self-inking datestamp 01 07 2026

International Tracked and Signed letter from Swindon to Vancouver, Canada.

Victoria Road, Swindon, from Google maps.

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Update 13 July  I've just posted details of summer post office closures, but here is news from Northern Ireland of a new opening.  Thanks to GF for this:

"Killycomain Road" in Portadown, Northern Ireland is inside a completely new shop - EuroSpar at 117 Killycomain Road, Portadown, Craigavon, BT63 5JH, complete with petrol forecourt and parking.

There is an older "Killycomain" post office in Russells Food & Drink, 23-25 Gilford Road, Portadown, Craigavon, BT63 5EF (16 minutes walk away)

Another PO nearby is "Seagoe, Craigavon" in Spar, 52 Lurgan Road, Portadown. (Also about 16 minutes away)

Craigavon was to be a new town (like Milton Keynes) begun in 1965 and was meant to link Portadown & Lurgan - but it didn't work.  Wikipedia has an article about Craigavon.  If you live in Portadown or Lurgan you are supposed to put "Craigavon" in your address - but a lot of us don't.

Illustrations of the three self-inking datestamps.  The new one is another one without a town name.

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Update 24 July.  Another contribution from our correspondent SS in Canada of part of a Moths first day cover sent by special delivery.  This is often done because the place has an association with the subject of the stamps: I can't find any such link here, and it's not a first day of issue either. The self-inking datestamp shows only the name of the village.

Benenden self-inking datestamp, 13 July 2026

Benenden is near Cranbrook in Kent and the Community Shop incorporates the post office.

Benenden Community Shop, Post Office and Cafe, Google streetview 2016

Benenden is probably best known for Benenden School, a private girls boarding school located to the north of the village.

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Update 25 July.  It may not be a busy month for slogans but readers have made many contributions with other postmarks - thank you.  MikeM has sent a picture of a 1990 postcard to Australia which I have covered in more detail on the Modern British Postal History blog, but it is notable for this ROYAL MAIL INTERNATIONAL LETTERS postmark which, I suppose, must have been applied in Mount Pleasant, London.

Royal Mail International Letters 25 May 1990 packet-size stamp used on postcard to Australia.

I don't remember seeing one of these before, but then I don't remember much these days!  If you have any other examples, please do send them.

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Update 29 July.  The last addition for this month has been sent by JohnH and is this self-inking datestamp from Billericay in Essex. I often used to pass through there en route from Kent to the northern parts of Essex back in the 1960s. I expect it has change a lot since then.  This was the post office until 2012, but I expect the town mourned the loss of the blacksmith's shop which was previously on the site.

Billericay Post Office (1938-2012): Billericay Community Archive

Billericay self-inking datestamp 25 July 2026

Unfortunately there isn't a current 'street view' on Google Maps - given how quickly our High Streets change you would think they could get their car down there more often than every two years!
 

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

A reminder of what these monthly listings are for.  

For each month I record the different slogans in use, plus the default slogan that is used when there is nothing else.

For each of these I try to record only one of each of the basic two types, plus any that are reversed on square envelopes, which normally only gives three or four.  

Occasionally a slogan appears with different line spacing in the same format. 

I do not record multiple versions of the same as any of these unless I later get a much better example of one that I showed purely for the record, but which is otherwise not very clear.

The only exception to this, which doesn't seem to happen much these days, is when a slogan is used well out of time.  

I mention this only to avoid readers unnecessarily duplicating what has already been provided.

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1st class up 10p, 2nd class up 4p in half-yearly rates changes on 7 April 2026, new stamps 26 March.

Royal Mail has announces new tariffs effective from 7 April 2026, new stamps on 26 March 2026.

"From 7 April 2026 the price of Second Class stamps will increase by 4p to 91p and the price of First Class stamps will be £1.80, an increase of 10p.

"The new price of a Second Class stamp remains 65p below the European average price of £1.56 and a First Class stamp is 13p below the European average of £1.93. Under the Universal Service in France, Germany and Spain customers only have the option of paying for a three-day service. France charges £1.92 for a Second Class stamp, 12p more than a First Class, next day, service in the UK.

"The stamp price rises reflect the continued rise in cost of delivery for every letter as letter volumes decline and the number of addresses increases. The average household now receives only four letters per week, down from 14 at their peak over 20 years ago, while the number of addresses has risen by four million.

"Richard Travers, Managing Director of Letters at Royal Mail said: “We always consider price changes very carefully, balancing affordability with the rising cost of delivering mail. On average, UK adults now spend just £6.50 each year on stamps and there are 70% fewer letters sent than 20 years ago. In the meantime, the number of addresses we deliver to has increased by four million to 32 million addresses across the UK.”

(Press release)

New tariff analysis 

(New prices in bold, reduced in red, unchanged in italics.)

	1st		2nd
Letter	1.80	1.70	0.91	0.87
Large Letter – 100g	3.30	3.15	1.55	1.55
- 250g	3.60	3.60	1.90	2.00
- 500g	3.60	3.60	2.40	2.40
- 750g	3.60	3.60	2.70	2.70
Small Parcel 2kg	5.45	5.09	4.25	3.99
Medium Parcel 2kg	8.05	7.45	6.95	6.49
- 10kg	10.05	9.35	8.75	8.19
- 20kg	15.45	14.25	13.15	12.25

Signed For prices for 1st class Letters rise by 20p, and Large Letters by 10-25p; 2nd class letter is up by 14p, Large Letters by 10p. Parcels show rises across the board. 

Tracked 24/48 prices show small rises with basic Large Letter (up to 1lg) prices increased by 10p to £3.95 (24) and by 35p to £3.30 (48).  Parcels show 5-7% rises.

Special Delivery up to 100g rise 7.5% from £9.25 to £9.95, up to 500g from 6.8% from £10.25 to £10.85.  The 9 a.m. option increases are lower this year from £49.95 to £53.95 for the basic 100g weight! 

International rates.  The basic worldwide letter and postcard rate rises by 20p again from £3.40 to £3.60 (5.8%) airmail and from £3.30 to £3.50 for Economy (surface).

The price for airmail Large Letters up to 100g increases by 30p to all zones (so from £3.50 to £3.80 for Europe, £4.30 to £4.60 worldwide); other weight bands rise by around 6%.

International premium services

The price for 100g International Tracked to Europe increases from £9.75 to £9.95. Outside Europe the rises vary from 10% in Zones 1 & 2 to only 5% for Zone 3 (USA – possibly compensating for both reduced volume, and the administration fee for processing US Tariffs).

I haven't had time to do a comprehensive comparison, especially of rates which are less used like Tracked Small Parcels, but one that stands out is the World Zone 1. Whilst Zone 2 rates stay the same at all weights, Zone 3 (USA) increases by about 6% (with a note that this is subject to change!), Zone 1 (which is the whole world except the USA, Europe and Oceania) shows some increases by a massive 25% (which means for 250g from £16.00 to £19.90), and for 2kg 16% from £31.70 to £36.90.

There are smaller rises for the now 'Documents only' International Tracked and Signed where the compensation has been reduced from £50 to £20 to match the standard airmail.

New Stamps from 26 March 2026 (updated in blue)

There will be three new stamps, for the 100g letter rates, costing a nice round £12 for the set (DS2400).

DS2400A £3.60 Purple Heather for letter rates  - Printed 13/01/26
DS2400B £3.80 Aqua Green for Large letter to Europe - Printed 14/01/26
DS2400C £4.60 Sapphire Blue for Large letter to the rest of the world - Printed 15/01/26

Pre-issue publicity images of airmail stamps to be issued 27 March 2026.

The stamps are printed in press sheets of 8 panes; I have Col 1 Row 4 of the £3.60, Col 2 Row 2 of the £3.80 and of the £4.60.  The coding is, as it should be, MAIL M26L.

Royal Mail customers with a regular order for definitive stamp sets will receive this set as part of their ongoing subscription.  There will also be an official first day cover and single-stamp presentation pack. 

Other charges

The cost of a PO Box will be increased by 12% to £416.40. Twelve months' redirection, which was 100x the 2nd class rate at £87 is increased to £95.

Context for older stamps

I've been looking at some older Post and Go sets.  A Collector's set of Poppies bought in only 2018 cost £8.18.  The postage value at the new rates will be almost two-and-a-half times that at £19.50!

 

 

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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

UPDATE 9 December.  Surprisingly yet another variation; this one has four lines from Jubilee Mail Centre 05-12-2025, thanks TP.

Welcome President Steinmeier State Visit slogan Jubilee Mail Centre 05-12-2025

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

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UPDATE 12 December.  Before we get to the Christmas reminders slogans greetings cards have brought forth a rash of examples of the default British Heart Foundation slogan, with three variants so far.  Even I have some!

Firstly thanks to RW for this one from Tyneside on 09/12/2025 which arrived as I was scanning mine from Gatwick.  But I also have one in the other format from Norwich 08-12-2025.  

British Heart Foundation slogan, Tyneside Mail Centre 09/12/2025

British Heart Foundation slogan, Norwich Mail Centre 08-12-2025

 And MM sent us the first reversed one on a square envelope, also from Tyneside on 08/12/2025 

Reversed British Heart Foundation slogan, Tyneside Mail Centre 08/12/2025

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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.

UPDATE: We understand that there will be no 'post early' slogans this year; as we are only a week away from Christmas, that is not much of a surprise.   What will be a surprise is if Royal Mail start using stamp-issue related slogans next year.  

UPDATE 17 March 2026.  The March 2026 edition of the British Postmark Society Journal has a report that the Universal machine was still in use at Stromness, Orkney, using the Snowman slogan.  Although the example shown as no year in the die (no new date slugs were provided after 2021), it was used on a 2025 Christmas stamp, which is conclusive proof.

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UPDATE 7 January.  I showed a slogan from Ireland last month.  Here's one from the USPS, where ink-jet slogans are slowly getting better.

United States Postal Service Happy Holidays slogan used Santa Ana California.

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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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Galmpton in Devon was mentioned here in 2023 when a self-inking datestamp was in use.  The latest missive from there (thank you RW) is a new-type single-circle which looks like rubber - it turns out that this is a private production, similar to the Mailer's Permits used in the USA, and not a new counter datestamp.  

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Blackheath Village, Kent.  The branch is in an impressive building and was taken over by WHSmith in 2016, much to the surprise of the local historical society.  As you can see from these Google streetview pictures the original post office (built in 1911) had wooden doors below an impressive stone identity.  Whilst the latter has been retained, the new owners ripped out the wooden doors and replaced them with glass and steel. Obviously this building did not have nationally listed status although it is on Lewisham’s register of locally-listed buildings and is recognised by the Council as a building of character in the Blackheath Conservation Area.

Thanks to SH for the example of the self-inking datestamp which led to this story.

Blackheath Village self-inking counter datestamp 5 December 2025.

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Enquiry Office handstamps - JW has sent this example from Edinburgh North West DO dated today 13 DEC 2025.  (digitally enhanced)

Edinburgh North West DO / 13 DEC 2025 / Royal Mail handstamp

Certificate of posting for online postage, Edinburgh NW DO

Although this means not using stamps, such material is important to obtain and record, so sometimes we have to resort to unconventional practices - a bit like sending stamps to yourself by special delivery to get them fine used.

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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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Is this a new label, or a very old one?

I've been using a stock of old premium services barcoded labels for many years now, some go faster than the others.  International Tracked is probably slowest of all!

My question is prompted by the latest image sent to me by our Canadian correspondent which has a different label.

All my stock has a solid colour border - green for International Tracked & Signed, orange for International Tracked, dark blue for International Signed For, etc.

The one on SS's cover has no coloured border, and the legend at the foot is all text and no graphics - but the barcode number is earlier alphabetically - RF 5821.... rather than my RN 20297 ....

At a guess I would say that this is an earlier one, rather than more recent and - because it was posted in the Southampton area and postmarked by the Mail Centre rather than a post office branch - I would say this might be from big dealer Rushstamps.

I've not seen one of these before - anyone else?

UPDATE 23 October Thanks to Tom (see comments) the source of these has been identified.

The label on the cover is identified on Royal Mail's Track & Trace webpages as a 'business label' - presumably supplied to business account customers on request.  Here are some screenshots from that page.  I still don't remember seeing any of these so I suspect not many businesses (or not many philatelic businesses) use them.

It is interesting that the more detailed ones are for post office branches, because the graphic instructions at the foot describe what is done at delivery.

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All stamps are - or were - all valid for all services, inland and international.

A recent comment on the previous post asserted that it was not possible to use 2 x 1st class (£1.70) stamps to pay the international postcard or letter rate as the non-denominated (NVI) stamps were only to be used for the service mentioned.

This is totally incorrect as the following examples will demonstrate.  Of course many of these are old-style Machins but the same applies now to stamps and Post and Go stamps.

International Mail

£1.57, 5p and 1st class paying correct rate to Australia

World 20g, World 60g, Europe 20g and Machins airmail to Australia

Denominqted and 2 x 1st class to France

 

Postage on this expensive package to the USA includes a 1st class stamp

From a reader in Canada for the postmarks posts, the postage here is made of 4 recent 1st class stamps, an old 2nd class plus 50p

 

Likewise this one does precisely what was suggested in the other post, using very old 2 x 1st class stamps to (over-)pay the current £3.20 rate

Recent packet to Belarus used 1st class Large datamatrix Machin and denominated stamps

   

I don't have examples of  airmail stamps used inland, nor special delivery used on medium parcels sent by ordinary mail, but they do exist.  They are a way to get these higher value stamps fine used for collections.

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Parcel and tracked prices to increase again from October 2025.

Parent company International Distribution Services (IDS) announcing a return to profit for Royal Mail for the year ending 31 March 2025,  and maybe as a result of this there are no changes to basic letter prices for the second half of this year.

Royal Mail significantly improved its financial and operational performance, returning to an adjusted operating profit (excluding voluntary redundancy costs) of £12 million for the first time in three years, following significant losses in 2022-23 and 2023-24. This is in line with guidance and was achieved despite an increasingly competitive and challenging trading environment.

Not included in the announcement, nor anywhere else in the IDS Media Centre pages, but included on the Royal Mail website is a new 'Our Prices' leaflet (pdf) effective from 6 October 2025.  

No change to inland letter prices

The headline news for most of us is that basic Letter and Large Letter prices remain unchanged for both 2nd and 1st class.  Prices for Small Parcels show very modest increases of 10p and 9p for 1st and 2nd class, whilst Medium Parcels rise by 4% or under.  (New prices in bold, unchanged in italics.)

	1st		2nd
Letter	1.70	1.70	0.87	0.87
Large Letter – 100g	3.15	3.15	1.55	1.55
- 250g	3.60	3.60	2.00	2.00
- 500g	3.60	3.60	2.40	2.40
- 750g	3.60	3.60	2.70	2.70
Small Parcel 2kg	5.09	4.99	3.99*	3.90
Medium Parcel 2kg	7.45	6.99	6.49	6.29
- 10kg	9.35	8.99	8.19	7.89
- 20kg	14.25	13.69	12.25	11.89

Signed For prices for Letters and Large Letters remain similarly unchanged whilst parcels show small rises.  (* Thanks to everybody who pointed out the error; the fact that it wasn't in italics showed that there was a change, I just didn't finish editing it.)

Tracked 24/48 prices show small rises across the board with a basic Large Letter (up to 750g) prices increased by 15p, to £3.80 (24) and £2.95 (48), with the same increases for the Signature option.  Parcels show small rises.

Special Delivery up to 100g rise 5.7% from £8.75 to £9.25, up to 500g from 4% from £9.85 to £10.25.  Those who choose the 9 a.m. option see 28% increase from £38.95 to £49.95 for the basic 100g weight! 

International rates.  The basic worldwide letter and postcard rate rises from £3.20 to £3.40 (6.25%) airmail and from £3.10 to £3.30 for Economy (surface). Prices for airmail Large Letters and Parcels for all Zones remain unchanged, while Economy rates over 250g increase.    Economy Small Parcels rise by from 17% to over 30%.

The good news is that prices for all premium services (International Signed, International Tracked, and International Tracked and Signed) remain unchanged. 

New stamp

This means that there will be a new £3.40 stamp.  More details when we have them from Royal Mail - readers say that the stamp will be issued on 30 September, from their standing order advice notes.

UPDATE 8 September:

A new £3.40 definitive stamp, representing the new international postage rate for letters up to
100g, will be introduced by Royal Mail on 30 September 2025. The £3.40 stamp is printed in Dark
Green. The King’s effigy appears alongside a 2D barcode printed in matching colour alongside the
main body of the stamp, separated by a simulated perforation line.

King Charles III £3.40 definitive in dark green, to be issued 30 September 2025.

Royal Mail customers with a regular order for definitive stamp sets will receive this set as part of their
ongoing subscription.  There will also be an official first day cover and single-stamp presentation pack.

RM Product code DS2200 Dark Green: up to 100g all Europe & World Zones 

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