Many faststamp/ATM collectors took the opportunity to visit the various ‘upgraded’ Post and Go Locations  across central London today,  with impressive results. Firstly the Post and Go self-serve facility at Ludgate/Tudor Street provided an unannounced source of pictorial Faststamps having been provided by the Post Office for dealers to obtain large quantities of labels, without impacting other ‘usual’ customers (Ludgate has four Post and Go kiosks and so has capacity for such a facility).

However, much more spectacularly the ‘No 1 ‘ kiosk at the City Of London branch office provided an opportunity to obtain examples of labels where the software upgrade had not been applied successfully and even corrupted the overprint producing a stunning ‘missing  weight’ variant.

For each label shown there is/was a Welsh ‘Bilingual’ version available and two label overprint types- Thin and Thick lettering as well as two Machin gold label types (Original and the “August 10” type).

This makes 44 label overprints (22 English 22 Welsh)  in 2 print styles (Thick and Thin)  on 2 different gold Machin label types as well as the existing white labels whose stocks are currently being rundown ~ who said that ‘The modern collecting alternative’ of UK Postage Label collecting was boring, easy or without variation?..

Don’t forget, however, that many of these labels already have a limited lifespan of future availability- The original white labels are no longer available for Post Offices to order , the ‘Thick’ style (From the original Horizon software) overprint only has a matter of weeks left before it is completely removed – the first variant of the Machin gold label will be not replaced and rumors of plans (apparently)  to remove some of the ‘rarer’ indicators before Xmas ’10 have been circulated…So..fill those gaps now!

It has now been confirmed that the First Day of use of the Gold Horizon Labels in Wales was yesterday, April 20th 2010.

 Some branches having received their stock yesterday and all others in Wales receiving it  today.

Shown below is a FDC produced yesterday ‘machined’ (sic) into an inch of its life by the Cardiff FCT.

Please contact me if you would like to purchase a similar cover.

The full list of Wincor-Nixdorf Proposal Kiosks currently in use in the UK, along with branch addresses and their go-live date is now shown here:-

https://postagelabelsuk.com/?page_id=497

A seller on Ebay has been selling Mint Gold Horizon Machin Labels , without apparently knowing what they are!

And at £10.49 for a pair appear to be VERY cheap! (Given that used ones on cover have fetched £40-£50) . However unused sheetlets should not be available…

These should only appear in a used state, affixed to items and for the Special Delivery Trial only that took place in High Street, Camden Town last year.

So where did these come from? – The seller has sold multiples of these..

UPDATE:- Further Mint labels have been listed here by a different seller.

A contributor to this site has reported a nice ‘Miscut’ variety from the Finchley, London  Post&Go Machine, along with the receipt that is generated when the machine detects such an error. Nice One!

The receipt reads “We apologise some items could not be printed, Please present this part of receipt to a member of staff for assistance”.

An unannounced new Horizon postage label, bearing the Machin Head and with simulated perforations went on trial at Camden High Street Branch only , in London, on Monday 8th June 2009.

Printed by De La Rue in gold with security printing of wavy “ROYAL MAIL”

These labels were used on Royal Mail Special Delivery items only

After three months and three days, the trial has now (11th Sept 2009) come to an end.

No other branches will sell the label or any further extension will occur for the time being.

Any further developments may utilise a different label to that used at Camden High Street Post Office

This cover is available for purchase in our shop at £45

First Day Cover from the First Day of Operation at Old Street (205)  Crown Office , London EC1

Some Horizon Indicators are due to change from tomorrow 27/07/09 :-

1LL becomes 1LG

2LL becomes 2LG

BLL becomes BLG

AX becomes AAX

First day covers will be listed soon- in the meanwhile the now obsolete indicators are currently available on FDC in my Ebay shop.

The August 2009 edition of Stamp Magazine has covered the  Trial of the Gold machin Horizon Postage Label  at Camden Town with a picture on the front cover and a detailed article inside!

Mainstream Coverage Of Gold Machin Label Trial At Camden Town!

As titled ‘Shock New Machin Variety goes on trial’.