2nd Class stamps - yours will be unique, 1 in 20 million

 

A surprise in the post this morning - this new 2nd Class stamp. I had noticed a bill for a new 2nd Class stamp issued by the Philatelic Bureau some time ago and, whilst wondering just what was in store, I concluded that it might just be some minor change. Instead there is is this much larger item.

The label comprises two images, the traditional 'stamp' and a type of QR code matrix. To preserve the impression of the 'stamp' being a 'stamp' there is a wavy line incorporated in the design to make a printed 'perforation' between the two main images. I have to say that this looks odd and will only fool those applying the label to a blue envelope. But never mind. So what on Earth is this all about?

It seems a little OTT for just security but I understand that the code for every stamp is unique, with the QR code revealing (to anyone with a QR reader app on their phone) a string of digits which only that item will have. This will certainly make forgery less effective as the idea is that equipment at sorting offices will record the use of the string of digits and reject any further use through some form of intercommunication across the nation. I hadn't appreciated how much money must be being lost through forgery for such a lot of extra security printing measures to be justified. My guess is that the string of digits might be used in future to track an item's progress or, more mundanely, provide detailed data of items source and destinations for Royal Mail.

The backing sheet also contains the wavy lines of text in a similar style to that used across the self-adhesive range.

The stamp image has the same security features as we are familiar with, with an M21L MBIL code indicating that this one is from a Business Sheet which, I imagine, is the code used in most forgeries. Perhaps we will also see this available at counters and in booklets, together, naturally, with 1st Class items in similar vein to be seen before long.

A new page required in the album. That was not expected. I thought there might be development of a picture theme to replace the Machin head and it is interesting to note that the separation of the main code element from the stamp design does leave it quite possible for other designs of the 'stamp' to be substituted. I cannot see this device being rolled out to other than the NVI issues, however.

I would tell you more but I have not received a Philatelic Bulletin for some time, where I would imagine details have been provided. I had to turn to Norvic's Philatelic Blog for help and there you will find chapter and verse in fine style.

Heads or Tails? Our Children's Children Won't Give A Toss.

In my previous article, I looked at what I might start calling Heads and Tails - stamps printed on the new security backing paper with text in either direction - suggesting that we could have all sorts of problems if people simply unpeeled mint stamps and stuck them back on the backing paper the other way up.

I couldn't figure out whether this would actually make any difference or not so have just tried it with a 5p that I had lying around.

This is the wrong way up - and would be described by one dealer as Small-Large.

This is how it should have been. It would be described as Large-Small.

So, yes, this simple switch does make a difference and we need all to be aware and not splash out on supposedly 'rare' variations. Personally, I think it could even be a bit of a waste of money to collect the genuine heads or tails issues as they're so easy to create that I don't see our children's children getting at all excited about finding these in the collections they inherit in years to come.

Security Backing Paper Up and Down.

The 20p and 5p have now appeared with M17L MAIL codes, being the De La Rue counter sheet issues.

From Walsall we also have M17L MBIL from Business sheets

and a Walsall 1st red with M17l MTIL from books of twelve.

 

Two more '16' codes here for the Walsall 1st red M16L MBIL and 2nd blue M16L MTIL

Lastly, something nice and confusing for us all! If you look at the 2nd Class above and 1st Class below you'll see that the security backing text looks a bit different from one to the other. I think that's because one has the text printed upside down in comparison to the other. Because the lines of text are now not only large-small-large but also normal-inverted-normal but either the large or small can be one or the other. So if the paper is printed in one direction it will appear different to that printed in the other. Now, so far, I gather that only one issue has been produced in both ways. That's the Walsall 1st red M16L MSIL from books of six.

One dealer is distinguishing these by asking us to look at the first line of text that is upright and below an inverted line. This will either be large or small text and will be followed by another upright line in either small or large text respectively. So you look down the left edge and the first two lines of upright text will determine the type. This one above is Large-Small. Because the Walsall M16L MSIL first appeared with the older style backing text, where each line was upright, this is even more confusing than I first thought. In fact, I don't seem to have an example of the Small-Large at all so assume that the dealer sent me this one as simply an example of the new security backing paper for the M16L MSIL issue and not, as I had thought, the second type of the new security backing paper.

Before looking through my previous items and finally getting my head around how to detect the difference I had already written to the dealer to say that I really couldn't get excited about this and so please exclude these inverted but not really inverted small-large or large-small things from my standing order. It now looks like they hadn't actually sent me both types anyway. So they'll be thinking I am a bit stupid.

To be honest, I think it is entirely reasonable to be a bit stupid about this. For a start, we're talking about something that really is not easy to detect unless you have a nice fat margin of paper around a mint stamp, and which is not part of the stamp at all but some printing on the paper it is attached to and will, occasionally, be detached from.

How long before someone peels off the stamps and then replaces them the other way up? That would achieve the same result, I think, and be virtually impossible to detect. Yes, the more I think about this, it is nothing like paper types, watermarks, stars printed on the back and all the previous variations we've had to consider and which have been worth collecting. I'm quite glad to have excluded them. For all I know, all the new SBP issues could be found with this alternative text. As it is there's a risk of more year codes for all of them and this could effectively double the numbers again!

I shall consider that a close call.

New 17 codes and security backing paper issues

The DLR Special Delivery 100g stamp must be popular as it now gets an M17L code.

So too is the DLR 1st Large Signed For.

The DLR 1st and 2nd Large issues have M17L codes and the new type of backing paper showing a darker print and large -small text.

The Walsall 1st M16L MTIL booklet stamp with the new security backing paper.

DLR 1st and 2nd M17L counter sheet issues with the new sceurity backing paper.

Several of the recently issued new values also have now appeared with the new security backing paper.

The long-lived 10p from DLR now has an M17L code for the counter issue but no printed security backing paper.

A paler shade of dark and 16 code surprises

Another pleasantly inexpensive month on the Machin front, I'm pleased to report. Not the most interesting, perhaps, but I did learn something. There are both MA16 and M16L versions of the MBIL (Business Sheet) 1st Large and 2nd Large stamps. The supplier lists them as both coming from Walsall which seems odd to me, with both being on the newer Security Backing Paper too. I'm wondering whether they're made a mistake there. Hopefully someone can advise on that as it really would seem most odd for the printer to have changed mid-production. When they start the 17 year code or maybe have a change of security backing paper that would seem a more suitable time to me to make such a change. 

The MA16 versions will be in earlier articles.

There is a new shade of 2p in a 'paler dark green' which is not really that much different to my eyes. The head is also stated as being in a darker shade of green, just to confuse anyone trying to describe this succinctly. 2p pale dark green with darker dark green head? That's a De La Rue one.

Also coming along from De La Rue are the Counter Sheet 1st and 2nd with M16L MAIL codes which I thought we'd already had but we hadn't!

Another space needed just to the left of the 20½p blue.

Not the most exciting of months but, mercifully, a rather cheaper one than most! The new arrivals are simply two Walsall items with 15 codes that are now on security backing paper, two Walsall 16 codes on security backing paper and two new 16 codes from DLR on normal backing.

1st red Walsall M15L MBIL with security backing

1st red Walsall M16L MBIL with security backing

1p maroon DLR M16L normal backing

20p green DLR M16L normal backing

2nd Large brt blue Walsall  M16L MBIL with security backing

1st  Large red Walsall M15L MBIL with security backing

1st large Walsall M16L MFIL with security backing

I imagine that the security backing will become a standard affair before long and there will be quite a few new entrants once the counter sheet stamps start to emerge and more booklets too. So this year may well see several examples of the same stamp with and without the backing text but, hopefully, next year will settle down and each will remain peacefully one or the other.

I had precisely one Post and Go Machin - a 2nd Class Small Parcel £2.85 denomination which looks attractive on the package but still doesn't make me regret not seeking to collect all these as mint. I do believe that a used collection of these items is worth following, though, as, unless I am extremely odd and others are getting piles of these every day, they will be comparatively scarce in years to come and an interesting observation of stamp life in the 20 teens or whatever this decade will be called.

On the subject of being odd, I must apologise to readers who wondered what I might have been drinking before writing recently about celebrating the Machin 50th. That will, of course, be in June 2017 and not next month as I had indicated!

I also write on the subject of Corgi Toys. Now they do have an important anniversary in July this year, marking 60 years since their first Corgi Toy models appeared. An Austin Cambridge, Morris Cowley, Vauxhall Velox, Rover 90, Riley Pathfinder, Hillman Husky, Austin Healey, Triumph TR2 and some commercial or utility vehicles came onto shop shelves in July 1956. Unfortunately, Corgi appear not to be doing a great deal to mark the occasion at all. I have seen a strange Milk Float to be released as a special item but that is it.

Actually, bearing in mind the huge publicity given to several companies recently in stamp issues, one marking the occasion might have been a nice idea, had I thought of it earlier.

Anyway, apart from you now needing to extend your 1st red pages even further and having to try and squeeze yet another 20p green on the page - just in front of the 20½p - it remains a fairly gentle time in the Machin world.

Security Printed Backing Paper and 16 Date Codes

  

A new security feature has been added to Machin definitives. Not only do the stamps have the background text but now the backing paper for the self adhesive issues has a similar ROYAL MAIL wavy text running across, including beneath the stamps. the stamps themselves are the same as before so I am not sure whether we need to bother about these or not really.

As far as I can tell, there is no date code on the backing paper. I am not inclined to collect these as they're not really different stamps in my view. However, as the next code 16 self adhesive issues will probably be on this paper I will get them anyway and if a few happen to come through with 15, or 16 with no text, then I guess I'll just take them as they should be few. [Says he hopefully. Ed]

These three are O15R code S, and M15L codes B and T, al from Walsall.

Talking of 16s, here are a few that have appeared so far:

   

The 1st amethyst has O16R and no code, the others M16L being De La Rue printings.

There are also a couple of dull fluor items. I do find this extremely dull in another sense and may well abandon this as the stamps seem to me to have no visible difference at all. They have Code S from Walsall and no code O15R from De La Rue. These two below should, of course, be the same size. One day this otherwise excellent Google blog software will enable me to crop and do rather more with images than simply choose vaguely described sizes. (I could adjust sizes in the code but that is largely guesswork and a bit of a pain).

 

Finally, you shpould look out for what ought to be the last of the 15s, this 2nd Large MA15 MFIL from Walsall.

Summer types

Two Commemorative 4 x 1st +2 format booklets have the 1st red with M14L MCIL so you ought to have one of them. You can always use the other stamps on letters.

MA12 Type 2a

MA13 Type 4

Now if you're still having trouble figuring out which type is which, here are the 2nd Class Post And Gos in Types 2a and 4 with date codes MA12 and MA13 respectively. See - it's quite obvious now isn't it? Yes, but if you're anything like me you'll need to keep checking back when you have a pile in front of you and then there's always the problem that Stanley Gibbons Concise catalogue refers to Type 4 as Type III. At least Mr Alan's 2a is their IIA but I will have to have a word and may well switch to the SG numbers for reasons I'll explain separately.

Anyway, whatever numbers you call them, they're pretty clearly different.

Now, this is neither 2a or 4 is it? Well done - this is Type 2 (or II in SG-speak). They also have MA13 and are the first we've seen with this MA13 / Type 2 combination. The Wincor machines that these come from hadn't at the time been converted to use the dual value Euro 20g / Worldwide 10g which is causing all sorts of problems. I love the dodgy careless positioning of the 60g replacements!

Type 4 no date

Type 4 MA13

This is the first appearance of the new values in Type 4 on both undated backing and MA13 backing. These are from 18 July at the York Stamp Fair.

Type 4 no date

Also from York, 18 July 2014, are these undated Flags with the three new values.

Farm Animals II Type 2 60g value

I suppose there may well be post offices somewhere worth really ancient rolls in their machines which produce odd things like this. If we knew where they were we could do well. The Pigs issue was April 2012 so to find a value not around until two years later is unusual. I am not entirely sure why I have been sent this - it could well be a mistake as I would have expected to get the Worldwide 60g too. I already have those so this is spare. 

De La Rue M14L MAIL

Lastly, something a bit more normal and cheering. the M14L date codes are coming along in modest numbers and this month sees the £1 make an appearance. It's the De La Rue sheet stamp. The recent prestige booklets have had MPIL variations but this is the first MAIL one. It's not meant to be at an angle - that's not so much a new security thing as my scanner device being very difficult to close without disturbing the layout of items on the very smooth and slippery surface below.