These are in stock and will be reserved for existing customers. The printing date is 29/02/12.
Thursday, 12 July 2012
The 2012 Machin collection is nearly complete
The 2nd class Large 2012 stamp from counter sheets has now been released - and has security code MA12 (like the Enschede coil). The small 2nd class stamp has code M12L.
These are in stock and will be reserved for existing customers. The printing date is 29/02/12.We'll show an image as soon as we have one. Thanks to Richard P for the image.
These are in stock and will be reserved for existing customers. The printing date is 29/02/12.
Saturday, 7 July 2012
Paralympic 2012 Gold Medal issue
When Royal Mail told dealers that there would be stamps (miniature sheets) issued for each Olympic Gold Medal at London 2012 we asked whether the same would apply to the Paralympic Games.
The answer was no, mostly I suspect because at the 2008 Beijing games Great Britain's Paralympians won no less than 42 gold medals and such a quantity would put even greater strain on printers, Royal Mail distribution, post offices, and collectors' pockets!
The Paralympic Games has always been the poor cousin of the Olympics in terms of media coverage. Whether this is because there is genuinely less public interest or because that interest has not been fired by the same level of media coverage is difficult to tell. Nonetheless it seemed that in terms of stamp issues the Games would be covered only by the Welcome miniature sheet and the end-of-games souvenir.
Now Royal Mail has announced that the British Paralympic Games gold medal winners will be commemorated on a single six-stamp miniature sheet to be issued after the games:
With the growing excitement around the London 2012 Games we are delighted to announce that we will be celebrating the ParalympicGB Gold Medal winners with a Miniature Sheet. This will contain six special stamps which will feature the gold medal winning athletes on a single minisheet to be issued on 27 September 2012. This will be the perfect memento of the London 2012 Paralympic Games.
This summer's Paralympics, which can be traced back to a competition for the war wounded at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in 1948, are heading back home for the first time.
The answer was no, mostly I suspect because at the 2008 Beijing games Great Britain's Paralympians won no less than 42 gold medals and such a quantity would put even greater strain on printers, Royal Mail distribution, post offices, and collectors' pockets!
The Paralympic Games has always been the poor cousin of the Olympics in terms of media coverage. Whether this is because there is genuinely less public interest or because that interest has not been fired by the same level of media coverage is difficult to tell. Nonetheless it seemed that in terms of stamp issues the Games would be covered only by the Welcome miniature sheet and the end-of-games souvenir.
Now Royal Mail has announced that the British Paralympic Games gold medal winners will be commemorated on a single six-stamp miniature sheet to be issued after the games:
With the growing excitement around the London 2012 Games we are delighted to announce that we will be celebrating the ParalympicGB Gold Medal winners with a Miniature Sheet. This will contain six special stamps which will feature the gold medal winning athletes on a single minisheet to be issued on 27 September 2012. This will be the perfect memento of the London 2012 Paralympic Games.
This is the quickest turnover that Royal Mail could manage amid hopes
that ParalympicsGB may repeat the medal success of the 42 golds it won
at Beijing 2008 to come second in the medals table.
The Royal Mail is also handing over £200,000 which will be split equally between the ParalympicsGB gold medallists.
This summer's Paralympics, which can be traced back to a competition for the war wounded at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in 1948, are heading back home for the first time.
Friday, 6 July 2012
Olympic Venues Generic Smilers Sheet - how to get from Royal Mail
Details of how to buy the 27 June Olympic Venues generic smiler sheet have been added to this post.
And following concerted action via twitter, the sheet is now on RM's shop site!
And following concerted action via twitter, the sheet is now on RM's shop site!
Thursday, 5 July 2012
Updated list of Post and Go locations
Brian Sinnott has updated the list of Post and Go locations and a complete list is now on his blog here.
The latest office is Dorchester in Dorset, and there are now 239 machines in 148 publicly accessible* offices. The number of machines in each office is shown but on my (Firefox) browser it almost clips the right-hand column. It shows properly in Safari. Most offices have 1 or 2 machines but there are 9 at Pinfold Street Birmingham,
Machines with codes 699010/699011 are at the Old Street PO Head Office and are also used at exhibitions.
UPDATE 16/7/12 - Cambridge (St Andrews Street) 007113 now has a third machine in the refurbished office. (Thanks SM)
This is a Post and Go Label from the new machine: 007113 3-PAG
I hadn't seen the machine-vended Certificate of Posting, nor realised that the Post and Go labels now show a destination postcode - although not all of it is printed on the label (NR2 instead of NR20).
The latest office is Dorchester in Dorset, and there are now 239 machines in 148 publicly accessible* offices. The number of machines in each office is shown but on my (Firefox) browser it almost clips the right-hand column. It shows properly in Safari. Most offices have 1 or 2 machines but there are 9 at Pinfold Street Birmingham,
Machines with codes 699010/699011 are at the Old Street PO Head Office and are also used at exhibitions.
UPDATE 16/7/12 - Cambridge (St Andrews Street) 007113 now has a third machine in the refurbished office. (Thanks SM)
This is a Post and Go Label from the new machine: 007113 3-PAG
Wednesday, 4 July 2012
Delivered by Royal Mail - from Bristol ink-jet (and updated to show others)
Here's the first image we have been sent showing the new 'attachment' to the traditional inkjet postmark. (Thanks to John P).
The original story is here.
UPDATE: Some more, including one from Chester only partially bilingual - I wonder if this will change? Also two covers from Bath Bristol Taunton, the 2nd class one showing what happens if there is no slogan - uncancelled stamp! Note these have 7 wavy lines.
-----
Swindon also not yet using Delivered by slogan (thanks Rob) - this one with 9 wavy lines:
The original story is here.
Swindon also not yet using Delivered by slogan (thanks Rob) - this one with 9 wavy lines:
Tuesday, 3 July 2012
Scotland 1st and 2nd class by Cartor - comparison with DLR.
We now have the new Scotland 1st and 2nd class stamps in stock, printed by Cartor and issued 27 June 2012 (first reported here)
The Cartor printings are shown on the right, original De La Rue at the left.
And in close-up
The printing date is on the plate, rather than being added by ink-jet, and so far only 24/04/12 has been seen - for both values.
Monday, 2 July 2012
Machin 2nd class coil by Enschede - new 2012 code!
Machin coils of 10,000 have been a problem since Royal Mail refuse to split them even though we know and they know that they could sell singles and strips with no problem, to thousands of collectors all over the world.
Dealers bought the original 2009 coded 1st and 2nd class which have been available at a reasonable price. The 1st class 2010 was also obtained, but the price was considerably higher.
Then the 2nd class 2010 was found on 'junk' mailings from a number of mailing houses. This is known as the Sunday Times Wine Club stamp as it was first found on a mailshot from the club. Prices achieved on eBay have been amazing, but settled down as more came to market.
Reliable information from Royal Mail said that both 1st & 2nd class were printed with 2011 codes, but none have so far been reported.
Earlier this year we learned that a new 2nd class coil was to be printed by Enschede, and thanks to dealer Alec Withell we can now show images of the stamp and the coil. Oddly, whilst other 2012 stamps have appeared with the M12L code, this one is coded MA12!
Of course now we wait to hear which direct mailshots are using these - or the 2011 version in 2nd or 1st class !
Dealers bought the original 2009 coded 1st and 2nd class which have been available at a reasonable price. The 1st class 2010 was also obtained, but the price was considerably higher.
Then the 2nd class 2010 was found on 'junk' mailings from a number of mailing houses. This is known as the Sunday Times Wine Club stamp as it was first found on a mailshot from the club. Prices achieved on eBay have been amazing, but settled down as more came to market.
Reliable information from Royal Mail said that both 1st & 2nd class were printed with 2011 codes, but none have so far been reported.
Earlier this year we learned that a new 2nd class coil was to be printed by Enschede, and thanks to dealer Alec Withell we can now show images of the stamp and the coil. Oddly, whilst other 2012 stamps have appeared with the M12L code, this one is coded MA12!
Of course now we wait to hear which direct mailshots are using these - or the 2011 version in 2nd or 1st class !
While we were out......
Several items of news cropped up while we were away, and while we've been sorting out emails and post more has arrived, so here is a summary.
The Pre-Olympic 'Venues' Generic Smiler sheet has appeared, looking quite unlike the publicity images. Here's the sheet
Further update:
following concerted action via twitter, the sheet is now on RM's shop site!
See the original blog message, now updated, here.
For the 'Welcome to the Olympics' issue on 27 July there will be a miniature sheet and a prestige stamp book - see our webpage. Two weeks ago no details had been announced and we didn't know whether the definitive pane would be Machins or Olympics or a mixture, and we expected that some of the stamps from (or the whole) miniature sheet would be included.
We now have the pictures - but no technical specification - and it's all Olympic definitives and no miniature sheet stamps!
As I said, no technical details so we don't know whether the definitives are gummed* (which would make them new) or self-adhesive. If the book is printed by Cartor in toto then the definitives will be from a new printer; if the definitives are self-adhesive by Walsall then the 20g will be new but the 1st class were issued in booklets printed by Walsall.
The 'sports' stamps on the other three panes were originally printed by Cartor in sheet form so, again, if the PSB is printed by Cartor these are not prima facie new stamps - but the phosphor may be different - heck, the perforation could be different as well!
The Pre-Olympic 'Venues' Generic Smiler sheet has appeared, looking quite unlike the publicity images. Here's the sheet
UPDATE: At the time of writing this is not on the Royal Mail shop website, nor is it mentioned in either the Olympic or regular Summer Collection brochures issued late last month. So for those who want to buy it direct,
The Stock Code is AT072 and the price from Royal Mail is £15.22
Email philatelic.enquiries@royalmail.com or phone +44 (0) 131 316 7483Further update:
following concerted action via twitter, the sheet is now on RM's shop site!
See the original blog message, now updated, here.
For the 'Welcome to the Olympics' issue on 27 July there will be a miniature sheet and a prestige stamp book - see our webpage. Two weeks ago no details had been announced and we didn't know whether the definitive pane would be Machins or Olympics or a mixture, and we expected that some of the stamps from (or the whole) miniature sheet would be included.
We now have the pictures - but no technical specification - and it's all Olympic definitives and no miniature sheet stamps!
The 'sports' stamps on the other three panes were originally printed by Cartor in sheet form so, again, if the PSB is printed by Cartor these are not prima facie new stamps - but the phosphor may be different - heck, the perforation could be different as well!
UPDATE 10 July: The panes (but not the book) are now to hand.
All panes are gummed. The definitive pane has darker 1st class stamps than the pale orange shown, close to the sheet and booklet self-adhesive stamps but slightly paler. The 20g airmail stamps are a good match.
The Sports stamps on the other three panes look very similar to the stamps issued previously in sheets and have the same perforation as before, with all-over phosphor. The shade differences are minor, and the micro-printed years remain the same as on the original stamps. The se-tenant combinations are, of course, new. Sunday, 1 July 2012
Four seasons in one day - England's Lake District
There will be a lot to post on the blog when I have finished reading the emails that have arrived in the last two weeks, and picked up the post tomorrow.
Over the two weeks we had sun, rain, hail, gale, though no frost. No floods in our village, but extensive laying water even on main roads, where rain was running off fields.
Picture 1 is Ullswater, from a steamer.
Picture 2 is low cloud and the resulting cascade down one of the hills.
Picture 3 is a tree downstream of the bridge at Ennerdale Bridge late last week - and we are certain it wasn't there at the start of the holiday!
Over the two weeks we had sun, rain, hail, gale, though no frost. No floods in our village, but extensive laying water even on main roads, where rain was running off fields.
Picture 1 is Ullswater, from a steamer.
Picture 2 is low cloud and the resulting cascade down one of the hills.
Picture 3 is a tree downstream of the bridge at Ennerdale Bridge late last week - and we are certain it wasn't there at the start of the holiday!
Friday, 15 June 2012
Delivered by Royal Mail
A couple of weeks ago I mentioned the plan by Royal Mail to remind householders just who delivers their mail, by the incorporation of a new slogan alongside the postage paid indicator (PPI).
It seems that Argos have been very quick off the mark and are already using the new-style PPI as shown below. Thanks to Dominic for this picture, received today.
Despite the fact that we are still waiting for the Charles Dickens stamps due next Tuesday, we are closing the office until the beginning of July to take a well-earned rest and recharge the batteries.
Orders through our shop (www.norphil.co.uk/catalog) will be processed and stock reserved as usual. There will be a special bonus for order number 2000.
And we may accidentally see emails while I'm using the iPhone looking for ideal places to rest and eat. Enjoy the summer and the rest of Euro2012 !
It seems that Argos have been very quick off the mark and are already using the new-style PPI as shown below. Thanks to Dominic for this picture, received today.
UPDATE 6 July:
Three different examples seen today. The 1st and 2nd from with License number COVENTRY 909 are from the same mailing house for different customers. I though the square design had been abandoned by Royal Mail some time ago, but here it is with yet another Coventry license CV24385
Despite the fact that we are still waiting for the Charles Dickens stamps due next Tuesday, we are closing the office until the beginning of July to take a well-earned rest and recharge the batteries.
Orders through our shop (www.norphil.co.uk/catalog) will be processed and stock reserved as usual. There will be a special bonus for order number 2000.
And we may accidentally see emails while I'm using the iPhone looking for ideal places to rest and eat. Enjoy the summer and the rest of Euro2012 !
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