Mr. Fat booklet fonts

I wonder what inspired the latest font charges in the booklet covers released this week? There is some resemblance to the Mr Men text but I can't imagine that's the reason. Maybe it's just the Royal Mail going for a younger look. Interestingly, the 1 on the Mr Men book is considerably fatter than on the 4 x 1st Large book.

Inside, things are not terribly interesting and I do think there is a big space crying out for some self-promotion in the 1st and 2nd Large panels. We've seen the space used in the past for some very tedious stuff and I'm not sure I particularly want to see Sun Life Assurance Co. of Canada return with their £4315 for us at 55!! There's an opportunity for something that wouldn't cost a great deal to print and yet could reach quite a decent size audience and which could be better than a shiny white blank space.

I am assuming that the 1st and 2nd Large stamps themselves are the same as previous issues we have seen on the security backing paper. The 1st red M16L MCIL is new.

A few variations

No, the booklet isn't wrongly cut, just my scan not being up to normal standards! This is, though, quite an expensive little book as it features four 1st red with dull fluor and the iridescent coating is short at the top. The stamps are the Walsall M14L MCIL which have appeared before. I don't need this in my collection so will be selling it if anyone is interested.

These two strips of Machin Post And Gos look pretty similar. Indeed they look pretty similar to another strip with that feint IIA font released last year. So what's the difference. First, the strip originally released had short phosphor bands - quite common on these things it seems. One of the above has what I'd call 'normal' or properly synchronised bands.

The other also has the same short phosphor bands at the bottom as before but also have what is described as sometihng akin to AOP, a sort of phosphor wash, presumably where the equipment has allowed the additive to spread during production, and, as well as being clear under a UV lamp it has also affected the printing which is very weak in the affected area which starts about a third of the way across from the left. That strip is the left one shown above and the poor printing is quite obvious.

Both strips are undated.

Lastly in this less than enthralling group that arrived this morning, there is the 2nd Class Machin Post And Gos with 'normal' phosphor bands. the previous ones were interrupted at the bottom so looked a bit odd. These are MA14 dated as before.

Again, none of these variations particularly interest me so I will probably keep the 'normal' ones and sell the off beat stuff.

How I miss the days when there would be all sorts of interesting Machin definitives appearing each few weeks.

Palace News

While I wait for what I fear will be a massive bill and several envelopes full of Post And Gos of all sorts I thought I should update you with the latest expense - the Buckingham Palace prestige book with its tradional Machin pane. You do have to wonder what will happen to the World should a prestige booklet not be issued with a pane of eight Machin definitives (or some with a few Regional pictorials thrown in) and a strange label in the middle serving no useful purpose at all.

There are several pages of fine-looking pictorials with different stages of the Palace's development over the centuries and some internal views too. It's all quite interesting and well produced. Here's the pane that matters, though; the sole reason I buy these things.

Three new stamps here, obviously. Each of the 10p, 20p and £1 definitives has M14L MPIL code and they are gummed and printed by Enschedé.

There is also a booklet of two pictorials with four 1st Class definitives. these are the first appearance of M14L MCIL and come from Walsall.