The Postal Museum: Final throes of Post and Go

The Postal Museum Press Release:

Following the announcement made by Royal Mail earlier this year, November and December will be the final months that visitors and collectors will be able to make purchases from The Postal Museum’s two Post & Go machines. Please find the final schedule of Post & Go at The Postal Museum below.

Mail Rail Lest We Forget additional inscription for 2023.

UPDATE 24 November - Revised and accurate position*
From 10am Wednesday 8^th November to 5pm Thursday 30^th November:

• A001 reel 5: Poppies to replace Union Flags with the overprint “The Postal Museum/Lest we Forget ‘23”
• A013 reel 3: 1^st Class Machins replaced by Poppies with the overprint “Mail Rail/Lest we Forget ‘23”

 
From 10am Friday 1^st December to 5pm Sunday 31^st December:

• A001 reel 1: Winter Greenery 1C to replace 1^st Class Machins
• A001 reel 3: Winter Greenery 2C to replace 2^nd Class Machins
• A013 reel 3: Winter Greenery to replace Poppies in A013 reel 3 (but only until 27^th December)
• A001 reel 5: Mail Coach (The Postal Museum exclusive) stamp to replace Poppies.

 
From 10am 27^th December to 5pm 31^st December:

• A001 reel 1: Anniversary Machins to replace Winter Greenery 1C with the overprint “End of Post & Go at/The Postal Museum”
• A001 reel 6: Union Flag to replace PO London Railway with the overprint “End of Post & Go at/The Postal Museum”
• A013 reel 3: 1^st Class Machins to replace Winter Greenery 1C with the overprint “End of Post & Go at/Mail Rail”

Date	Currently	Friday 1 Dec – Saturday 23 December	Weds 27 – Sunday 31 December (5pm)
A001 Reel 1	1st class Machin R20 The Postal Museum	Winter Greenery 1st The Postal Museum  §	Anniversary Machins End of Post & Go at The Postal Museum
A001 Reel 3	2nd class Machin MA15 The Postal Museum	Winter Greenery 2nd The Postal Museum §	<<<<<
A001 Reel 4	Mail by Bike The Postal Museum Dressed to Deliver	<<<<<<	<<<<<
A001 Reel 5	Poppies MA15 The Postal Museum Lest We Forget '23	Mail Coach The Postal Museum	<<<<<
A001 Reel 6	PO Underground* The Postal Museum	<<<<<<<	Union Flag End of Post & Go at The Postal Museum
Mail Rail
A013 Reel 1	PO Underground* Mail Rail	<<<<<<<	<<<<<
A013 Reel 3	Poppies MA15 Mail Rail Lest We Forget '23	Winter Grenery 1st Mail Rail §	1st class Machins End of Post & Go at Mail Rail

In both cases Reel 2 produces receipts.

§ Malcolm confirms that Greenery this year will be R19YAL and CL17S into A001 with R17YAL into A013.

 
*Further information:
Please note that the final overprint wording may still be subject to change. As these are the museum’s final stocks, availability is subject to demand and may run out before the dates listed above.
 

Although it may seem logical for the End of Post & Go inscription to be on all reels at present Royal Mail have limited it to those three shown.  It would certainly produce more revenue - which would go straight to the bottom line - if all 7 reels were treated alike.   Watch this space.

* I suggested the above to Royal Mail but by the time they had considered it they decided they should not change!

UPDATE 29 December

Show on the "Post and Go 2023" post in January a 'Last Overprint' at FAAM has been in use.

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Newsbits - October 2023

As we approach the end of the year (yes, really) and Royal Mail's stamp programme is coming to an end, this post contains a selection of disparate news items.

Post & Go Mail by Rail error 1

MC visited The Postal Museum to get the Museum stamps with the new Dressed to Deliver inscription and popped over to the Mail Rail machine just to see what was produced.  Unexpectedly it was the normal stamp, with no additional inscription apart from the Mail Rail, but he was rewarded with this spectacular strip.

He writes:

It happened because the reel printer jammed after printing the first stamp and then, after attention from a staff member, the remainder came out (all attached). The staff member just passed the strip to me as it was, so an interesting error for the files. (The second class reel came out as expected).

Mail Rail Post & Go strip with gaps caused by mechanical problems.

 

 A nice display item to add to the 'mechanical failures' category.

Post & Go error 2

It's approaching Remembrance Day so the Poppy stamps have been reintroduced (at least at some offices) and RW sent this exaample from Paignton.  

Of course the error should have occurred whatever the stock, but again it's a nice thing to get when you go in to check out the machines. 

 

Smilers Back in Time

The Business Customised Service was ended by Royal Mail in 2017, followed in 2018 by the Smilers (Personalisation) Service, but Royal Mail continue to provide a Smilers-type sheet at Christmas (although the stamps are not available for personalisation which was the whole point of Smilers Sheets).  

Some of the earliest Business Sheets were produced for Eagle Coaches 75th Anniversary in late 2001. These were catalogued at £1,000 at one time and so few come to market that no reliable value can be placed on them: it is more a case of buyer and seller agreeing and rarely is anything made public.

A reader has sent in a picture of a single which he has.  The stamp is from the top left of the sheet, and the label is damaged, but if anybody is interested in contacting the owner with a view to buying, then do please contact me by email (address at top right) and I will pass your details on.

Single stamp from rare 2001 Eagle Coaches Business Customised Sheet.

Underpayment avoided - Royal Mail being proactive.

Don't guess it, check it!

This isn't recent, as you can tell from the postage rates, but it's a nice piece of postal history, being applied to the back of a letter which came to the UK from the USA in 2002.  

Does anybody know of any other similar labels from the same or different rate periods?

UPDATE 7 November 2023: Many more of these labels exist and we have been sent some images which are on our Postal History blog.

 

USPS announces part of the 2024  stamp issue programme.

Unlike Royal Mail, the United States Postal Service believes in making people aware of forthcoming stamps well in advance.  Apart from anything else it helps FDC producers, but it also enables people and organisations which have a connection to the new stamps to arrange events around the issue, like unveiling ceremonies and firs day of issue ceremonies.  

“As always, our stamp program features a broad array of subjects and designs. Stamps are miniature works of art and often tell a story that highlights our American culture, our people or an important point in our history,” said Lisa Bobb-Semple, acting Stamp Services director for USPS. 

“Stamps also allow us to show what’s important to us as we carefully select which stamp adorns our mailpieces. The 2024 stamps were designed to offer the American public a broad array of choices for those looking to collect stamps or send a special message.” 

This is a partial list, with more to be revealed in the weeks and months ahead. All stamp designs are preliminary and subject to change.

The US tends to issue a lot more single stamps - although the way they are produced often means that it's difficult to buy just one for a collection.  Some are sold only in books of 20, some - especially a set of 4-10 different designs - only in panes of 20 or 25.  The interlocking die-cuts on sheets make it difficult to get a single mint stamp on its original backing paper without having all the surrounding eight!

Although they use a lot of NVI ('Forever') stamps, they do issue new stamps every year for the Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express services.  The first is provisionally priced at $9.65 and the latter at $28.75 (£23.50) - so they have their bad side too!

Whilst many of their stamps mark what we might describe here as cultural and historic matters, others are even more ridiculous than some of Royal Mail's.

The programme so far includes Lunar New Year, Love (another annual issue), US Flags (new ones every year - booklete & coils), Black Heritage (1), a new range of low value definitives (flowers), 1 ounce and 2 ounce Wedding stamps (another annual issue), Literary Arts (1), 250th anniversary of the arrival of the Shakers (12), Bluegrass music (1), Horses (5), Sea Turtles (6), Autumn colours (10 in a pane of 20) etc. But the one that takes the biscuit for me is a set of 10 Pinback Buttons - or badges as we call them here.

USPS 2024 Pinback Buttons - 10 circular basic letter rate self-adhesive stamps (pane of 20).

USPS 2024 Horses (2 of 5) issued as a pane of 20)

New USPS 2024 definitive values 1-10c flowers

The illustrated list with more descriptions is on the USPS website here.

RW reminds me that Hong Kong post has also published their programme, illustrated; you can see the stamps on the Commonwealth Stamps Opinion blog here.  This is useful because it means that WhiteKnight already has the images when it comes to the actual issue date!

GB Christmas - 2 November 2023

I'm told that these are now visible on Royal Mail's website: my blog post will be scheduled for the issue date, 3 November, in accordance with my contract.  You can see them now on the Commonwealth Stamps Opinion Blog.

As Royal Mail not only have all the stamps on their website but have sent the First illustrated newsletter to the subscribers I have published here.

No more news for now, so I'll end the post with this older US stamp!

 

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Museum Post and Go machines are in the final throes but not dead yet.

Press Release

The Postal Museum is set to mark the opening of the new temporary exhibition Dressed to Deliver with Post & Go stamps from 18th October 2023. 

The new “The Postal Museum/Dressed to Deliver” overprint will appear on the “Mail by Bike” stamps originally released in February 2016. These six designs celebrate the use of innovative modes of transport from the Pentacycle in 1882 to Quad Bikes in 2002. 

They also depict the riders wearing a variety of uniforms making them an appropriate way to celebrate the launch of our new exhibition. The overprint will be live from 18th October 2023.

London Postal Museum Post & Go stamps with Dressed to Deliver imprint, presentation pack of six stamps.

In addition to Post & Go stamps, there will be a range of products available including a First Day Cover. This limited edition of 200 First Day Covers will feature each of the six designs as first-class stamps with the “Dressed to Deliver” overprint. They will be cancelled with the official handstamp for The Postal Museum and are individually numbered. This product is sold exclusively by The Postal Museum.

Also available for purchase will be a limited number of 100 Presentation Packs. These will include a collectors’ strip consisting of all values of the “Mail by Bike” stamps with the “Dressed to Deliver” overprint, enclosed in a fold-out card with information about the exhibition.

The cover and pack will be available in the museum’s shops from 18th October 2023 and for pre-order online from 11th October 2023.

Update on Post & Go:
Following Royal Mail’s announcement on 1st September 2023, the Post & Go Kiosks will close at 5pm on 31st December 2023. Therefore, these will be the last First Day Covers and Presentation Packs that The Postal Museum will produce with overprints from our Post & Go machines. The stamps will be available until 31st December at the A001 Post & Go machine in the TPM welcome space, subject to availability.

The Presentation Packs and First Day Covers will be available on site and online at shop.postalmuseum.org from 18th October until September 2024, subject to availability. Pre-order online from 11th October 2023, delivery from 17th October 2023 onwards.

Further information:
Please note, there will be no new overprint in the Mail Rail Post & Go machine (A013). The image of the First Day Cover is a mock-up of the final product which will be cancelled with the official handstamp for The Postal Museum.

Two Post & Go machines are available at The Postal Museum throughout the museum’s opening hours. Every purchase helps support The Postal Museum.

ENDS

Update: Prices will be £20 for the first day covers and £35 for the presentation pack- plus postage if ordering by mail order.

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The new monarch - beyond the definitives.

With the passing of HM Queen Elizabeth this post looks forward beyond the issue of King Charles III definitives.

Whilst there is no postal stationery all these will need to change.

 

"Digital Stamps" - or pre-printed stamps used for bulk mailings.

Direct Mailers believe (or have been told) that 'stamped' mail gets a better response than that with a different Postage Paid Impression.  As these are printed as required for each client customer, it seems likely that there would not be much difficulty in replacing the Queen Elizabeth Machin design wit another showing King Charles III.  And this is likely to be in green, of couse.

 

Post and Go stamps at Museums and Self-Service Kiosks in Post Office branches

As with Machin definitive stamps, we are likely to see these used to exhaustion - and there will be all sorts of stocks held in branches across the land.  The 2nd class base stock should appear in green and the 1st class in (probably a light) purple with the head of King Charles III.  I would expect these changes to be made this year, but for the old stamps to be used in parallel initially.

Whilst it is unlikely that there will be any totally new designs for pictorial Post and Go stamps, there are many pictorial stamps available for use at specific locations or on specific occasions.  These will eventually be produced with the profile/cameo head of King Charles, probably as used on the forthcoming Garden Flowers special issue stamps.

1.  Union Flag - for Naval anniversaries and patriotic occasions.

2.  Poppy - leading up to Remembrance Day in November.

3.  Winter Greenery - leading up to Christmas.

4.  Mail by Rail: Post Office Underground Railway single design - used at The Postal Museum.

5.  Other 'Mail by...' issues used at the Postal Museum in conjunction with their exhibitions

Any others?

Horizon Labels at Post Office Counters and similar labels at Self-Service Kiosks in branches.  

These are produced in one colour similar to that of the 1st class Post and Go stock, even though they are used for 2nd class, 1st class and ParcelForce transactions.  Again replacement will depend to some extent on existing stocks.

For the present I can't think of anything else postal - although other Post Office products such as Postal Orders do bear a portrait of the monarch will need to be replaced as well.

My thanks to John E for reminding me of these products which will need changing.

If anybody makes a mock-up of any of these with the new head and colours I will be pleased to add them here.  

And if anybody can think of anything I have forgotten - please remind me!

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Post and Go News 2023

This post will hold all news on Post and Go stamps, machines, UK and foreign (and islands), including museums and PO SSKs.

There's nothing to report yet so the first emailed report will form the basis for this post.

As we have no new tariff until at least early February (a month's notice must be given to the regulator and to the Stock Exchange), maybe there will be nothing new for a while.

And what will the new definitive design be?  How long before King Charles III Post and Go will appear (if at all), and how long before all the Machin and other QE2 stocks are used up?

January 6:  A significant number of useful comments has just been let through on the 2022 post, having been identified by Blogger as spam, rather than sent for moderation.  Comments for 2022 will be closed soon, so if you have any more Christmas/Museum/SSK news for last year, please send it through soon.

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A reminder that this post relies on contributors to add into the comments, where all new information will normally be.

However, having just seen this on WOPA's Twitter feed, I feel it appropriate to show what the island's postal service is doing.  The new design featuring the Jersey Crest also shows the crest of King Charles III.  The issue date was 6 April.  Jersey Post had shown them earlier but in a short animation which gave nothing away in the opening frame.  I think WOPA have shown them how to grab (my) attention.

Redesigned Jersey Post and Go stamps featuring the Jersey crest and that of King Charles III

There is no news of Royal Mail doing anything similar: as the comments below show, many Post Office SSKs seem to be notable for being broken or switched off due to lack of attending staff, and the only Royal Mail Machines now are at Museums.  If anything does happen I would expect it to be at The Postal Museum first, but who knows!

UPDATE 1 September 2023.

Some postage rates will be increased again on 2 October 2023, affecting the cost of Post and Go stamps and strips.  More details here.

More importantly for this thread;

"Following a thorough review of our Post & Go Kiosks we have taken the decision to end all remaining Post & Go activities by the end of this year."

More details here.

UPDATE 18 September 2023.

Post Office Self-Service Kiosks, and Guernsey and Jersey Post IAR machines will continue in use into 2024.  

More details here.

UPDATE 8 November 2023.

Postal Museum press release on final two months of Post & Go with a variety of combinations of stamps and inscriptions.  [Update: the exact arrangements still have to be confirmed! 23/11]

UPDATE 23 November 2023.

Malcolm reports that at last the inscription on the stamps has at last been changed, on Wednesday 22 November.  Europe 100g now replaces the dual value E100 / W20.  The example below is from Milton Keynes.   Note that the Postal Museum machines had already been changes as shown on another post.

Winter Greenery with Europe 100g inscription from NCR Post Office self-service kiosk Milton Keynes 22 November 2023.

The same change took effect earlier on Royal Mail machines earlier - this is the Postal Museum/Mail Rail.

All news about P&G in 2023 will be here, and comments for the old (January 2022) post are closed.

There are a few other posts on Post and Go during the year, notably concerning the withdrawal of machines at Museums.  

Post and GOne – Royal Mail announce P&G Closing at Christmas 2023.

Post Office Self-Service Kiosks will remain in use for the forseeable future - official.

Museum Post and Go machines are in the final throes but not dead yet.

The Postal Museum: Final throes of Post and Go

In the Comments to this post, Trevor has told us of an unannounced inscription at the Fleet Air Arm Museum, "Last Overprint".  I suppose it gives them a few more sales in the final week, although they must have told somebody because they are listed on eBay! 

For the record, these are the edited pictures.  Swindon GWR and Shakespeare now added - thanks to Trevor for these also.

Fleet Air Arm Post & Go Last Overprint Machin MA13 strip.

Fleet Air Arm Post & Go Last Overprint Union Flag strip.

Shakespeare Post & Go Last Overprint Union Flag and Machin 1st class.

Swindon Steam GWR Post & Go Last Overprint Union Flag and Machin 1st class.

This may be the last entry for the 2023 Post and Go story.  I'll leave the comments open until something happens in January to warrant making a new 2024 post.

Thank you to all contributors and readers.

Last Post about the ending of Museum P&G.

This comment is included at the end: Someone was trying to sell an ‘R20YAL’ Machin strip from the Postal Museum with the ‘End of Post & Go …’ overprint that was installed for the last half hour after the Machin Anniversary stamps ran out.

So, bearing in mind that the Postal Museum had indicated in its press release that (to paraphrase) "if the rolls we announced run out we will replace them with something else, this shouldn't be a surprise.

More important, if someone reading this decided to find out what would be installed afterwards and spends money to find out, why is there a problem?

So the starting price of one of these 'last half-hour" strips on an auction site was £140, you buy it or you don't.  If you MUST have it because it exists, then that is your choice - you decide just how much it is worth to you.

As my customers will know, I went especially to the East Anglian Railway Museum. My regular customers got them at regular prices, others paid more.

Likewise I sourced stamps from Perth (Australia and Scotland) and Hong Kong Exhibitions, and charged accordingly. If I had any left to auction they might have made better prices. 

And when new labels were introduced (Europe and Worldwide 60g stamps,  Wincor Europe 20/World 10g etc) I arranged with customers and collectors in many parts of the country to buy the older reels which were still (or had been put) in their local machines to be able to supply my customers with the less common versions or bought them by mail order/phone from distant post offices (eg Kidderminster).

All my speculation*.  And some of these I still have so while they are still good for postage (and their value has increased of course), I didn't always get all my money back in initial sales.

I could have, but didn't, put them on eBay.  I could still.  And then they either sell or they don't. Just because somebody lists something with a Buy it Now price of £140, it doesn't mean it sold at that price. And if it did, it was worth it to someone.  If they achieve a high price at auction, then they are worth it to more than one perosn.  

Get in, or stay out, but don't complain that somebody spent enough money to exhaust what was left of the announced labels, and then bought some of what replaced them.

* If you found a stamp with a printing or perforation error at your post office, would you only buy one or would you buy the whole sheet?

Limited comments will be allowed on this before I shut the post for comments completely.

NOTICE
======================================================

PLEASE COMMENT WITH NEWS ABOUT 2024 ON THE JANUARY 2024 POST & GO POST

THIS ONE IS FOR 2023 ONLY
===================================================

Similarly don't comment on the 2024 post about the final days of the Postal Museum please.

 

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Platinum Jubilee Post and Go news.

To mark the Platinum Jubilee of HM Queen Elizabeth II's accession, Royal Mail's Museum machines will dispense stamps with a new inscription from 3 June to 1 July. 

Images of The Postal Museum (TPM) output are shown on the post for 2022 news (see January lists).

Both the TPM press release and the Intelligent AR website indicate that all the other museum machines will also carry this inscription, although we have no news of the others.

"The overprint will be available on Royal Mail Post & Go kiosks Machin reel from Fri 3^rd June 2022 – Fri 1^st July 2022.

Overprint reads: The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee

Kiosks: A002, A003, A004, A006, A007, A009, A010."

UPDATE: Commonwealth Stamps Opinion reports that IAR get it wrong once again at the Shakespeare machine A009 and shows a Machin stamp with the new inscription superimposed on their logo.

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Post and Go news in 2022

As I mentioned in November, I now aim to have a Post and Go post (and comment thread) for each year, so this is the first post for 2022.  Malcolm has already provided a comment on the November post about what happened when The Postal Museum re-opened, but I have copied this here so that we have something to start the year with.  And of course it has a glitch - well an oddity I think.  Read on!

Postal Museum changes 1 January 2022

Reader Malcolm reports: After service on the 31st December, the Winter Greenery stock was removed and from Saturday 1st January 2022 it was replaced with Union Flag undated stock for 1st class and MA15 2nd class Machin, but without the Wish You Were Here inscription.  This did continue on the 1st class, ending at close of business on Sunday 2nd January.

The museum was then closed on its usual Monday and Tuesday, reopening on Wednesday 5th with the Wish You Were Here inscription now removed from the 1st class Machin, so therefore a new variety of strip was available, being the first time with the Europe and Worldwide Large strips have been available without a commemorative overprint.

For the first half hour of operation on 5th, the stock was MA13, and it was then replaced with MA14 stock subsequently.

UPDATE 12 January: Malcolm has sent these pictures from the Postal Museum:

January 2022 Postal Museum Post and Go 1st class stamps, MA13 (left) and MA14.

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UPDATE 19 January: The Commonwealth Stamps Opinion blog reports the latest Post and Go imprints from Jersey and Guernsey. 

The Jersey issue was actually on 6 December 2021 and marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the island's Finance Industry, as it was 1961 when banks started establishing offshore branches to meet the growing demands of British customers living or working abroad. The additional inscription is applied to all six colours of the Jersey Arms stamps.

Jersey Arms Post and Go stamp with inscription marking 60 Years of the Finance Industry.

On 17 February Jersey Post will issue a new set of 'Harvest of the Sea' Post and Go stamps in six new designs. (Via Gulfmann ATM Collection blog).

Jersey 'Harvest of the Sea' Post and Go stamps (1 of 6) issued 17 February 2022

Meanwhile on 19 February Guernsey Post will issue a set of six new designs entitled Guernsey Cuisine, all are pictured on the CSO blog.

Guernsey 'Cuisine' Post and Go stamp (1 of 6) issued 19 February 2022

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UPDATE 16 February. Thanks to Malcolm B for news from The Postal Museum regarding its output for the London 2022 International Exhibition.  

The London 2022 inscription is on the 1st class Machin stamps on machine A001 in The Postal Museum and on the Post Office London Railway stamp on machine A013 in Mail Rail.  It will run from next Saturday (19th February) to the end of Saturday 26th February. 

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Update 4 April - Postal Museum

A new exhibition is running at the Postal Museum from 30 March 2022 – 1 January 2023 entitled Sorting Britain: The Power of Postcodes. This delves into the Post Office innovation that revolutionised how post was processed, sorted, and delivered and its unintended outcomes for life in Britain.

Thanks to Malcolm we can show the Post & Go strips that are associated with this exhibition, which have an additional 'Sorting Britain' imprint.  

He writes: Update on Postal Museum went ahead as planned Machin was MA13 stock and Flag MA19 stock (first time here). Mail by Air went in as R19 stock and was available as a first class strip however also available were all the other values of a collector strip although this was not available as an option.

Postal Museum Post and Go stamps: Machin MA13 and Union Flag MA19 with
Sorting Britain imprint; and Mail by Air MA19 stock without that imprint all from machine A001

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UPDATE 3 June 2022.  To mark the Platinum Jubilee of HM Queen Elizabeth II the Postal Museum is resurrecting the Machin Anniversary set with a new imprint: their (edited) press release:

The Postal Museum is set to release a new inscription on its Post & Go machines to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee.

The inscription “The Postal Museum/The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee” will be printed on the multicoloured “Machin 50th anniversary” stamps and will run from 3 June to 1 July 2022.

Each of six anniversary Machin stamps is a different colour and will be overprinted with the standard UK first class (up to 100g) value. They will temporarily replace the existing “Mail by Air” stamps for the duration of the Jubilee inscription. These stamps will be available from the Post & Go machine in the museum’s welcome space, either singly or in strips of six.

The inscription “Mail Rail/The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee” will be printed on standard “Machin first class” stamps of all values. These stamps will be available as a collector’s strip of six and as individual values from the Post & Go machine in the Mail Rail’s welcome space from 3 June to 1 July 2022.

The Postal Museum will be joining other Royal Mail Post & Go sites in offering this Jubilee inscription - the National Museum of the Royal Navy (NMRN) site at HMS Victory in Portsmouth, NMRN Submarine Museum in Gosport, NMRN Explosion Museum also in Gosport, Fleet Air Arm Museum in Ilchester, HMS Trincomalee in Hartlepool, The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in Stratford Upon Avon and STEAM - Museum of the Great Western Railway in Swindon.

Postal Museum Platinum Jubilee Post & Go set from pre-release publicity image.

Thanks to Mike I can also show the actual stamps from both machines:

Postal Museum and Mail Rail Platinum Jubilee Post & Go set

Doug couldn't have missed Mike by many minutes judging by the session numbers (7821 & 0840) of his strips.  Both reported it quiet (apart from families visiting the museum) and Mike said that he "didn’t see any of the ‘usual’ dealers there."

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UPDATE 8 June: My thanks to AH who writes:

Thanks to your blog, I bought six of the Platinum Jubilee Post & Go stamps on Saturday and had one of them used on the envelope.  It was cancelled with a cds for 4th June and also received an example of the Platinum Jubilee slogan on its travels (but this is not very clear).

The thanks are, of course, equally due to other readers and contributors.  This is the stamp, which we can see comes from machine A009 which is still, as far as I know, at the Shakespeare Centre in Stratford.  We have recorded past instances of Shakespeare output with their logo and the new inscription occupying the same position on the stamp which is probably why the logo is missing here, giving no indication of where the stamp was printed.  Are other museum outputs like this on this occasion?

Platinum Jubilee inscription on Post and Go stamp from machine A009, Stratford's Shakespeare Centre.

 

UPDATE 17 JUNE:  John MacCullum has sent these images of the two relevant special handstamps on the Postal Museum Platinum Jubilee stamps:

London special handstamp for HM The Queen's Platinum Jubilee on Postal Museum Platinum Jubilee Post and Go stamp 3 June 2022

London special handstamp for The Postal Museum, London WC1 on Postal Museum Platinum Jubilee Post and Go stamp 3 June 2022

 

Jubilee UPDATE 13 July: My thanks to MC for (a couple of weeks ago) sending this picture of the Platinum Jubilee inscription added to the Swindon Steam GWR stamps. The stock is MA13.

Platinum Jubilee inscription added to the Swindon Steam GWR stamps

UPDATE 19 August:   Thanks to Malcolm for sending these images of the 2nd class Post & Go stamps coded CL21S purchased from York.

UPDATE 12 November 2022.  I haven't included examples of all changes here, but my thanks to Malcolm for sending this image of the Postal Museum's Lest We Forget 2022 inscription on the MA15 Poppy stamp.

The Postal Museum Lest We Forget 2022 inscription on MA15 Poppy stamp.

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UPDATE 27 June.  My thanks to correspondent JJ who tells us that Spain will issue a set of variable value (Post and Go) stamps on 7 July dedicated to the Pride parade.

Spain: Pride Post and Go stamp 7 July 2022.

 

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All news about P&G in 2022 will be here or in the comments below.

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A new post for 2023 has now been set up here.  This one will be closed for new comments soon.

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Royal Mail's third set of price increases since Spring 2020 - 1 January 2021

Many collectors have said that the release of stamps for Star Trek would mean the end of their collecting.  And for those who haven't already decided, Royal Mail's announcement today of new rates from 1 January 2021 will probably spell the end of buying new issues, with the basic set of 10 x 1st class stamps increasing from £7.60 to £8.50.

 

Press Release 1 December 2020

We understand that many companies and households are finding it hard in the current economic environment. As a result, we have considered any pricing changes very carefully and in doing so have sought to minimise any impact on our customers.

From 1 January, 2021 the price of a 1st Class stamp will increase by 9p to 85p and the price of a 2nd Class stamp will increase by 1p to 66p. These changes are necessary to help ensure the sustainability of the one-price-goes-anywhere Universal Service.

The Universal Service Obligation, which requires Royal Mail to be able to deliver to 31 million home and business addresses across the UK, comes with high fixed costs. During the coronavirus pandemic, letter volumes saw a 28% fall. The reduction in letter volumes has had a significant impact on the finances of the Universal Service which lost £180 million in the first half of the year. This demonstrates the need for change in the Universal Service. We are working tirelessly to deliver the most comprehensive service we can in difficult circumstances as the coronavirus pandemic continues to impact our operation.

The health and safety of our colleagues and our customers remains our number one priority. This means we have faced significant, additional costs related to COVID-19 (£85 million for the first six months) such as protective equipment, elevated absences, overtime and agency staff as well as the impact of necessary social distancing measures.

Royal Mail has taken a decision not to call upon the Government’s furlough scheme (Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme) throughout the pandemic. Royal Mail’s stamp prices are among the best value in Europe compared to other postal operators. Royal Mail research shows that the European average price for 1st Class letters (0-100g) is £1.21.

Nick Landon Chief Commercial Officer at Royal Mail said: “Like other companies, 2020 has been a challenging year for Royal Mail. Our people have worked tirelessly to keep the UK connected throughout the pandemic and associated restrictions. These price increases will help us continue to deliver and sustain the Universal Service in challenging circumstances.”

 

UK Inland Postage Rates from 1 January 2020

The headline increase of 1st class stamps is bound to cause a furore in some quarters, whilst the 1p increase in 2nd class will satisfy most social users of the mails, sending greetings cards.  

But for collectors the increase across international rates will impact on many more stamp issues.  It is possible that Stamps & Collectibles will be asked to make a contribution and increase the cost of some products, such as stamp cards and blank first day envelopes, as well as the premium on presentation packs and prestige stamp books.   It will also mean some more inventiveness in the Post and Go area as rates are combined.  (See below)

Airmail letter rates are simplified to a minimum of £1.70 which covers up to 20g Worldwide, and Europe up to 100g.  100g rates for Zones 1, 2 & 3 are standardised at £2.55 - which means the Post and Go imprint for these can revert to Zones 1-3.  However, this means that the existing £1.45 and £1.70 rates are now covered by £1.70 and the £2.50 and £2.55 rates are now covered by £2.55, leaving two gaps in the set of 6.  News about changes as we get it.

UPDATE: It is very rare that multiples of any stamp work for another rate, but it has been pointed out to me that 2 x 1st class = £1.70, and 3 x 1st class = £2.55.

NEW DEFINITIVES 

Unlike in the summer and autumn, this time Royal Mail will issue new stamps for the airmail rates.  It is to be hoped that these new stamps will suffice and that there will be no change in March.  There will be three Machin definitives and £1.70 country definitives:

New £1.70, £3.25 and £4.20 Machin definitives 23 December 2020

New £1.70 country definitives 23 December 2020

The new  £1.70 stamps cover the 100g letter rate for Europe, and the Worldwide rate up to 20g.

The £3.25 is for European and the £4.20 is for Worldwide Large Letters to 100g.

Colours are announced as £1.70 - Marine Turquoise, £3.25 - Aqua Green, and £4.20 Plum Purple.

The usual first day covers and facilities will be provided.

The £2.55 Garnet Red stamp first issued on 21 March 2017 will also be reprinted but as it is not a new issue* it will not be on Royal Mail first day covers. [Thanks to Robert for the comment that "The £2.55 from 2017 was printed by De La Rue, the new printing will be by Walsall." ] 

However being reprinted it will obviously have a new year code of either M20L or M21L* (the illustration above shows M21L).  Collectors interested in having first day covers with either this stamp alone, or added to the three on the Royal Mail cover are invited to contact us in the usual way as soon as possible.  (Please do not order via a comment on this post.)

* We have received information from Royal Mail Edinburgh indicating that all four new stamps has been printed with the M20L code (as they should be).  We would expect that before March is out we may well see the first reprints with M21L code, as the £1.70 at least will be more widely used as it replaced what was previously served by the £1.45 rate.

UPDATE 11 December
Thanks to CB & IM for reporting that the (non-visible change) £2.55 is being distributed by Royal Mail on standing order, but not until the first commemorative issue on 14 January 2021.  So that is likely to count as the first day of availability, there being no official first day of issue for this stamp.  If that is confirmed by my contacts at Edinburgh then the first day covers for this 'set' will have to be dual-dated.  

UPDATE 16 December  We have now received supplies of the new stamps and confirm that despite the fact that they were printed in 2020, and will first go on sale in 2020, they are coded M21L, except for the £2.55 which is coded M20L and we suspect some post offices may delay its sale. 

PICTURES OF ACTUAL STAMPS

Sheet of 25 x £2.55 Machin definitives coded M20L printed 01/10/20

Sheet of 25 x £1.70 Machin definitives coded M21L printed 01/10/20

Sheet of 25 x £3.75 Machin definitives coded M21L printed 01/10/20

Sheet of 25 x £4.20 Machin definitives coded M21L printed 01/10/20

Grid Positions show that One primary sheet of 8 sheets of 25 was used for England, and another primary sheet was used for the other countries.  Of these the Scotland stamp was printed in the first two columns, Northern Ireland in column 3 and Wales column 4.

Grid positions on sheets of £1.70 country definitive stamps.

Sorry for the not as good as usual quality of these images, I'll try to do a different picture for the £2.55 in different light - today the light is very indifferent!

 

What isn't obvious from the picture of the England stamp above is a curious flaw on the stamp adjacent to the printing date.  This may be a foreign body on the magenta plate - or something else.  Suggestions welcome!

Magenta 'hairs' on England £1.70 stamp.

POST AND GO

With the top four valued stamps now combined into two, Royal Mail will use the two spaces created for the Europe and Worldwide Large Letter stamps, increasing the total cost from the current £11.64 to a massive £13.84.  Fortunately if they ever issue any more pictorial series they will almost certainly be in packs of 6 x 1st.

UPDATE 2 December - An illustrated example of the Post and Go effects and write up by Brian is on his Postage Labels UK blog.  (Currently heading the list of 'other blogs' on the right of the page on web view.)

We have been told that The Postal Museum will be open on 1 January (unless further Covid restrictions are imposed) and so their Post and Go stamps will be available on the first day that the new rates are applicable.  It is likely that (with the same caveat) some independent franchised branches and some ex-Crown offices in WHSmith shops will also be open so collectors wanting first day covers on the first operational date for ordinary NCR SSK stamps could get them if they are lucky enough to live in the right area!

UPDATE 17 December - Press release from the Postal Museum.

On Friday 1 January 2021, The Postal Museum will reopen both Post & Go machines with stamps 1st and 2nd class Machins.

Both kiosks will be located at The Postal Museum’s Welcome Space and no admission ticket will be required to access the services. You will not be able to access any other areas of the building on this day. Additional safety measures have been introduced such as a hand sanitizer station, a one-in-one-out access and information on how to scan the NHS Test and Trace QR code located near the machines. The machines will vend the Machin stamps of all values with no new overprint but will have the new 2021 price updates and year code. These stamps will not be available to purchase online and nor will we be able to offer delivery to anyone who cannot attend on the day. Both Post & Go machines are available at The Postal Museum from 10am until 4pm on Friday 1 January only

And as expected following the 19 December announcement by the Prime Minister that London is now in Tier 4, the Postal Museum will not open on 1 January.

 

More analysis later, but meanwhile you can download the new rate leaflet here.

 

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