Beatrix Potter Again

Now I have always been an admirer of the wonderful drawings of Peter Rabbit, Squirrel Nutkin and friends in the Beatrix Potter tales but I found the stories themselves really hard work to read to my children. For me, there was no flow to sentences and I struggled to make them entertaining for the young audience and got on a whole lot better with C S Lewis, A A Milne and Roald Dahl. Beatrix Potter was my mother's favourite, though, and maybe it is a generation thing.

There seem to have been lots of Peter Rabbits on stamps over the years too so I was quite surprised to find the lady was getting another outing - and with a second Prestige Book too! The last one was in 1993 so probably long enough ago for most people to have forgotten!

Luckily for us Machin enthusiasts, the pane of Machin stamps is still a feature and this year we have four new main line stamps to add to the lists, three from the pane and one from the Concrete & Clay booklet.

From the pane there is a 5p brown M16L MPIL with two phosphor bands, 10p tan M16L MPIL with two phosphor bands and £1.05 gooseberry green M16L MPIL also with two phosphor bands All are gummed with the usual ellipses in the perforation.I am assuming these are from Cartor. The text says International Security Printers. I believe that could be Walsall, Enschedé or Cartor nowadays.

My pane also seems to have very weak phosphot on the lower 5p such that it is almost invisible but that is more a specialist variation and, indeed, may still display as a normal line under a lamp perhaps.

In the 4+2 booklet there are four Long To Reign Over Us 1st Class amethysts O16R REIGC stamps, self adhesive.

Also in the Royal Mail envelope this morning was a new 6 x 1st booklet with a gold padlock design and The Future In Safe Hands on the reverse. I have no idea what this is all about. Is that the Royal Mail telling us that our letters and parcels are all nice and secure with them, as some sort of promotional campaign to prevent us switching to other firms? 

The stamps are 1st red M16L MSIL as you'd expect and I am guessing that they are from Walsall. There is a security print background to these self adhesives too which I think will be the first for the 1st Class red. The iridescent background shows the text in quite a fat and very clear style on this issue.

Another entry in the 'When Is A Stamp Not A Stamp' competition.

This arrived this morning. It looks like a normal 2nd Class Machin stuck on an envelope but it isn't. The stamp design has been printed on the envelope and it also looks as though the cancellation and other entries below were printed at the same time.

I remember Machin design 'stamps' being printed on envelopes and cards years ago but I have not seen anything like this at all for a long time and certainly not featuring something so similar to a current 'normal' stamp. Even the perforation has been printed and that I certainly don't recall noticing before.

The use of a QR code suggests it isn't an ancient type of label being used rather later than intended but something reasonably of the moment.

It would be nice to know what this is all about. Is it someting commercial organisations can buy in bulk? My guess is that it has been printed by the organisation under some kind of licence (like we can print our own labels on-line). I tried tweeting and mentioning @RoyalMail which usually gets a response but nothing of help has appeared so far and it will now have disappeared from everyone's streams anyway.

It may well be that some of you get hundreds of these and have been getting them for years and my rather limited amount of post has precluded my seeing any. A brief note as to what others we should look out for would be appreciated from those who know.

Stamps you'll see on envelopes and labels you can buy in museums.

The 1st amethyst in a slightly deeper shade from HM The Queen's 90th Birthday Concrete and Clay booklet by Walsall. Apparently, it also has much brighter fluor. I must buy a lamp one day as I am clearly missing out on all the additional differences there. It would also have helped me considerably in the 1980s. Remember All Over Phosphor, Phosphor Coated Paper, PCP2 and variations on these themes? I tried to distinguish by holding stamps at various angles to see which were shiniest, not to much avail. That's when I finished up subscribing to a dealer's standing order and just trusted whatever he sent, carefully writing AOP or PCP1, 2 (or even 3 I believe) below the Hawid mount on the page!

The 1st amethyst also has the security backing paper by the way.

A 2nd blue from the books of 12 by Walsall with the M16L MTIL code that is new to the lists. This also has security backing paper. 

A new printing of the Scottish 2nd Centre Band Saltire by Cartor now has a grey Queens's head instead of silver.

From the Great War: 1916 booklet pane come the four National stamps that are similar to those in the Football Heroes booklet from 2013. These have what are termed vignetted phosphor bands instead of the solid type of 2013. These all have a duller fluor than the earlier issue. All from Cartor.

Post And Go collectors will have had another expensive month or two with four strips from the World Stamp Show in New York and a mere nine Battle Of Jutland overprints. I am so glad that I gave up on these. As a collection I am not even that sure they look particularly attractive. One possibility might be to have just one label for each issue, type or change instead of the standard strip of six or whatever is dished out by the machines. The idea of getting each value with a different image is bad enough when that leads to thirty six labels having to be purchased but should the system progress to having a wider range of denominations added then life will become impossible and all but the very rich will have to have something other than everything.

I get lots of parcels each week in connection with my Corgi Toy catalogue project and occasionally these feature the new NCR type label with an amount and service printed on an olive or blue Machin background. These I do find interesting but, strangely, are not regarded as worthy of our consideration by many, if any, of those who might supply us with regular issues. In my view these are far more like 'stamps' than these endless streams of labels issued almost entirely for sale to collectors and exhibition or military museum visitors.

Unless you are an avid collector of military memorabilia or have a specialist collection on the theme of Exhibition or Museum Issues I am pleading with you more general Machin collectors simply to say 'Enough is enough' and cancel those standing orders for strips of six of this or strips of six of that henceforth. Draw a line in the album. By all means get one example from each new issue that you believe has come from a machine with some reasonably likely postal purpose but the cessation of guaranteed demand for the overprints, in particular, might dissuade the Powers That Be from continuing with them other than for very limited interests of a non-philatelic nature. Maybe you can start collecting the NCR types instead and, who knows, they might even prove rather more representative of Britain's stamp future in the collections we pass on to our grandchildren.

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.

Some more 16 date codes for your lists

The larger Special Delivery denomination must have run out as there is a 16 code now. I've never seen one used yet but someone somewhere must be getting through them.

DLR M16L

DLR M16L MAIL

Something lese I have yet to see used is either of the Signed For stamps. I get lots of parcels every week that require signature and had expected to have seen a few by now but, without exception they have all had the Horizon labels.

DLR M16L

The other items are three more additions to the 16 list.

DLR M16L

DLR M16L

Wal O16R REIGS

HM Queen Elizabeth II at 90

There is a mass of items being produced as HM The Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her 90th birthday. The 'Long to reign over us' 1st amethyst appears again in two forms; from Walsall in the Concrete & Clay booklet with O16R REIGC code and from International Security Printers,(which I take as Cartor) in the Prestige booklet. In the latter case the stamps are gummed and have no security slits. The 1st amethysts have the code O16R REIGP which is easily read for a change!

In addition the Prestige book features two 1st red stamps, code O16R MPIL and 1st regionals from each of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. You do have to wonder how much longer Northern Ireland will have to put up with an aerial photograph of some fields when the other three nations get lions and dragons.

The label is a most disappointing 90 on a supposedly gold coloured background with the 'long to reign' text running across the background of the gold.

Now there is another version of the Prestige book. It would have cost you £60 if you're one of the 1,926 to whom is was issued. I expect all but a handful will have gone to dealers so will now be traded before long at even higher prices. For the extra £44.88, or whatever you finish up having to pay if you want one, you'll get a different cover and the pane of nine will have gold foil on the label. Phew, there's not actually any new stamp! Although, I daresay that the printing process for the special edition may result in distinguishable stamps in the pane. That remains to be seen but I shall not be rushing to get these. Nor, I hope, will the people who send me new issues and changes as that will be an expensive and unwanted package at the end of this month.

There will also be a second Concrete & Clay booklet with Prince William and young George grinning at us in June with what I reckon will be the same 1st amethysts.

The Bulletin says on p259 of the May issue that there will be a Limited Issue Retail Booklet (which doesn't sound quite right anyway) but I cannot see what they mean anywhere. Maybe someone knows and can advise and I will add a note here for you. My guess is that they are referring to the second retail booklet in June which won't be a limited edition, they were just confusing themselves with the Prestige booklet with does have a limited edition.

I am still waiting to discover what Royal Mail will be offering us in June for the 60th Machin Anniversary! Surely dealers must know. They are being very quiet. As, of course, they should be. Unless, that is, there is nothing to write home or here about.

More Security Printed Backing Paper and 16 Date Codes

Two new stamps with 15 codes but now appearing on security printed backing paper.

Walsall 1st Large MA15 MFIL

Walsall 1st red M15L MTIL

Next we have two new stamps with 16 date codes and security printed backing paper.

Walsall 2nd bright blue M16L MBIL

 Walsall 1st red M16L MTIL

Finally, just to confuse us, the £1.33 has been given a 16 code but no security backing paper. That is also how the £1.05 gooseberry has been issued.

DLR £1.33 amber yellow M16L MAIL

£1.05 update

Since writing the previous post the actual stamps have arrived for the £1.05 definitive issue. The Regionals are much like you'd expect. There is something quite magical about the Northern Ireland printing which really makes the embroidery look wonderful. I shall have to look at previous issues again as I don't remember it looking that interesting before! Assuming that it is my memory (again) playing tricks on me then these are the same designs as before with new values. One day the new values might actually be the same as some that have already been issued! This is beginning to develop into quite a series itself now.

Looking at the £1.05 gooseberry stamp then I need to point out that I can detect no cream colour in the value tablet which the Royal Mail site image I shared appeared to show. I am pretty sure it is just the creamy-white background colour of the paper itself.

I have, of course, realised, before I get a myriad emails, that the I style of number 1 has been around for years and years and years and, indeed, is obvious right on this page in the 31p design! Interestingly, though, someone reckoned that the Regionals should have a 1 type, albeit in a different font for each nation for some reason I shall probably never understand.

Find the gooseberry

This month's excitement comes in a shade of gooseberry. That is the official name of a colour that I am sure many of you will think you've seen before. It seems so similar to a whole range of stamps, from an 18p and even a 19p and 20p through to others that played with shades of olive and green and brown. Having said that, when I looked around I realised that my memory had been playing tricks with me and this is, indeed, different after all!

£1.05 is an airmail rate and we'll now have the usual four 'regional' stamps with yet another denomination too. I am amazed that the designs for the English, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland stamps have lasted so long.

I am not very fond of the I in place of 1 for the numeral but this has been around for a while now so I guess I shall just have to get used to it.

Whilst there are details of this stamp on the Royal Mail site, I challenge readers to find it using the menus and links. The site really is dreadful, attempting to satisfy business service users as well as us philatelic people. Having said that, a business trading abroad may well have wanted to grab a few sheets of £1.05s today and struggled to do so. The only way I could manage to get the image above and some details was to ignore all the links that come up under 'Shop' and instead just click the Shop tab itself on the bar. There is still no obvious mention in the illustrations that appear but you may spot a link to 'See all our definitive stamps' and there 2016 issues will finally be accessible. You'll find it at this link.

Now this is for a new issue today. Today is when I would expect to see some promotion and some degree of enthusiastic display. But I am not the person running the web site.

And the colour is gooseberry, after all.

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.