An incorrectly re-wound part roll of Machin Head faststamps has given rise to a spectacular ‘Inverted Head’ error at the self-service facility at Ludgate Circus (Tudor street) .

On 21st May 2012, Royal Mail are due to issue an updated Post and Go stamp version of the Union Flag stamp originally issued in 2001  in honour of The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

This will be available from Royal Mail in the usual ‘Pack’ format (at a bargain face value of 60p) as well as from the numerous Post and Go branches throughout the UK.

The Pack version and those applied to Royal Mail serviced First Day Covers have once again have had the text printed by Hytech in Holland.

Note:- Royal Mail have changed the background for this issue – to a much darker blue colour to improve the appearance of the printed stamps.

The second in the series of Post & Go stamps featuring British Farmyard animals will be issued on the 24th April 2012.

There will be available in the usual Post Office outlets – but grab them quickly as the price will rise on 3oth April.

As well as the Post Office Wincor machines – Hytech in the Netherlands have again overprinted the stock that is used for the ‘Pack’ format containing 6 x 1st Class stamps- however we will have to wait until Autumn Stampex before other Hytech formats are available.

As well as offering a range of Post Office services, they will offer customers the chance to view the heritage of the London Olympic Games. There will be displays of stamps issued for the 1948 Games, plus the 30 stamps created to celebrate the 30^th Olympic Paralympic Games.

The services available include first and second class mail for letters and packets, international mail for letters and small packets, Post Office card accounts, international money transfer via MoneyGram

There will be a chance to buy Royal Mail Smiler postage stamps, personalised with a photo in a special, limited edition souvenir pack commemorating the Games, plus a small collection of mail products and other souvenirs.

Royal Mail will also issue a stamp after each Team GB gold medal, depicting each winner. These will also be for sale across 5,000 different Post Office branches.

The new branches will be open seven days a week from 8am to 9pm through the Games, expecting to serve more than 30,000 people.

My Question is- Will they have any Self Service/Post and Go machines available? Will non-ticket holders/athletes  be able to purchase these items?

Wednesday started off with the left hand self service  machine (No. 21) dispensing the ‘Diamond Jubilee’ overprint – and this continued until the close of the show uninterrupted.  This was mirrored in the back office by machine (No.23) for the first day of the show.

The right hand self-service machine (No.22)  was fitted with ‘Birds 4 ‘ stamps (as the current issue) until Friday where it was (as the first day of issue) replaced by the new ‘Farm Animals- series 1 – Sheep’ stamps.

Things in the back office where slightly different as due to the large demand for the Sheep stamps both back office machines had to be brought into service to print these and so the overprint was temporarily  removed from machine No. 22 and used for ‘Collectors strips’ on Friday and Saturday. (It was re-introduced for a time on Friday and then removed again on Saturday)

Therefore Sheep stamps exist from machines 22, 23 and 24.

Diamond Jubilee stamps exist from machines 21 and 23 only

Birds 4 stamps exist from machines 22 and 24 only.

The back office machines produced collectors sets of 36 (6 x 6 ) or collectors strips of 6 for the Birds and Sheep issue or collectors strips of 6 for the Diamond Jubilee overprint.

The self service machines had been modified to prevent ‘pulling’ by some collectors/dealers to manufacture their own ‘varieties’- this appeared to be successful and although the odd ‘hiccup’ was noted where misprints did occur- those that did were ‘real’ !

Any questions ? As usual -please contact me at postagelabelsuk@gmx.com

Sheep stamps were printed in advance of First Day to ensure dealers pre-orders

were ready on first day- in these cases the receipts will show the FDOI.

Following on from the success of the  exclusive Autumn Stampex 2010 ‘Arnold Machin’ faststamp overprint, Royal Mail have today announced that a further Stampex-only overprint will be available at Spring Stampex 2012.

This time the overprint will read ‘Diamond Jubilee 1952-2012’ and will be available throughout Stampex from both the self-service and over-the-counter Hytech machines.

The ‘Diamond Jubilee’ overprint will be combined with Farm Animal (Sheep) offerings, in a similar way to the Autumn 2011 Stampex.

Pictorial Faststamps: Sheep – 24 February 2012

We all know that the next set of Post and Go Pictorial Stamps will be “British Farm Animals” featuring sheep from around the UK  and will be the first in a series of three issues that will explore some of the many traditional breeds of sheep, cattle and pigs to be found on farms in the UK.

But, as a dramatic departure from the previous ‘Birds’ sets , where these items sold directly from Talents House would have been press-printed in Gravure (and a have very distinct print appearance) Royal Mail have confirmed that, for this issue at least, the ‘set’ stamps and those used on Royal Mail produced FDCs will be printed by Hytech.

The ‘set’ pack containing six 1st class stamps has been redesigned (rotated through 90 degrees) to take the new, but now familiar Hytech  ‘strip of six’ as seen at the last two Stampex shows.

And the good news is that there is no premium for this pack and so it can be pre-ordered at the face value of £2.76 (6 x 1st Class) – a sure sell-out item?

As the Post and Go V2 upgrade is now almost complete, those very few branches that still were using Birds 3 reels have produced a six completely new stamps- previously unissued Worldwide 40g versions of Birds 3.

Branches that have been confirmed as producing this value from last Friday are Grimsby, Dartford, Hyde and Ludgate Circus.

This value is likely to be the RAREST of all Post and Go stamps and the KEY value of this set.

Available on Ebay here:- http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/170744034218

Ive seen the future and the future is self service   – Wincor-Nixdorf style times ten!

A new style ‘futuristic’ Post Office branch, which has been recently refitted with ten Wincor-Nixdorf Post and Go machines has opened for business in Birmingham town centre.

The Pinfold Street, Birmingham Post Office Branch is the first of a brand new type of Branch (Known as a ‘Premier’) which promotes a whole new concept of self-service to customers.

Photo Gordon Griffiths

The ten Post & Go machines are spead around the brnach in clusters of 2 or 3 – and the branch staff mingle with the customers to assist customers with posting items and any other transactions.

The ten post and go machines have all been upgraded to V2 and offer Special Delivery , Recorded Delivery and International services- except one (Kiosk No. 10) which minus the postal weigh scales is reserved for the sale of stamps and payment for retail items.

No.10 Kiosk results in a Kiosk ID of Zero on the stamps and labels.

As well as being the first Premier Branch, The first branch to have ten post and go machines it is also the first branch to use a new, foldable, ‘mini’ date stamp, currently reserved for ‘customer side’ use on Post and Go receipts.

The latest update to the Wincor Post & Go software has been activated at a single branch (Broadway, London SW1) on Thursday 13th October 2011.

This upgrade allows customers to post Recorded Signed For, Special Delivery, Airsure and International Signed For  Royal Mail products as well as Parcelforce Express items within the UK and to the EU.

For Post & Go stamp collectors a new value of 40g Worldwide becomes available from the ‘Buy Stamps’ menu as well as a facility to purchase the whole six values, dispensed in two strips of three.

Available to buy here :- http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/170712531665