July postmark slogans, and other interesting postal markings

Half-way through the year already, and it has been a busy one for collectors of slogan postmarks.  I hope we have helped you to know what exists, even if the information comes too late for self-addressed attempts.   This is the place for all new slogans for July, and any other interesting postal markings that I find or which are reported .

Lucky are those who have access to a business with a lot of stamped mail, the volunteer officers in stamp clubs and philatelic societies who have traditional correspondence from members, and anybody with a birthday!  Who else gets much stamped mail these days?

So we'll start off with examples sent while I was away, and the first is another for NHS/Covid thematic collectors.  Unfortunately it was only in use for two days, so thanks to JE for sending this picture of three examples.  Norwich Mail Centre 01-07-2021, Lancashire and South Lakes (Preston) 01/07/2021 and Manchester Mail Centre 02/07/2021

THANK YOU NHS
      Founded 5 July 1948      

Thank You NHS slogan used 1 & 2 July 2021 - Norwich, Preston, Manchester.

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It's Dog Awareness Week again, Royal Mail's annual reminder to dog owners to keep them under control when the postman comes.  Despite the reported increase in dog ownership during lockdown etc Royal Mail report that there were fewer dog attacks in the last year, which is to be welcomed.  But behind these reports it is still shocking to report that there were still 2,500 attacks, which is truly horrifying.  

The first example to hit my (e-) mail box is from MS in Rotherham who sent a picture of a letter from the USA on which the Sheffield Mail Centre has added it's message three times on 05/07/2021!

Dog Awareness 2021 slogan postmark applied by Sheffield Mail Centre on incoming letter from the USA.

I received one this morning from Greenford/Windsor but it's on a colourful stamp and doesn't show well. Similarly RW had one from Inverness dated 06-067-2021 unusable for the same reason.

UPDATE 9 July.  Thanks to KD for this much better example of the Dog Awareness slogan from Southampton Portsmouth & IOW, on 05/07/2021.

Dog Awareness Week 2021 slogan postmark from Southampton mail centre 05/07/2021

Three more Dog Awareness examples from JG - the same layout from Cornwall Mail Centre 07/07/2021, the alternative from Jubilee Mail Centre 06-07-2021, and the reversed from SE Wales 06/07/2021 on a square envelope.

Dog Awareness Week 2021 slogan postmark from Cornwall Mail Centre

Dog Awareness Week 2021 slogan postmark from Jubilee Mail Centre

Reversed Dog Awareness Week 2021 slogan postmark from De Dd Cymru SE Wales

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Remember, all postmarks in July will be added to this post, so check here before you spend time scanning and emailing.  I'll try to add new ones as quickly as possible.

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More new Machin definitives for 2021

It's almost as if the relaxation - and coming further relaxation - of Covid-19 restrictions has lifted the doors on either ISP/Walsall or Royal Mail's warehouse and stamps are flooding out.

I've got much to catch up on with news which you sent while I was away at (inter alia) Midpex (and more about event that in a separate post), and much more to report, but in the meantime I can report that new M21L printings of the £1 and £2.55 sheet definitives are now available, printed on 22 March and 23 March respectively.  Get these from your usual dealer who should have them soon rather than pay 'here, this is new!' prices on auction sites.

More details & pictures later, and a new list of this year's definitives as soon as I have compiled a new list.

Click on any image to see them enlarged.

1p, 5p, 10p, 20p counter sheet printings M21L

The backing paper on the 5p is the other way up compared to the other three values, whatever designation you use to describe it. The 5p has the upright small letters below the upright large letters, the other three have the upright small letters above the upright large letters.

Date blocks, 15/03 (1p), 16/03 (the rest):

UPDATE 13 July

Date blocks and singles of £1 and £2.55 M21L reprints.  The backing paper on these is the same as all except the 5p above.

UPDATE 26 July:   Trelantis has mentioned this in the comments, but earlier I had an email from IM which ended up in the spam folder, and included this picture of a sheet bought on the island of Skye.

2p counter sheet printed 15/03/21 M21L (click on image to enlarge.)

UPDATE 9 August 2021:  A correspondent (RB) has pointed out the addition to the low value sheets, which now have the barcode alongside the last row as well as the top row on the sheet.

Edit: By 'low value' I meant up to £1, but JH has pointed out that the same applies to the £2.55 reprint.  (Thank you JH!)

Watch this space!

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More Comic Relief from Royal Mail - Dennis & Gnasher - 1 July 2021.

Knock! Knock! Who's there? Royal Mail, knocking for more of your hard-earned cash to honour what is said to be "the iconic, much-loved character of Dennis (and his dog Gnasher)". 

"This stamp issue celebrates the anniversary with six special stamps looking back at Dennis through the ages; from his first ever black and white comic strip in 1951, to important events in his life since; meeting his baby sister Bea, adopting Gnasher and even finding out that his dad is a grown up version of Dennis from the 80’s."

Dennis's cheeky smile appeared in Britain's first Greetings stamp booklet back in 1990, when the basic stamp (shown above in Smilers sheet LS9) was 20p and was one of 10 showing smiling characters from Stan Laurel to the Mona Lisa, via the Cheshire Cat.

The same stamp was also included in Royal Mail's very first Smilers sheet produced at the Stamp Show 2000.  So what brings him back to your collection choices now?  Well, 2021 is the 70th anniversary of the comic strip, and 70 seems to be the magic number beyond which there is likely to be a drop-off in the number of people who remember the character from the start, and who might just buy some of the stamps. I suppose that is why waiting until the centenary would be too risky for Royal Mail.

As well as a set of 6 stamps, the issue includes a four-stamp miniature sheet exclusively illustrated by current Dennis artist, Nigel Parkinson, to wish Dennis a Happy Birthday! The sheet concludes the story from the specially designed comic strip in the presentation pack.

Set of 6 stamps (3 x 1st class and 3 x £1.70) featuring detail from Dennis & Gnasher cartoon strips, issued 1 July 2021.

Miniature sheet with an original Dennis & Gnasher cartoon strip, issued 1 July 2021.

Retail Booklet

Dennis & Gnasher 6 x 1st retail booklet with two 1st class stamps from the miniature sheet and 4 x 1st class Machin security definitives coded M21L MCIL

Unfolded Dennis & Gnasher booklet.

Technical Details

The stamps are designed by The Chase (Acknowledgements: A Beano Studios Product   DC Thomson Ltd 2021; licensed by Rocket Licensing Ltd.) and printed by International Security Printers in litho.  They are gummed, size 50mm(w) x 30mm(h) in sheets of 60, se tenant strips of 3 and all over phosphor.
Perforations are said to be 14mm x 14mm, but I think we know what they mean!

The miniature sheet is also printed by International Security Printers in litho, and is self-adhesive with all over phosphor. Sizes and perforations are £1.70 Minnie the Minx: 27mm x 37mm portrait (14 x 14); 1st Class Dennis, 1st class Gnasher, and £1.70 Dennis with Bea and parents: 35mm x 35mm square (14.5 x 14.5).  The overall sheet size is 192mm x 74mm.

Product range

Set of 6, miniature sheet, retail booklet, presentation pack, first day covers (2), stamp cards, press sheet of 18 miniature sheets.

Additional Products

Collectors Sheet, framed uncancelled stamps or miniature sheet on illustrated mount (not FDC), framed collectors sheet, limited edition framed miniature sheet signed by the artist Nigel Parkinson £69.99).

Dennis & Gnasher Collectors Sheet thankfully only containing 10 x 1st class stamps from the miniature sheet and therefore costing only £9.70.

Royal Mail have delayed all publicity for this issue and said that "the delay with Dennis & Gnasher 'First' magazine was down to the rush to get the Duke of Edinburgh mini sheet out, and to respect the event."  

Well, with all respect to the late Prince Philip, that ship sailed and the fact that the miniature sheet was issued last week has passed by the general media.  They duly reported the forthcoming issue around 23 May when it was announced by Royal Mail, but there has been barely a whisper since.  Use Google (other search engines exist) to limit a news search to the last week, and the only entries are from Sky, Royal Mail and the Westminster Collection - and the stamps get a nod while the £5 coin is being reported.

So this blog post will launch at 00.30 UK time tomorrow, by which time it is to be hoped that Royal Mail may also have flicked the switch to reveal them on their e-commerce website so that people can actually buy them should they want to. 

UPDATE 7 July.  BP has sent a picture of one of his booklets which sports two separate doctor blade flaws, one on each special stamp.  Not valuable, and transient, but it's nice to have something different!

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Norvic Checklist of Security Machin Definitives - v 2.5.3 - 30 June 2021

A new version of our Checklist is now available for download.  It incorporates all the new stamps for 2021 as of yesterday, but there are more making an appearance all the time, although more
gradually this year.

You can download the new version here.

One major change this year is how we show Stanley Gibbons numbers.  One of the original reasons for the list was that Gibbons changed some numbers at least twice in the 2009-10 period and some stability was needed.  Gibbons still have a system which requires periodic number changes, though. 

In the 2018 edition of their Great Britain Concise catalogue, Gibbons renumbered most of the U-series stamps.   In the 2019 edition further changes were made by SG including at least one booklet. Until now we have included columns for earlier Gibbons numbers but this is becoming increasingly difficult to accommodate.  Therefore only one column is now provided for SG numbers which is intended to show the latest number.

Similarly in the reverse-look-up table, this Checklist no longer shows all the individual stamps with different year codes, as the Gibbons numbers remain the same for each year, unless there is another difference. Thus U2920 is for all the 1p counter sheet stamps irrespective of year.

As always there may be errors, and we know data is missing especially for printing dates or booklet pack dates.  

Please let us know of anything we've got wrong, and continue to tell us what is new.

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Events news - Midpex on, York off

Three days to go to Midpex and the first chance for many people to get together for a couple of years - especially if you missed the show at Stafford Showground which was probably the first successful major event in the UK this year.

But bad news for those dealers and collectors planning to go to York Racecourse on July 16-17, as this event has now been cancelled - see organiser's site. 

Details of dealers attending Midpex, and specialist societies' booths and meetings can be found on the dedicated Midpex pages here.   I shall be there in the usual Norvic red, with a badge, although I shall not be selling.  If you are a customer or fellow society member, or a reader, and you look up from your stamp browsing and notice me wandering do please say hello.

I'll be away from tomorrow (Thursday) and back in the office next Wednesday. 

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At last - Machin sheet printings 2021.

Thank you to the very many people who have pointed out far too many errors made in yesterday evening's blog post.  Had I not been continuing working in the garden this morning I would have caught the first email/comment and saved most of you the trouble!  (But the garden is looking good!)

I really did make a lot of unforgivable mistakes which are corrected below, in blue.  My thanks to Machinmaniac (twice!), John H, Trelantis, Rob L.

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We understand that the 1p, 5p, 10p and 20p counter sheets were printed in March 2021 with year code M21L. These will shortly be available from the usual dealers and may well appear in Post Office branches before long.

The 1p was printed on 15/03/21 and the 5p, 10p and 20p were printed on 16/03/21.  These will be added to the Norvic Checklist and a new version will be published this week.

The 2nd Large and 1st Large counter sheets were printed on 19/02/21.

UPDATE 29 JUNE: After yesterday's uncertainties and corrections, I have confirmation this afternoon of the 2nd class business sheet without datamatrix code.  This is perhaps the most surprising addition to the range and my thanks to MB for sending this image of a used example which was on a letter from the NHS posted 28/06/2021 at South East Anglia mail centre.

2nd class business sheet with no datamatrix code M21L MBIL.

M21L stamps issued so far:

Business Sheet
2nd class with datamatrix code (MBIL)
2nd class without datamatrix code (MBIL)
1st class without DMX code (MBIL)
2nd Large (MBIL) - I have checked my emails for the report of this and can't find it; I can only think I misread something.
1st Large (MBIL)

Booklets
2nd class from book of 12 (MTIL)
1st class from mixed booklet (MCIL)
1st class from book of 12 (MTIL)

Counter sheets (MAIL)
1p
5p
20p
£1.70 (23 December 2020)
£3.25
£4.20
2nd Large
1st Large

Prestige Stamp Books (MPIL)
2p              Music Giants V
10p            Music Giants V
50p            Music Giants V
1st class    Music Giants V

1st class MAIL gummed - Queen's 9th Birthday Souvenir cover. Royal Mail intend that this should only be available used, but copies have been sold mint on eBay - best price so far £64.

1st class business sheet MBIL M21L

1st Large business sheet MBIL M21L

1st class from booklet of 12 - MTIL M21L

 

More images to follow shortly.

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Dennis is early, at least in Surrey. Another pre-release.

Another post office has managed to release some special stamps not only early, but before Royal Mail has even sent their publicity leaflet First to collectors, and before anybody but the cover producers has been able to show the stamps (see here).  

DP is a keen Dennis fan, and has sent this picture with the picture as shown in the original comic strip! The cover was received last Saturday (19 June) with the stamps not due for issue until 1 July.

1 July 2021 Dennis & Gnasher stamp used 18 June in Gatwick Mail Centre catchment area.

As you can see, the stamp - although reproducing the original accurately - is only showing a detail of the original frame in the strip.  Maybe they learned from the clutter of Fools & Horses that you can only miniaturise so far before it becomes ridiculous?

UPDATE 24 June:  Two more examples from DP, again with the original comics.  These are postmarked 22 June at Medway Mail Centre.

Two more examples of the 1 July 2021 Dennis & Gnasher stamps, used 22 June in Medway Mail Centre catchment area.

 

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Post and Go update, Explosions Museum Gosport.

The Explosion Museum of Naval Firepower in Gosport has reopened and the Post and Go machine was operational from 16 June.  MB reports that the P&G delay was caused by a problem with the SIM card within the kiosk not allowing a network connection.

Machin is MA15 stock with the Flag undated, my thanks to MB for sending these images.

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Comments: relevance and anonymity.

We really do appreciate the comments that our readers make: if it wasn't for the comments we wouldn't know half what we know, and Post & Go collectors especially wouldn't know how many changes there have been to Post Office SSKs.

So a couple of requests.  

1.  Please make comments on the relevant post.  If you want to tell us that a new Machin printing has appeared, make the comment on the latest Machin post, not on the latest commemorative or postmarks post.  This means that people who are interested in Machins but not commemoratives will find it.  OR you can email it to me for an update to the last post or for a new one entirely.

2. A repeat of a request made at least twice before.  Anonymity is welcome, but please use a unique ID.

"Many people choose to remain anonymous when posting their comments on blogs, and of course that is fine - absolutely.  Some may be dealers who want to just sow some seeds of thought, some may work for Royal Mail or Post Office Ltd, or others with inside information, others may work for companies that it might be better not to associate with online activity.

But sometimes with long threads with a lot of comments there are many comments from 'Anonymous' - and they are not all the same person!!  That may lead to confusion among other readers and those who are referring to the posts by 'Anonymous'.

So it would be really useful if readers could use a name - as White Knight does, for example.  You can choose any nom-de-keyboard, initials, etc, that you wish, but it would help to use the same 'name' for all comments."

Even if you use a pseudonym you are still Anonymous unless it is one that you use widely elsewhere! And if you use one that I can identify with your email address because you have sent emails or bought from us, then I may answer you directly by email rather than here - especially useful if I don't allow your comment to go through.

At some time in the future the use of the name 'Anonymous' will be stopped, and all readers must make a decision to use a pseudonym.
 

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Retail Booklets: thin paper, thick paper, cream pape, white paper.

Twelve months ago I wrote about the thickness of retail booklet covers:

I don't want to start another collecting trend, but....

As readers of the Philatelic Bulletin will know, the Music Giants IV: Queen issue includes a prestige book and a retail booklet.  My retail booklets arrived today.

Some people say you should never touch mint stamps with your hands - well sometimes it's worth it as a hunch sometimes proves right.  I opened the booklet and immediately felt that the backing paper was 'different'.  It felt smoother, and thinner.  

As you can see above, the newer booklet has whiter paper than the previous one. The stamp appears darker, the reflection of the iridescent printing is quite different between the two

 

CH reminded me of this last month when he wrote that the Music Giants V booklets had reverted to cream paper.  Apparently so far we have had:

White paper  PM78 (Fools 'n' Horses) , PM77 (National Parks)

 

Cream Paper PM79 (Paul McCartney)

 

 

As with the thinner paper mentioned last year, this isn't something that I will list in the Checklist, nor will it be mentioned in Gibbons' Concise Catalogue but it is a difference that ought to be included in their GB Specialised, if they ever produce a volume covering the latest security Machins.  

As these booklets are coded MCIL M21L it produces, for those who want to go to that level of detail, two different stamps - and if they appear with both upright and inverted printing on the backing paper.... well maybe four.

As always it is the choice of the collector whether to go to this level; personally I would rather try to find M21L stamps used on cover, especially some of those which have been announced but are not yet available from Tallents House!

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