Royal Mail Produce Carnival of Post and Go Errors for Scottish Congress at Perth

As we reported earlier, Royal Mail once again took their Post and Go machine to the ASPS Scottish Congress at Perth, and not for the first time at a philatelic show managed to (being polite) make a complete disaster of the stamps they produced.

As the organisers put in their press release:

All [three designs, Machin, Lion and Thistle] will have the additional inscription:

88th Scottish Congress 2017

Except that they didn't.  None of the stamps produced at the show, from either machine, had the year 2017 shown.  And there were not just three stamps.  The Machin exists in at least undated, MA13 and I believe MA15 (now confirmed).

However, Royal Mail Tallents House also belatedly made pre-orders available using machine B001.  The minimum order was £150 (not that difficult to achieve these days) and the stamps would have to be collected from the show.  Saves time queuing up, and there is a different machine number, but I have to say I don't really see the point if you are there anyway.   But of course there was a point, and there were further surprises.  For a start, the stamps were not available at the show, and had to be posted on, only arriving yesterday and today.

Then, the inscription on B001 was as it was supposed to be.

Machin stamps from B001 are (I think) always MAIL-coded because I don't think Tallents House have finished using their original stock yet despite the number of stamps they produce from that machine.  But another surprise was in store as the Machin stamps sent to pre-orderers were neither MAIL, MA13 or MA15.... but these:

So the Royal Mail Philatelic Service has managed to produce stamps that are not even due for sale until 5 June this year with a special inscription at the end of April, a full six weeks early.
(Images mostly taken from eBay, from various sellers.  I've lost track of who the sellers are for each of the images taken, and my apologies to those sellers that I can't properly credit them.)

We have now reached the stage where we can't even guess at what errors might occur because each one that happens is even more beyond belief than the last.   Oh, we can explain to ourselves how it happens, but where on earth is the supervision, the knowledge, the understanding that would prevent it happening, or at least stop the stamps from being sent out to customers when it has happened.


UPDATE 5 May
I've been sent a copy of an email sent by Royal Mail to a customer who received the Anniversary Machin's on pre-order.

Following a careful review of the events that led to this, including the quantity of the pre-orders in question and the disruption and inconvenience caused to you at the show, on this occasion we have decided not to replace your order, you are therefore free to retain these stamps. I trust this solution matches your preferred option to retain the order and resell the stamps as originally intended.    

Once again please accept our apologies for the inconvenience and confusion caused both at the show and following the delivery of your pre-order. We have initiated a thorough review of the events and internal processes that led to this situation and will share with you the pre-order arrangements for future shows in due course.

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Post and Go M011 gets its logo

As predicted Post and Go Machine M011 at Ministry of Defence Abbey Wood Bristol has had the software updated today.   (See also here.)

A limited number of strips and single 1st class stamps will be available in our webshop when we actually have the stock.
Singles and Collectors Sets are now available in our webshop.   As with the earlier version without the logo, the Machin stamps are coded MA13.

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August News Update - Post and Go Stamps and Slogan Postmarks

Thanks to a loyal band of reporters who have keep their eyes peeled while I have been away, I can report several pieces of Post and Go Faststamp, and special Slogan Postmark news.

Post and Go from Singpex - 14-19 August 2015.


Thanks to Chris for a picture of the 'GB' Singpex Faststamps sent out (early on 13 August) from Royal Mail Tallents House.  These have MA13 year code.   Mike reports that his GB supplies from Tallents House have undated Machins!  What a pity Tallents House can't be consistent: if you wanted one of each you would have to keep buying and take pot-luck that you got what you wanted.

UPDATE 26 August 2015: Thanks to Michael at cddstamps who went to Singapore and has allowed me to use his pictures of the stamps and machines at the exhibition.  (Click on the images to see larger versions.)

New Museum Location for Post and Go machine......

Royal Mail is pleased to announce that machine A010 will go live at the Steam GWR Museum in Swindon from 25 August 2015. Union Flag and Machin designs will be available with a ‘STEAM GWR’ identifier.   (Thanks to DF for this.)

UPDATE 24August:  The kiosk will be in the entrance to the museum and there is no charge for access. A series of events are planned with this kiosk throughout 2016 when the Museum celebrates Swindon175.

UPDATE 26 August 2015: Thanks to Bob and Chris for these pictures from Swindon (again, click on them for larger versions).  The Machins are MA13 and the flags undated.

 

.... and a new location in Guernsey

Machine GG02 will go live from 2 September at Envoy House in Guernsey and will carry the Guernsey Flag as well as the Union Flag. The identifier will be ‘ Envoy House’.  (Also from DF.)

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Slogan Postmarks

Three better versions of the Edinburgh Fringe postmark first reported here.

Dorset and SW Hants basic version 10-08-2015

Nottingham Mail Centre 07.08.15 (Delivered by Royal Mail)

Plymouth and Cornwall 10.08.15 reverse format to an address in Wales, so with the bilingual 'Delivered by..' portion.

Coinciding with the issue of the Bees stamps, two versions of a slogan to promote their sale. Thanks to BM for these two.

BUZZ BUZZ / New Stamps / Explore British Bees / www.royalmail.com/bees 

From Swindon Mail Centre 17-08-2015

and Bristol (BA,BS,GL,TA) Mail Centre 17.08.15.

The use of this would allow for first day covers to be produced with this slogan - did anybody manage to get a good clean example?

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Post and Go Stamps Tariff Change News

As I mentioned a month ago, new postage rates came into effect today. Whilst the new definitive stamps were issued last week in preparation, Royal Mail Post and Go machines and Post Office Self-Service (NCR) Kiosks could only be updated after close of business yesterday in preparation for opening time in branches today.  The change in structure of the airmail rates required the introduction of Europe 100g and Worldwide 100g stamps, replacing the previous 60g stamps

Norwich had Machin definitive (MA14) and Working Sails stamps:

It is likely that other Machin versions will exist - MA13, MA12 etc.  Indeed MA13 stock was in the Royal Mail machine at Crewe Delivery Office.

But the surprise - and perhaps disappointment for collectors and dealers - was that the location identifier, introduced only with the new machines on 2 February, had been removed.  Thanks to Stuart and Alf for telling me about Crewe and Bradford North respectively.

Mike reports that Mount Pleasant, Camden, Baker Street, Great Portland Street & Trafalgar Square offices in London all have Machin stamps only. 

UPDATE 31 March
Thanks also to Stuart for pictures of Crewe (M002) and Bradford North (M003) stamps produced yesterday with no name. These are both MA13.

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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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New Catalogue Machin Security Definitive Stamps

We are pleased to announce that the new Norvic Checklist of Machin Security Definitive Stamps is now available free of charge to all collectors and dealers.

Designed to fit the gap between the Stanley Gibbons GB Concise Catalogue and the extreme detail of some other lists, this identifies all the values with all the source and year codes, cross-referenced to SG numbers and Royal Mail product codes.  Source booklet numbers are also included to assist in precise identification.

Table showing 2nd class counter sheet listing

Dates of issue or earliest known dates (EKD) of appearance are shown.  Over the summer the list has been checked by a number of customers and dealers, and many corrections made, but more information is waiting to be discovered, especially on dates.  Checking stamps on ordinary mail may yet reveal that stamps were actually in post offices or other retail outlets earlier than previously thought so the list is always subject to change.  But it is totally up to date with the latest discovery, the 2p M14L (see below).

Some collectors (and dealers) record these stamps in greater detail than we do, for instance according to the size of the gap in the security slits, according to the shape of the perforation, or the direction of printing.  This doesn't claim to be a complete list of Security Machins according to those criteria, but it does list all the basic stamps - and a few extras.

The Norvic numbers are used in our webshop, and we hope that this will help customers to find what they are looking for an fill the gaps.  

To download a copy of the checklist go to Dropbox.

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New Post and Go installation: Portsmouth Royal Dockyard Museum

According to an unofficial website machine A002 is to be installed at the Portsmouth Dockyard Museum Shop:

‘Following on from the success of the static Post and Go machine at the BPMA in London, Royal Mail will be installing its second static Post & Go machine at the Royal Navy Museum in Portsmouth from 28 July 2014. Machine A002 will initially carry Union Flag and Machin designs with the static location identifier ‘The NMRN’. The machine will be located in the Museum shop’

The installation will take place before the shop opens, collectors wishing to visit on that date should note the Kiosk is scheduled to be available from 10:00 am.

It should be noted that entrance to the shop is free."

Although this is said to be on the Royal Mail website I haven't found it and Royal Mail Tallents House (and via twitter) have been unable to confirm that this news item is true.  The unofficial website also suggests that:

The machine ....  will be the first to use the new Royal Mail font.’

I've no idea what this means! 

I've now had this confirmed by Royal Mail, and this is on their website:

Post and Go News - New Font for Royal Mail Machines
Following the introduction of the dual value design in April and subsequent feedback from collectors, the font used on Royal Mail Post and Go machines will change to help improve the overall look of the stamps. The first use of the new font will be at the National Museum of the Royal Navy in Portsmouth from 28 July 2014.

Post and Go News - New Static Machine in Portsmouth
Following on from the success of the static Post and Go machine at the BPMA in London, Royal Mail will be installing its second static Post and Go machine at the Royal Navy Museum in Portsmouth from 28 July 2014. Machine A002 will initially carry Union Flag and Machin designs with the static location identifier ‘The NMRN’. The machine will be located in the Museum shop.

UPDATE 24 July
For some reason Royal Mail have decided that the best place to put news about Post and Go is on EVERY Post and Go product page in their web shop including album pages!  See here.

REPORTS FROM USERS
Thank you to dealers and collectors who visited Portsmouth and made reports, some as emails some as comments.  This update incorporates both sources.

Chris commented:

It is actually in the 'Babcock Galleries' which is part of the Museum itself which you need a ticket for and were initially challenged for. However, having spoken to staff and the ticket office at the main gate to the Dockyard, access to use the Post & Go Machine is now FREE.
Machine was up and running at 11 am after some technical hiccups.

Mike wrote:

I'm not sure where the last blog contributor thought he was today but having attended myself then the machine is in the shop accessed following signs for the Museum (there were books, models, etc there to buy right alongside the machine with a sales/cashier lady in attendance.

I arrived about 12.50 (my eventual receipt was timed at 13.01). I asked from the point of entry where the museum was because I wanted to use the new stamp machine; all 3 'assistants' I spoke to knew exactly where it was and guided me appropriately (and no-one asked me to buy a ticket). Yes, after following the well-displayed signs and entering through the only door marked for the Museum you have to pass along through the B. gallery, but then there is this little shop layout with stamp machine at the end before the (seemingly only!) public exit with things for people to buy.

Anyway, mere detail. The important thing was that the machine was up and running and only one other person wanting to use it (a dealer who very graciously allowed me to get the 2 x collectors sets of each + a strip of 6 x 1st of each in-between his transactions).

I would have to admit though, that I don't see what use the machine is going to get other than from collectors when varieties, etc change. I certainly don't remember any signs highlighting the availability of stamps to 'ordinary' visitors (and there is no post box, let alone any link with the permanent Portsmouth (Mary Rose) cancel - good marketing could link all this together for the public). But hey ho! 

Brian:

I also went to Portsmouth on the first day for this issue and the machine appeared to be in a shop as there was a counter with till and lots of books, DVDs and souvenirs for sale. I got there at about 11.30 so maybe it was moved after I left. I was not asked for a ticket at either the main gate or the entrance to the Museum shop but just directed to the shop.

The stamps look quite good with the new bolder font and more in line with the current NCR stamps. Certainly an improvement on the previous font which is still in use at the BPMA until August.

Stock of both Machin and Union Flag stamps is undated.  See foot of this report for pictures of both stamps and receipts.

So thanks to all reporters for confirming that the machine is available, though as Mike mentions, there is little publicity there, and no marketing.  What is the point, apart from attracting collectors.  Now the collectors may spend some time in the museum as well, but that can't be the motivation behind this idea.  The BPMA I can understand; this one I can't.




Earlier in this blogpost I reported JG telling us that a new (non-bold) font produced by the machines at York Stamp Show, and Royal Mail confirmed that the change had not been announced beforehand (see below).  At the time we thought that the York change was the same 'font-change' that had been announced for Portsmouth, but as Brian writes, the Portsmouth font is different again, as shown below:


Previous BPMA layout, and (below) stamp produced at York.  Most noticeable is the rounder figure 0, the curved serif on the figure 1 in 10g, and the serif on the g.  Brian has mentioned that BPMA will be changed in August with the introduction of the Airmail slogan, and it remains to be seen whether the peripatetic machine A003 will be changed before its appearance at PhilaKorea or Stampex.

 

Summary of earlier report, referred to above.

But JG has pointed out that this is not be the first instance of the revised (non-bold) font for the 'World 10g' caption on the RM2 machines, as this was used at York on 18/19 July.  Here are pictures of the BPMA original version and the one used at York.  (The Union Flag* was also available.)  We expect the Portsmouth printing to be the same as York but with the addition of The NMRN.

A Royal Mail spokesman confirmed:
This was automatically uploaded overnight to the machine rather than going through a manual check which would have held it. We will be introducing a ‘Go/No Go’ option before similar updates go live.

So we are happy for the customers who pre-ordered these stamps, but have no stocks for sale at this point. 

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More pictures from Portsmouth:

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Miscut Machin definitive counter sheet find

It must be many years since there has been a report of anything 'miscut'.  At one time machine-vended booklets were found miscut, with the vertical columns of stamps transposed, and occasional folded booklets were found with the rows of stamps transposed.  Now we can report a miscut counter sheet.

Most stamps sold at Post Office counters are in sheets of 25, but NVI values are distributed in guttered sheets of 50, two panes of 25.  These guttered sheets have the cylinder number, grid position, and sheet number and printing date against the lower pane.

Thanks to a reader we can now show a sheet of 1st class Large stamps, printed on 02/04/13 with all these details against the upper pane.  We understand that a number of these sheets exist, but we do not have stock.

Second Football Heroes Retail Stamp Book will be issued at Stampex

The original Football Heroes issue included a retail booklet containing the stamps of Bobby Moore (England) and George Best (Northern Ireland) and four 1st class Machin definitives.

The second retail booklet will be issued on 20 February 2014 containing the stamps of John Charles (Wales) and Dave Mackay (Scotland).

At one time Royal Mail said that this booklet would be issued in Autumn 2013 so it is likely that the Machin definitives have the same M13L code as the first booklet. (Contrary to what is reported in the February Philatelic Bulletin p 166.)

UPDATE 27 January:
These special postmarks are available for the booklet, which is issued on the same day as the Classic Locomotives of Wales miniature sheet.  Stampex postmarks will also be available.

Ref 13040 - Swansea - available from Wales & West SHC
Ref 13035 - Edinburgh - available from Scotland and N Ireland SHC, Tallents House
Ref 13033 - Birmingham - available from Midland SHC

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Tudor Street's three MA13 stamps

I'm now able to show the three Faststamps dispensed from machines at Tudor Street in mid-November. 

 (Click on image for larger version)

The Robin had, of course, already appeared from Wincor-Nixdorf machines at Trafalgar Square (12th) and Norwich (13th) but this was the first Post Office appearance of the Machin Head and Union Flag stamps with MA13 year codes.

It will be interesting to see when they appear in other locations, given the reporting of everything from Birds 4 to latest issues at Post Offices around the country!

UPDATE 13 DECEMBER:
Frank tells us that the current situation at Tudor Street was:

Tudor Street - Machins, MA13 in machines 1 & 3. Union Flags, no date in machine 2.
A complete waste of time, and in testing each machine with a single stamp purchase - machine 1 did not give a stamp, and machine 3 did not give a receipt and there was nobody there to complain to.

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Newcastle 2nd class MA13 Faststamp first day cover

We can now show the First Day Cover for the pair of 2nd class Faststamps sold at the Newcastle Pop-up shop on 20 November.

A very limited number now available at our shop.

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2nd class MA13 Faststamps at Glasgow - and where else?

A pair of 2nd class Post and Go stamps listed on eBay and bought on Glasgow's 2nd day is reported to have the MA13 code.  This is from session 2570 on Machine A4.

However the image doesn't show the stamp clearly so I will be happy to report any other findings as the trailer goes further on its journey!

Post and Go Flag Stamps MA13 appear at a post office!

We have a running survey on the availability (or not) of Robins Faststamp availability from Post and Go machines in PO branches.  Now Brian reports that the MA13 Union Flag stamps are available in the unique Self-service branch at Tudor Street, Ludgate Circus, London EC1.

Machine 1 has MA13 Robins
Machine 2 has MA13 Machins Union Flags
Machine 3 has MA13 Union Flags Machins

So - unlikely as it may be - we're open to reports of Union Flag MA13 stamps appearing anywhere else.  Given that Birds 4, Farm Animals, and Freshwater Life are available across the country and Robins are fighting for space, I doubt that our intrepid reporters will find many!

Incidentally if anybody in the London area would like to supply me with some MA13 Flags, please email so that we can put arrangements in place.  Thanks.

Update 25/11/2013 - Machine 2 up and running dispensing Flags MA13, BUT with part printing missing (image e-mailed). Machine 3 no longer has Machins MA13 in it.  (Thanks Chris)
Machine 3 has Freshwater Life 2 - Thanks Doug
From 11:31 am transaction: The machine jammed between the two transactions and jammed after it. I’m not sure if it was going to left on pending the arrival of an engineer to replace the printer. (Thanks Dominic)

UPDATE - see this entry

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