Norvic Philatelics Blog

The latest Royal Mail celebration of the United Kingdom's Castles introduces some that we haven't seen before, except perhaps on the Castles series of Smilers Sheets.

Information supplied:

Across the extent of the British Isles, our landscape is studded with castles, great and small. Some survive as houses or visitor attractions, others as ruins, earthworks or just shadows traced in the lines and names of streets in 21st-century cities and towns. Today, castles are objects of curiosity, but for centuries these buildings were great monuments at the heart of political, social and economic life. 

This stamp set features photography of eight castles, from all four nations of the UK, dating from the Norman period onwards. The Miniature Sheet of four stamps celebrates four ‘Royal’ castles. These designs feature newly commissioned artworks by the British artist, Rob Ball. 

Castles Stamps details

Technical details

Designed by Stand Up the 50 x 30 mm gummed stamps have been printed by Cartor Security Printers by lithography in four sheets of 60 (30 se-tenant pairs), perforated 14.

Dunluce Castle, photograph© Adam Burton/Alamy Stock Photo, featured with kind permission of the Historic Environment Division, Department for Communities, Northern Ireland and Randal McDonnell, Earl of Antrim;
Dundrum Castle, photograph© scenicireland.com/Christopher Hill Photographic/Alamy Stock Photo, featured with kind permission of the Historic Environment Division, Department for Communities, Northern Ireland;
Raglan Castle, photograph© Maciej Olszewski/Alamy Stock Photo, featured with kind permission of Cadw;
Pembroke Castle, photograph© Sebastian Wasek/Alamy Stock Photo, featured with kind permission of Pembroke Castle/Pembroke Castle Trust;
Urquhart Castle, photograph by Karol Kozlowski© robertharding/Alamy Stock Photo, featured with kind permission of Historic Environment Scotland;
Stirling Castle, photograph © John Carroll Photography/Alamy Stock Photo, featured with kind pennission of Historic Environment Scotland;
Warwick Castle, photograph by John Lamb/Getty Images, featured with kind permission of Merlin Entertainments;
Bamburgh Castle, photograph© SuxxesPhoto/Alamy Stock Photo, featured with kind permission of Mr Francis Watson-Annstrong 

Miniature Sheet  

Technical details

Designed by Stand Up the 192 x 74 mm sheet printed by Cartor Security Printers by lithography contains four 60 x 30 mm gummed stamps using newly commissioned artwork by Rob Bell.

Collectors Sheet

A collectors sheet contains all 8 stamps from the set with accompanying labels which could of themselves have been the stamp designs.  In fact the views of Raglan and Stirling used for the stamps are probably not as attractive as the labels.  The collectors sheet is self-adhesive.

Products available

Set of 8 stamps, miniature sheet, presentation pack, first day covers (2), stamp cards, press sheet of 10 miniature sheets, and framed set, miniature sheet, and collectors sheet (£39.99 each).

First day cover filler card

Click on any image to see a larger version.

Royal Mail's second 'Celebrating Britain' Collector Sheet has been announced as celebrating the comedy double act Morecambe and Wise, and will be made available on 14 May 2026.  The first, issued in November 2025, celebrated author Jane Austen.

Information provided 

Morecambe & Wise—Eric Morecambe OBE (1926–1984) and Ernie Wise OBE (1925–1999)—were Britain’s most iconic comedy double act, celebrated for their work in variety, radio, film and especially television. They met in 1939 while working for impresario Jack Hylton and soon toured together in Youth Takes a Bow, forming a close friendship. Encouraged by Eric’s mother, they debuted as a double act in 1941, later adopting the name Morecambe & Wise.

After years perfecting their act on the variety circuit, they launched their first BBC series, Running Wild, in 1954. Their breakthrough came in the 1960s with ATV’s The Morecambe & Wise Show/Two of a Kind, followed by three feature films. In 1968 they moved to the BBC, where, alongside writer Eddie Braben, they created nine hugely popular series and legendary Christmas Specials, peaking at a record 28 million viewers in 1977. Stars such as The Beatles, Glenda Jackson and André Previn queued to appear.

Awarded OBEs and the Freedom of the City of London, they returned to ITV in 1977 for further series before Eric’s death in 1984. Ernie passed away in 1999. Their legacy endures through documentaries, rediscovered footage, stage tributes, statues, and centenary celebrations planned for 2025–2026, ensuring future generations continue to enjoy their timeless comedy.

The sheet contains 10 x 1st class Union Flag stamps and is priced at £19.20.

No technical details were provided but we expect that this will be self-adhesive and printed by Cartor Security Printers.

We have been advised by Royal Mail that the following will be removed from sale on the dates shown.

The very popular Warhammer stamps come off sale at the end of this month: 31st May 2026.

Following this a further four stamp issues will come off sale on the 31st July 2026. 

• Weather Forecasting
• Viking Britain Standard
• The Age of the Dinosaurs
• 100 Years of Commemorative Stamps 

Wait, you say, it's still April!  True, but the first May slogans will be in use very early, in fact the British Heart Foundation default slogan will have three phases by my calculation.

As it is currently in use the standard BHF slogan will start the month.  But with local elections long-planned for Scotland and Wales we can expect slogans encouraging the early sending of Postal Votes for the Scottish Parliament and Senned.  No slogans are planned for the on-off-on_again English local authority elections but that doesn't mean that residents of England will miss out.

IMP and iLSM explained.

IMP stands for Integrated Mail Processors and iLSM for Intelligent Letter Sorting Machines.  (You can see a brief video - and discussion about - the iLSM here.)

Although the iLSMs are 'intelligent', it is the IMPs which have the facility to determine (more or less) whether a particular slogan is applied, based on the destination address.  If a letter from Yorkshire is going to Wales it should get the Post Early slogan for the Senned elections.  If the letter is going to Scotland it should get the slogan for the elections to the Scottish Parliament.  Anywhere else and it should get the standard (in this case) BHF slogan.

However, all Scotland's mail centres are, ironically, equipped with iLSMs which means that if the Post Early slogan is invoked it is applied to ALL mail, including that to Wales, England, Northern Ireland, and internationally.  

Wales' mail centres only have IMPs so they should apply the 'appropriate' slogans.

UPDATE 7 May.  JM has sent these black & white images from a third party showing the Manchester and S W Wales (Swansea) both dated 05/05/2026: 

UPDATE 12 May.  Thanks again to JM for a Manchester pair of slogans on IMP 134 (on last line of the block) showing the switching and the selection of the Post early to Vote Early slogan for the Welsh, Swansea SA2, address after using the default BHF slogan for the English, Stockport SK7, address in the same batch within 6 seconds of each other (20.44.10 and 20.44.16).

After the elections are over we will probably see a Mental Health Awareness Week slogan, but the BHF may fall in between, and afterwards.  (But who knows what will happen in Sheffield?) 

UPDATE 12 May:  Thanks to LT for the first report of the Mental Health slogan this year, from North & West Yorkshire.  

I'll be out of the country from mid-May to mid-June so I shan't be able to add any images but do keep sending them. 

OTHER POSTMARKS AND POSTAL MARKINGS

SS has sent us another copy of a branch datestamp, the Wokingham (Surrey) SID dates 28 AP 2026 

UPDATE 12 May.  JW has sent a couple of images this month.  The first is of the  counter datestamp of Boswell Drive, Edinburgh.   This is unusual as it is about the same size as others but doesn't have the Morse code border.  This was used on 15 April 2026.

The second item is a fragment of a package sent with a 1st class stamp on.  I don't know whether the endorsement '2nd class Large Letter' was added before it was sent, but it was referred to Revenue Protection - presumably because it was too large for a basic letter.  

Just a reminder, a 2nd class Large Letter costs £1.55 but a basic (small) Letter costs £1.80.  So there is  no real loss in using an older 1st class stamp for the 2nd class Large service.  (We forecast that this would happen and that Revenue Protection would probably be involved.)  This receives the Birmingham datestamp and a boxed 

Revenue Protected

Treat as 2nd Class

handstamp. 

Remember, slogan postmarks appearing in May will be added to this post (although some won't be added until mid-June), so check here before you spend time scanning and emailing.

A reminder of what these monthly listings are for.

For each month I record the different slogans in use, plus the default slogan that is used when there is nothing else.

For each of these I try to record only one of each of the basic two types, plus any that are reversed on square envelopes, which normally only gives three or four.  

Occasionally a slogan appears with different line spacing in the same format.

I do not record multiple versions of the same as any of these unless I later get a much better example of one that I showed purely for the record, but which is otherwise not very clear.

The only exception to this, which doesn't seem to happen much these days, is when a slogan is used well out of time.  

I mention this only to avoid readers unnecessarily duplicating what has already been provided.

Queen Elizabeth II was born on 21 April 1926 and so this year marks the centenary of her birth.  Royal Mail is marking the anniversary with a set of 8 stamp and a miniature sheet, plus a lot more merchandise.

For a younger person's view on this and other stamps marking the centenary, see 13-year-old Xanthe's Stamp Magazine. 

The stamps feature a selection of carefully curated photographs taken throughout her lifetime with the miniature sheet of four stamps reflecting her lifelong love of animals. 

The eight 1st class stamps are produced as a set of four se-tenant vertical pairs featuring black and white, and colour photographs spanning the decades of her life.  Each stamp has a portrait superimposed on a background image, some of which we may have seen before on stamps.

Details of the photographs were not provided in a form suitable for including here as text, but they can be seen on the FDC filler card here (click to enlarge).

UPDATE: My thanks to RB who has managed to process the data on the filler to reveal these details. We can't guarantee that it's 100% correct, but here goes:

Listed as portrait first then background.


Black & white stamps:  
Princess Elizabeth at the age of six, July 1932;  Members of the Royal Family with their dogs at Royal Windsor Lodge, June 1936. 
Princess Elizabeth at Windsor Castle, May 1944;  Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret giving their first Children's Hour radio broadcast from Windsor Castle during the Second World War, October 1940. 
Queen Elizabeth II in November 1955;  Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip after the Coronation, June 1953. 
Queen Elizabeth II during the Royal Tour of India, 1961;  Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles riding horses in the park of Windsor Castle.

Colour stamps:  Queen Elizabeth II during Trooping the Colour 1976;  Queen Elizabeth II during Trooping the Colour 1971. 
Queen Elizabeth II in the White Drawing Room, Windsor Castle, November 1987;  Queen Elizabeth II visiting Treherbert, Wales, April 1989. 
Queen Elizabeth II in the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace, October 2001;  Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in the Gold State Coach during Golden Jubilee celebrations, June 2002. 
Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle, 2022;   Queen Elizabeth II and members of the Royal Family arriving at The Eden Project, Cornwall, during the G7 Summit, June 2021. 

Miniature Sheet:  Princess Elizabeth with her pet dog, London 1936; Queen Elizabeth II at Balmoral Castle with one of her corgis, September 1952;  Queen Elizabeth II with a horse at Sandringham, 1964; 
Queen Elizabeth II at the Royal Windsor Horse Show, May 1997.

Miniature Sheet

Technical details 

The 50 x 30 mm stamps, designed by Baxter & Bailey are printed in lithography in sheets of 60 by Cartor Security Printers, perf 14.   The stamps in the 115 x 89 mm miniature sheet are 35 x 35 mm (corrected) and perf 14.5.  All stamps have phosphor bands are on PVA-gummed paper.

Prestige stamp book

This 24 page publication, tells the story of the life of Queen Elizabeth II accompanied with beautiful photography throughout the decades. As Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II presided over a time of incredible change, acting as a constant source of comfort and stability to the nation. 100 years since the monarch was born, the Prestige Stamp Book pays tribute to Elizabeth II that reflects on her remarkable life and a record-breaking reign.

Prestige book cover and panes 1, 3, 4, 5.

Collector Sheet 

The collectors Sheet contains all 8 stamps from the stamp set and accompanying labels featuring carefully curated photography matching the time period of the paired stamp. The stamps and labels sit on a background of the official “100” logo.  The Collector Sheet is self-adhesive and lithography, making the stamps in the Collector Sheet different from those printed in the set.

Products available 

Set of stamps, miniature sheet, first day covers (2), presentation pack, prestige stamp book, fdc of PSB definitive pane, collector sheet, stamp cards (13), press sheet of 16 miniature sheets, £5 coin covers (3 - gold, silver, and cupronickel), framed products (set, MS, collector sheet). 

All available from Royal Mail's website and some available from a Post Office branch quite near you if you are lucky.

It's now 13th April and there is no news yet on new slogans, although it has been suggested that there might be one for the local elections, such as the 'Post Early' for postal voters from July 2024.

So please if you find anything new do get in touch.  Meanwhile we will start off with the continuation of the British Heart Foundation standard slogan from Cornwall Mail Centre on 07/04/2026. 

UPDATE 17 April.   Sheffield is having trouble again.  Thanks to LT for this example of the (February) National Apprenticeship Week slogan used on 16 April.  The BHF slogan was used there on 14th.

Update 29 April.  No more slogans have appeared in April, but I'm told that there will be Local election slogans in some places use in early May.

I'm going to prepare a May slogan postmark post NOW, so that you can be prepared to get your own or be on the lookout.  

OTHER POSTMARKS AND POSTAL MARKINGS

Just over two years ago we showed the self-inking datestamp (with wavy edges) from Holmbush in the outskirts of St Austell in Cornwall.   Now JH has sent the newer 'Morse' type of SID that is in use now, used on 2 April 2026.  

Update 30 April.   RS has sent this Morse code handstamp from Richmond, Surrey used in February.

I also have this one from Drylaw (Shopping Centre), Edinburgh but I regret to say that I cannot find who sent it, so apologies to the reader who supplied it.  It should be 29 March but the reversed 5 has been mis-read as a 2, and it reads 59 MAR 2026.

Drylaw Post Office 'Morse' type SID 59 MAR 2026.
 

Update 29 April.  SS in Canada has sent another gem from one of his suppliers. I wonder even if the Post Office Customer Service could tell without a lot of effort, just where this was posted even with the postcode in the handstamp?  STATION ROAD BR2 is actually 45 Station Approach, Hayes, Bromley, BR2 7EB.  This is the Google Streetview image from 2021. The branch is now a Morrisons Daily but the Streetview car passed by at 9.35pm so the 2025 image is very grainy!  

Fortunately it was sent by a tracked service and Royal Mail's Track and Trace webpage usually provides details of where barcoded letters were posted.

SS also sent this image. In this case the branch staff did not cancel the stamps but fortunately the Exeter Mail Centre used their large rubber handstamp on it.  The Tracking webpage shows it was posted at Barton Road PO, TQ2 8HN.  

Remember, slogan postmarks appearing in April will be added to this post, so check here before you spend time scanning and emailing.

A reminder of what these monthly listings are for.  

Norfolk & Norwich Philatelic Society

STAMP FAIR

Saturday 11 April 2026
10 am to 3.30pm

Middle School Hall - Hewett Academy
Gate 1, Cecil Road (off Hall Road or Ipswich Road)
NORWICH NR1 2PL

I shall be there with a lot of bargains, especially foreign catalogues, postal history, postcards, and Norfolk material.  If you're in the area do drop in and say hello.

After everything is put away again next week I shall get back to sending out orders, especially for the Visible Change business sheets and booklets. 

Printings of the King Charles definitives with 2023-2025 source codes are recorded in this post. 

This post is for M26L stamps and non-PSB stamps issued in 2026 with M25L codes are also included.

As with Post and Go & SSKs,  I have decided to have one post which will list all the news for the year, and then start another for next year.

Reprinted 2026 counter sheets 

2nd class green -
1st class deep purple -

 1p blue
 2p deep green
 5p dull violet-blue
10p turquoise-green
20p bright green
50p slate
£1  grey-brown
£2  new blue
£3.60 purple heather - printed 13 January 2026
£3.80 Aqua green - printed 14 January 2026
£4.60 Sapphire blue - printed 15 January 2026
£5  emerald

Reprinted booklets and business sheets with new Relay UK telephone number 

2nd class MEIL from booklet of 8 - M25L philatelic release 20 March 2026
                                                       - M26L reported by JH as found soon after M25L released.
                                                         They have the same barcode date (120126)** 
1st class MFIL from booklet of 4 - M26L philatelic release 20 March 2026
1st class MEIL from booklet of 8
1st Large MFIL from booklet of 4 - M26L philatelic release 20 March 2026

2nd class MBIL business sheet - M26L philatelic release 20 March 2026
1st class MBIL business sheet - M25L philatelic release 20 March 2026
2nd Large MBIL business sheet
1st Large MBIL business sheet - M26L philatelic release 20 March 2026

From Prestige Stamp Books - all self-adhesive, with source code MPIL

2nd class -
1st class -


1p -
2p -
5p -
10p -
20p -
50p - 21.4.2026 - Queen Elizabeth Centenary [M26L]
£1 - 21.4.2026 - Queen Elizabeth Centenary [M26L]

Other values

** 2nd MEIL M26L reported 21 April.  As they have the same barcode date it suggests that only the iridescent ink cylinder was changed.  

My default browser is Firefox, but recent changes in the way Firefox displays this blog - but not the others - have restricted my ability to use it here, and may restrict your ability to see everything.

Comments

Comments are moderated by email, that is, I am notified by email and may allow comments, delete them or mark them as spam.  

On the desktop version of the blog I can see them, but I cannot respond.  This is what I see - and what you may see if you use Firefox and want to comment.

Search 

On the desktop version, the strip above the title strip, which should be a light brown colour, is white and there is no content.  Which means I cannot use the search box, and cannot sign-in if I need to.

New Posts 

I normally click on the New Post link in the same strip at top right, but that doesn't appear.  I am composing this explanation using the Safari browser.  However, in Safari I cannot add new images.  There's an icon in the editing page to add an image, but when I click on that a blank window pops-up with no option to drag-and-drop, to select and existing image, or link to another web source image.

UPDATE: As you can see above I have managed to add an image.  Fortunately as the user control panel is the same for all the blogs associated with this email address, I can go to the Modern Postal History (MHP) blog as if I am editing that, and then select this blog to do the editing or composing.

Whilst readers should only be affected by the first two of these, the restrictions on composing a new post or editing an existing one are fundamental to what is a very visual blog.  If ti were a narrative things would be different, but you want to see pictures.

Trying to find the solution to this will not be easy (the italicised explanation above is a workaround which I would prefer not to have to use).  I don't think I've done anything in the design or text coding (the html mark-up language which lies behind all websites) to change anything.  It is possible that the fault lies in the way we have framed the URL.  

The MHP blog started out as https://machins-on-cover.blogspot.com

This one started out as https://norvic-philatelics.blogspot.com (I think - it might have been norphil.blogspot.com), but to bring everything apparently under one roof, so to speak, the internet routing has been changed so that our shop and blog are accessed through the norphil.co.uk domain.  This does not need to be a secure site because no personal information is gathered.  

The shop(.norphil.co.uk) is hosted by a commercial platform which is secure, and the blog(.norphil.co.uk) routes to blogger, a Google-owned commercial secure website.  

Whether this is the cause of the problem I don't know.   I can still access all features of the Modern Postal History (MPH) blog, which is registered to the same email address.

If I have not resolved this by the time I should be writing about the next stamp issue, I shall so so through the control panel of the MPH blog until the situation is restored.

If you are experiencing any difficulties in viewing or commenting on this blog, please let me know in the comments and let me know by email what browser and OS you are using.

Thank you and sorry for any inconvenience.

UPDATE 15 APRIL:  The situation appears to have settled back into its old state as I can now comment and reply to comments.  The 'Can't open this page' message at the top of this page no long appears.

The 2004 set of 10 Royal Mail stamps marked the 50th anniversary of the publication of the first books in the Lord of the Rings series.  The stamps depicted drawings illustrating locations in the books. All the illustrations are by the author except for the map which is by his son Christopher. 

At the time we were producing first day covers for every stamp issue: the numbers varied according to our perceived popularity of the subject.

We think these were some of the best we produced. There are two sets of designs. One pair is in pencil/charcoal by Mates Laurentiu, and the other pair by Lori Snowden is in pastel shades similar to the stamps. 

In each case one cover has stamps depicting 'evil' and one has the 'good' stamps. The 'good' covers have postmark E8927 (Ringwould), and the Literary Legend Sarehole Mill postmark (M8967) is on the 'evil' covers. All the covers have individual descriptive inserts.   

We have found a few of these remaining in stock, and to clear them here is a very special offer.  Originally they were £15.50 for a pair or £29.50 for the set of four.  

For readers of this blog the prices are less than half price:  £7.50 for either the pastel pair or the charcoal pair, or £15 for a set of 4. (Pairs will have the same serial number; where possible sets of 4 will have the same number.)   E-mail to the usual address, for a pair or set of 4.

Ideal as a gift for Ring fans. 
 

Today at last I received a copy of the King Charles III 1st class Large Business Sheet which is due to have its philatelic distribution on 20 March.  (There is no first day of issue for business sheets.)

I should have realised, from the Royal Mail trade publicity about this and the booklets, that we might be in for a surprise and so we are.  

The clue is in the words 'visible change' because this has the new Relay UK phone number for Deaf, hearing or speech impaired users, rather than the textphone number.  Consequently this is a quite different printing to the one previously reported.  The other was printed in 2024 and coded M24L, the new one in 2026 and coded M26L.

M26L examples for sale -
I asked for expressions of interest for the 1st Large business sheet stamp when it arrived.  Now that we have yet another new one, I feel it best to ask again.

So please email and tell me how many of the M26L you would like; they will be only a little over cost plus postage.  

Also as we have a definite first day of (philatelic) availability of this one, please email if you would like a single M26L on first day cover with appropriate postmark (Windsor permanent will probably be used if any are wanted.)

As for the M24L version, it is likely to be very scarce with most examples I suspect being sold through Royal Mail's website to business customers.  I know that many post office branches are still holding the Machin version and won't have ordered any more.  They won't get an automatic distribution of even the M26L version but it seems more than likely that Royal Mail will want this distributed when needed as it has current information on it.

All copies of the M24L 1st Large have  now been sold or reserved, as have most of the other new business sheet stamps.  The first batch of orders was posted today.  Others, mainly for people who also want booklet stamps, should be posted week commencing 13 April. 

I will contact my correspondent of this and ask if he would like to dispose of any.   Please email if you would like any of these (how many).  No obligation of course as I don't know what price I shall have to charge.  But the M24L version should be included in the Gibbons Concise Catalogue as the primary stamp with the subsequent versions in the usual table.

UPDATE  - I've been asked about the other two values of Business Sheets - 1st class and 2nd class.  I had not planned to get these as I didn't have the imagination to realise that the Visible Change would be for M26L stamps as I expect these two values to be also.  
Updated update: I've been told that the 1st class business sheet VC is 2025 2nd class VC is 2026. I think that still makes them both new.

2nd class M26L MBIL Business Sheet
 

So if you wish to have these, please also say so, although if I cannot sell sufficient at a 'close to face' price, I will have to charge more to cover the ones that I have to sell for postage.
And the FDC would be for three stamps!

UPDATE 24 March: I've been told that the 1st Large booklet did not arrive at Tallents House until Friday 20th, so distribution by Royal Mail will be delayed.

There's never a dull moment, is there?  I'll be posting images of the new booklet stamps in a separate post when I have them all. 

The 2004 Royal Mail issue related to the Lord of the Rings marked the 50th anniversary of the publication of the first books in the series. Consequently they focussed on the books and showed the author's drawings illustrating locations in the books.  This set, incidentally, was one of many consisting of 10 x 1st class.

Now, it's 25 years since The Fellowshop of the Ring hit a screen near you bringing New Zealand director Peter Jackson to our notice - not his first film, but the series which has featured most on stamps, notably those of New Zealand. 

New Zealand Post has issued several sets of LOTR stamps.  How will Royal Mail's stamps compare?  Time will tell, and they will be revealed around 11 March.

As you have probably predicted, Royal Mail have made this another blockbuster issue, aiming to sell much more merchandise to fan collectors than stamp collectors.  For this reason there is the usual wide range of products available, starting with...

The set of 8 x 1st class stamps 

[Royal Mail] This set of 8 mint stamps showing montages from the film trilogy are perfect for film fans. 

Each stamp celebrates iconic characters from the 3 films. British Actors from the epic featured are Orlando Bloom as Legolas, Ian McKellan as Gandalf, Dominic Monaghan as Merry, Billy Boyd as Pippin and Christopher Lee as Saruman.

This stunning imagery also has a secret UV layer revealed using a UV light, Elvish writing in a circle appears on each stamp. Fans will recognise this as the writing on the One Ring.

 The characters: The Hobbits, Gandalf, Arwen, Gimli, Saruman, Aragon, Legolas, and Frodo & Gollum.

The miniature sheet

Technical details and acknowledgements

The 50 x 30 mm stamps were designed by True North, veterans of Royal Mail stamp design - Harry Potter, Women's Rugby, Blackadder, Visions of the Universe etc. They were printed in litho by Cartor Security Printers in sheets of 60 (30 se-tenant pairs), perforated 14½ x 14.  The 192 x 74 mm self-adhesive* miniature sheet contains 60 x 30 mm stamps, perforated 14½. (*Not gummed as stated on Royal Mail's web shop).

© New Line Productions, Inc. All rights reserved. THE LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY and all names of the characters, items, events, and places therein are TM of Middle- earth Enterprises, LLC under license to New Line Productions, Inc. (s26).

Prestige Stamp Book (£25.32) (Thank you JohnH for the correction to my typo.)

"The Prestige Stamp book brings together all the stamps from the Lord of the Rings issue plus a unique pane of definitive stamps available only in this book.

"Inside readers will find expertly written pieces on some of the battles between good and evil, like Arwen vs the Black Riders, Gandalf vs the Balrog and Frodo vs Gollum. Whilst many people are aware of the lead character Frodo, many fans acknowledge that the saga is made up of a host of heroes and this stamp book celebrates the feats and battles won and lost throughout the three films.

"A real journey through Middle Earth, this stamp book is a wonderful addition to any Lord of the Rings Fan’s collection."

Fan Sheets (£8 each)

Two gummed Fan Sheets containing three of the relevant stamps - Frodo and Sam, and Gandalf.  Limited editions of 5,000.

Collector Sheet (£14.80)

The landscape-oriented Collector Sheet as usual features all 8 stamps, with additional imagery on the attached labels.   As usual the sheet is self-adhesive.

Products Available from Royal Mail

Set of 8 stamps, miniature sheet, first day covers (2), presentation pack, stamp cards (13), press sheet of 10 miniature sheets (edition of 200), framed products.

(Incidentally, in each of NZ Post's LOTR issues they had six gummed stamps, the same six stamps in individual miniature sheets, the same six stamps in a single self-adhesive miniature sheet, and a self-adhesive folded booklet containing four of the lowest value, two of one other, and one each of the rest. There are also official maximum cards which had a stamp stuck to the picture side and postmarked, and also printed in black & white on the address side; the cards are thus prepaid for posting to anywhere in the world.)

Royal Mail has announces new tariffs effective from 7 April 2026, new stamps on 26 March 2026.

"From 7 April 2026 the price of Second Class stamps will increase by 4p to 91p and the price of First Class stamps will be £1.80, an increase of 10p.

"The new price of a Second Class stamp remains 65p below the European average price of £1.56 and a First Class stamp is 13p below the European average of £1.93. Under the Universal Service in France, Germany and Spain customers only have the option of paying for a three-day service. France charges £1.92 for a Second Class stamp, 12p more than a First Class, next day, service in the UK.

"The stamp price rises reflect the continued rise in cost of delivery for every letter as letter volumes decline and the number of addresses increases. The average household now receives only four letters per week, down from 14 at their peak over 20 years ago, while the number of addresses has risen by four million.

"Richard Travers, Managing Director of Letters at Royal Mail said: “We always consider price changes very carefully, balancing affordability with the rising cost of delivering mail. On average, UK adults now spend just £6.50 each year on stamps and there are 70% fewer letters sent than 20 years ago. In the meantime, the number of addresses we deliver to has increased by four million to 32 million addresses across the UK.”

(Press release)

New tariff analysis 

(New prices in bold, reduced in red, unchanged in italics.)

1st

2nd

Letter

1.80

1.70

0.91

0.87

Large Letter – 100g

3.30

3.15

1.55

1.55

- 250g

3.60

3.60

1.90

2.00

- 500g

3.60

3.60

2.40

2.40

- 750g

3.60

3.60

2.70

2.70

Small Parcel 2kg

5.45

5.09

4.25

3.99

Medium Parcel 2kg

8.05

7.45

6.95

6.49

- 10kg

10.05

9.35

8.75

8.19

- 20kg

15.45

14.25

13.15

12.25

Signed For prices for 1st class Letters rise by 20p, and Large Letters by 10-25p; 2nd class letter is up by 14p, Large Letters by 10p. Parcels show rises across the board. 

Tracked 24/48 prices show small rises with basic Large Letter (up to 1lg) prices increased by 10p to £3.95 (24) and by 35p to £3.30 (48).  Parcels show 5-7% rises.

Special Delivery up to 100g rise 7.5% from £9.25 to £9.95, up to 500g from 6.8% from £10.25 to £10.85.  The 9 a.m. option increases are lower this year from £49.95 to £53.95 for the basic 100g weight! 

International rates.  The basic worldwide letter and postcard rate rises by 20p again from £3.40 to £3.60 (5.8%) airmail and from £3.30 to £3.50 for Economy (surface).

The price for airmail Large Letters up to 100g increases by 30p to all zones (so from £3.50 to £3.80 for Europe, £4.30 to £4.60 worldwide); other weight bands rise by around 6%.

International premium services

The price for 100g International Tracked to Europe increases from £9.75 to £9.95. Outside Europe the rises vary from 10% in Zones 1 & 2 to only 5% for Zone 3 (USA – possibly compensating for both reduced volume, and the administration fee for processing US Tariffs).

I haven't had time to do a comprehensive comparison, especially of rates which are less used like Tracked Small Parcels, but one that stands out is the World Zone 1. Whilst Zone 2 rates stay the same at all weights, Zone 3 (USA) increases by about 6% (with a note that this is subject to change!), Zone 1 (which is the whole world except the USA, Europe and Oceania) shows some increases by a massive 25% (which means for 250g from £16.00 to £19.90), and for 2kg 16% from £31.70 to £36.90.

There are smaller rises for the now 'Documents only' International Tracked and Signed where the compensation has been reduced from £50 to £20 to match the standard airmail.

New Stamps from 26 March 2026 (updated in blue)

There will be three new stamps, for the 100g letter rates, costing a nice round £12 for the set (DS2400).

DS2400A £3.60 Purple Heather for letter rates  - Printed 13/01/26
DS2400B £3.80 Aqua Green for Large letter to Europe - Printed 14/01/26
DS2400C £4.60 Sapphire Blue for Large letter to the rest of the world - Printed 15/01/26

The stamps are printed in press sheets of 8 panes; I have Col 1 Row 4 of the £3.60, Col 2 Row 2 of the £3.80 and of the £4.60.  The coding is, as it should be, MAIL M26L.

Royal Mail customers with a regular order for definitive stamp sets will receive this set as part of their ongoing subscription.  There will also be an official first day cover and single-stamp presentation pack. 

Other charges

The cost of a PO Box will be increased by 12% to £416.40. Twelve months' redirection, which was 100x the 2nd class rate at £87 is increased to £95.

Context for older stamps

I've been looking at some older Post and Go sets.  A Collector's set of Poppies bought in only 2018 cost £8.18.  The postage value at the new rates will be almost two-and-a-half times that at £19.50!

Doesn't time race away as we get older?  I received the latest slogan postmark by email and was about to add them to the latest Slogan Postmark post - when I remembered that we are now in March!

I don't know whether the standard British Heart Foundation slogan started the month: as we have an example of a new slogan used on 3rd March it seems unlikely. 

So thanks to LT for this example of the International Women's Day slogan for this year, used at North & West Yorkshire 03/03/2026. 

International Women's Day
8 March 2026
#IWD2026
#GiveToGain

Update: Thanks to MM for the other format from Dorset & SW Hants

Update 10 March: the first stamped letter I have received for some time was posted yesterday, so Royal Mail can get some things right!  After IWD it seems that Mothering Sunday will be overlooked, despite the opportunity for many card sales and postings, and we have the standard British Heart Foundation slogan.  From Cornwall Mail Centre.

Update 12 March. I received an email yesterday informing me that a Mother's Day slogan was being sent out to mail centres to run until Friday evening.  Introduction at mail centres is likely to be not simultaneous, the IMPs especially may have been subject to delay.   So while I was out this morning LT sent an example from Sheffield Mail Centre dated 11 March.  Mother's Day is two weeks earlier this year than last (30th) when we had examples on 24th, so maybe someone forgot to check the calendar this year.

Remember
Mother's Day
15 March 2025

OTHER POSTMARKS AND POSTAL MARKINGS

Sometimes we find (or in this case get sent) an old marking which we have never seen before, nor seen reported.  Not that that means it is totally new: after 30 years it's impossible to remember everything, so maybe it has.  Doubtless someone from the British Postmark Society will remember it?

I don't know the circumstances in which this was used but the wording tells a story; there is no Postage Paid Indicator or Clause 9 Licence number.  

It's a rectangular handstamp so this must have occurred with enough volume to demand it -  and it either has changeable date wheels or the date is stamped in separately. Either way there must not only have been a volume but also frequency. The postage rate in 1995 was 19p for second class, so the 34p surcharge can't be explained easily.

UPDATE:  PA writes "My immediate reaction was that it was C9 mail with no indicia, but was dubious about the date. I have now checked and that did not commence until 2004. Thus this pre-dates the competitors.

I think it is probably DX mail. They delivered mail between their members thus not infringing the monopoly. Initially they served solicitors and later other trades including travel agents and were based in Slough. I am now guessing somewhat, that they received mail addressed to non-members and thus were unable to deliver which was then handed to Royal Mail and surcharged.

Post Office Branch.    From SS our correspondent in Canada a Tracked & Signed item which took two months to get from Watford to Vancouver!  It was worth the wait because the sender used a set of five greetings stamps which were very fine used at Leavesden Green Post Office north of Watford. (One of the James Bond, and all of the Harry Potter, film franchises were produced at Leavesden Studios.) 

UPDATE 20 March.  Thanks to MM I can show another Morse Code handstamp, this time from Whitmore Park Road post office in the northern outskirts of Coventry.

The latest edition of the British Postmark Society Journal records Morse Code type rubber self-inking datestamps at
COUNTY OAK (Crawley),
DARLINGTON LANE (Stockton-on-Tees),
FELLSIDE (Newcastle-upon-Tyne),
HAYWAYDS HEARTH WEST SUSSEX (two examples), and
BHub Cintingency 93 (Banking Hub, a Earlestown, Newton-le-Willows).

UPDATE 27 March.  A letter received this week was posted at MERCHANT CITY GLASGOW and although it received the BHF Slogan, one stamp was not covered:

Merchant City Glasgow self-inking datestamp 21 March 2026.
Sited on the corner of Wilson Street and Glassford Street (Glasgow G1) the branch is now in a Spar shop.  A box is on the opposite side of Glassford Street, and behind the camera on this shot there is a Tardis-style blue Police Box.

Merchant City branch post office, Glasgow G1 (June 2024, Google street view)

Lockers update.  Wednesday was a warm and sunny day so we went to the coast, and I spotted this locker in the garden of The Lobster in Sheringham.  This one has the facility for pick-up and drop-off of Evri, Royal Mail, and UPS packets.

Remember, slogan postmarks appearing in March will be added to this post, so check here before you spend time scanning and emailing.

A reminder of what these monthly listings are for.  

This appears to be just another thematic issue from Royal Mail, but it hides a commemoration which isn't mentioned on the stamps or the FDC filler (although it is in the Presentation Pack).  In a move to please many letter writers this set includes a strip of five each 2nd class and 1st class, and delighting collectors there is no miniature sheet - although there is another collector sheet which is at the same time attractive and bland!

From Royal Mail's write up* 

This set of special stamps celebrates the beauty and heritage of roses in the UK.  Roses are among the world’s most beloved flowers, admired for their colour and fragrance. Roses also hold a symbolic place in British history—the Tudor Rose remains an enduring emblem of England.  The UK is home to more than a dozen wild species, and cultivated varieties have flourished for over four millennia.

Featuring ten exquisite watercolour illustrations of different rose breeds, this collection honours both wild and garden roses in brand-new watercolour paintings created exclusively for Royal Mail by acclaimed botanical artist Marie Burke, creating a tribute to beauty, tradition, and horticultural artistry.  

This issue marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of David Austin OBE (1926–2018), the pioneering British breeder whose creations transformed modern rose cultivation.  (Yes that's the commemorative part!)

From the FDC insert, this provides a good historical and geographic background to the development of roses as garden favourites, with a small nod to David Austin at the end.

The stamps

2nd class:  Dog Rose (Rosa canina), Queen Elizabeth, Just Joey, Paul's Himalayan Musk, Etoile de Hollande.

1st class:  Rosa Gallica Versicolor, Field Rose (Rosa arvensis), Charles de Mills, Peace, Constance Spry.

Technical Detail and acknowledgements 

The 37 x 35 mm stamps were designed by Charlie Smith Design using original artwork by Marie Burke and printed in litho by Cartor Security Printers on ordinary gummed paper. They are perforated 14½ x 14 in sheets of 50.

BBC Somerset story on the artist - what this article makes clear, that the Royal Mail information doesn't, is that Constance Spry was the first English Rose bred by David Austin, in 1961.

Rosa ‘Just Joey’ featured with kind permission of Roger and Joey Pawsey; Rosa ‘Étoile de Hollande’ featured with kind permission of Verschuren Rozen, Verschuren Rosegrowers Heritage Foundation, Koninklijke Kwekerijen HA Verschuren & Zonen and Jac Verschuren-Pechtold BV; Rosa ‘Peace’ featured with kind permission of the House of Meilland; Rosa ‘Constance Spry’ featured with kind permission of David Austin® 

(It is interesting that the permission of the breeders has apparently been required.  Back in 2004 for the Bicentenary of the Royal Horticultural Association I photographed a number of cultivars (no roses) from our garden to illustrate our first day covers.  It never occurred to me that I ought to ask permission from modern breeders to use my photographs of my flowers!)

Collector Sheet (£14)

Predictably as there is a collector sheet it is self-adhesive, although otherwise the size and print details are the same.  Alongside the stamps there are photographs of the same roses, which shows at least how accurate the artist has been, against a background of probably the same roses.   

But there is nothing else - just the caption at the top and the copyright notice at lower left - no explanation.  It's just something to put on the wall - and for this purpose Royal Mail will sell you a framed sheet (or the framed set) for £40.

As I wrote here many years ago about most of the (now abandoned) Business Customised Sheets, they are just posters which happen to have stamps in them.   I mean, just what is the point?

Products available from Royal Mail

Set of 10 stamps, first day cover, stamp cards, presentation pack, collector sheet.

Microprinting

I mentioned this earlier in the month but I don't intend to study the stamps specifically.  However a friend has pointed out to me that the number on these stamps is '2606', ie the sixth issue of the year - except that it isn't.  On the original plan sent to use it was due for issue a little later in the year, but the programme was altered before wider publication.  We can consequently expect more out of sequence numbers.

2017 Meccano stampThis set is all about Hornby Model Railways, perhaps hitching up to last year's Railway 200 celebration of the

Odd then, that the set marks the 125th anniversary of the company founded by Frank Hornby in 1901, "Hornby Hobbies", to sell his Meccano construction toy. According to Wikipedia until 1907 the company produced under the name of Mechanics made easy which is what Meccano was doing.

The first clockwork train was not produced until 1920.  but I suppose trains on stamps have more appeal than construction models?

UPDATE on issue day 19 February.   I've had three reports so far that post office branches have refused to sell what stamps they have until next week (27th).  This is wrong, the issue date is today: we were originally told 27th but this was changed on 19 December.  This was the RoyalMailStamps account on X today.  The comment from 'M' indicates that this is a failure to update the Horizon system to allow them to be sold. 

If only stamps were delivered to branches with enclosures like this!

Update: I understand that PO Branches were told this because the Horizon system wasn't updated in time.  Why they processed a date change for the set and not the MS & presentation packs who knows.

From Royal Mail 

The clockwork trains were followed by electric models and the iconic Hornby Dublo range in 1938. 

These innovations transformed model railways into a cherished pastime, inspiring creativity and technical skills across generations. 

Hornby’s story reflects Britain’s engineering heritage and evolving social trends—from childhood play to adult collecting and nostalgia. Despite wartime interruptions and industry challenges, Hornby adapted with new technologies, from realistic detailing to digital control systems, ensuring its continued relevance. Today, Hornby remains a leading name in model railways, celebrated for craftsmanship and authenticity. 

This stamp issue honours a brand that has entertained millions, preserved the romance of rail travel, and become a cultural icon of British design and imagination. 

The stamps 

The set consists if eight 1st Class stamps
GNR No.1 Locomotive (1920) – The original clockwork classic that started it all.
BR 4MT Tank Locomotive (1954) – A post-war favourite from the Hornby Dublo era.
InterCity 125 High Speed Train (1977) – A symbol of speed and innovation.
Bournemouth Belle Pullman Cars (2009) – Luxury in miniature detail.
Princess Elizabeth, LMS (1937) – A majestic pre- war express engine.
AL1 Electric Locomotive (1963) – Capturing the modernisation of British Railways.
Merchant Navy Class (2000) – Heralding Hornby’s new era of authenticity.
‘Hush-Hush’ Experimental Locomotive (2021) – A tribute to engineering ambition.

The Miniature Sheet consists of four 1st class stamps

Technical details and acknowledgements

The 41 x 30 mm gummed stamps were printed by Cartor Security Printers in litho in sheets of 60 in se-tenant pairs, perf 14½x14.  The 192 x 74 mm miniature sheet contains stamps 60 x 30 mm perf 14½.

Designed by The Chase.  HORNBY®, Hornby Railways, Tri-ang Hornby, Tri-ang, Hornby Dublo and Minic are Registered Trade Marks of Hornby Hobbies Ltd, and are used under licence by Royal Mail Group Ltd; images © Hornby Hobbies Limited, except image of two boys on the Dublo stamp: detail from Hornby Dublo box label © M&N/Alamy Stock Photo.

Products available

Set of 8 stamps, miniature sheet, presentation pack, first day covers (2), press sheet of 10 miniature sheets, (Inter-City 125) medal cover, stamp set and miniature sheet in one frame.

So, with yet another branded stamp issue, will Hornby derail the hobby or just some collectors? 

booster-t in the comments wanted to post a photo of his TT-gauge Triang - here it is!

Royal Mail has used microprinting in the past to 'hide' the year of issue in many of its special stamps - those printed in litho being more common than gravure.  But this stopped a few years ago.

But the Modern British Philatelic Circle has discovered that each litho- printed stamp in the 2025 Queen Victoria set has had a hidden micro-printed ‘2516’ (16th issue of 2025) added within the stamp.  I wasn't aware of this as I don't read all the MBPC very often, but here is a 2400 dpi scan of one of the Stranger Things miniature sheet stamps (2601).  

2601 microprint on Stranger Things miniature sheet

Gibbons Stamp Monthly later announced similar date codes have appeared since the Valour and Victory set.  

I understand this is always printed in black so some will be easier to see than others. I have found the printing on all the Concorde MS stamps, and some of the sheet stamps.  (Also six of the Hornby stamps and all of the roses; the latter have a white background making the task much easier.)

See if you can find them on the stamps already issued (starting with the Valour and Victory issue).

February should start (as January ended) with the default British Heart Foundation slogan, but I have reliable information that it will change very soon to the BHF Revivr slogan similar to last year's. This will likely be interrupted by National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) which this year runs from 9-15 February, so we can expect the slogan to approximately follow those dates.  But will we get anything for St Valentine's Day?

While I have nothing yet to show you, this at least puts readers on alert for a new slogan this week, another one next week, and then a reversion to this week's the week after that.  Hopefully Sheffield Mail Centre will fall into line.

UPDATE 6 February.  By chance the first example of the Revivr slogan is from Sheffield!  Thanks LT for this one dated 03/02/2026.

The slogan actually started on 2nd February and ran until 6th, but will return. Thanks to JE for this example from Bristol.

UPDATE 11 February 2026 - National Apprenticeship Week returns with a slightly different slogan.

Royal Mail supports
National
Apprenticeship Week
9 - 15 February
careers.royalmailgroup.com

In previous years the last line has had the URL of nationalapprenticshipweek.co.uk, but as you can see this year Royal Mail are promoting their own apprenticeship efforts.  JE provided this example from Bristol for 9th February (the campaign started on 7th).

UPDATE 16 February.   Thanks to RS for the other layout of this slogan from Warrington Mail Centre 10th February.

UPDATE 20 February.  Revivr has been reintroduced.  Thanks to JF for this very clear example of the reverse layout on a square envelope from South East Anglia used on 13 February. 

Other postmarks and postal markings, etc

My thanks to PA for notes on some of the postmarks in this section, which are shown in purple. 

1. The first example this month repeats the Apprenticeship week slogan from above.  JE sent a stack of four examples all posted by the same person in a weekly batch.  

The large number at the foot of the postmark shows the first two are consecutive with the added novelty of each using a different monarch's stamp.

"Then ... and entering proper nerd territory :-) ... the number changes from 1144202784 at 20:37:02 to 1144202840 at 20:37:09. They all come from the same person in one batch (they post out once a week), so assume all cancelled on the same machine which therefore seems to process around 8 letters per second, give or take. "  

That equates to 28,800 per hour, or approximately the 30,000 that Royal Mail laud as the capability of these machines. It's not often we get the opportunity to see this amount of detail unless we have access to the mail centre!

St. Valentine's Day  Apprenticeship Week gets in the way of Royal Mail helping out the greetings card industry with a special slogan, but RW has sent this example of a slogan that the US Postal Service is using.  They also issue Love stamps every year (which may be something we don't want to encourage) and notecards.  

St Marychurch Post Office - a different type of handstamp.

Thanks to JH for this image from St Marychurch Post Office, Torquay dated 5 Feb 2026.  It is unlike anything else I have seen from a sub-post office, and I suspect it might be a local production by the postmaster.

PA: The St Marychurch datestamp is almost certainly a Colop R30 datestamp  i.e. The same as the later Post & Go datestamps and the Morse Code ones and occasionally locally ordered ones as this one clearly is, including the telephone number. 

Here's the Google streetview image of the post office branch, and below it from a different website, the branch's silver van complete with Post Office logo.

St Marychurch Post Office van (Geograph.co.uk)

I have some examples of what I suspect are also locally acquired rubber stamps used on certificates of posting at March, Cambridgeshire 30 years ago.  These were used alongside self-inking datestamps (SIDs).  The Parcel Post stamp looks like a conventional one, and may well be, but by the time SIDs were being introduced rectangular Parcel Post handstamps were being phased out as Horizon labels made them unnecessary.  I suspect the first and third of these were produced for applying to forms and bag labels etc, rather than for cancelling stamps.

PA: The first is probably from a Post Shop counter - Post Shop counters were in some Crown offices  and some had locally ordered datestamps. The second is a standard parcel stamp and the third is a rarely seen standard issue stamp. 

PA: The second is a standard parcel stamp.

PA: The third is a rarely seen standard issue stamp.  I am not sure what its intended purpose was, but examples are known (e.g. Littlehampton) used in lieu of a parcel stamp as this one probably is. 

 Any other examples of locally produced handstamps being used on stamps?

Remember, slogan postmarks appearing in February will be added to this post, so check here before you spend time scanning and emailing.

A reminder of what these monthly listings are for.  

Royal Mail have said that these will have a 'first day of (philatelic) availability' although some have been available in Post Offices and other retailers over recent months.

These are not all available yet from Tallents House, so there is no point in phoning for them!

Full list - product codes will be provided later:

Business Sheets:  1st class, 2nd class, and 1st class Large

Booklets:  4 x 1st, 4 x 1st Large, 8 x 2nd. 
 

More details when available.

UPDATE 3 February

Royal Mail have said that this is simply a font change, but Robert writes:

"Seems likely to me the Textphone info is the real visible change here as most of these items have already appeared with the 2025 Rebrand." 

As John H confirmed:

"the Textphone info was present on the 8x Christmas booklets, but dropped on the 4x. " 

Here is an earlier 2nd class booklet, followed by the Christmas 1st class x4 and x8 without the Textphone line showing all the changes. (Thanks to Robert and John H).

If that's the only change it remains to be seen whether Stanley Gibbons will identify these by a separate number or sub-number.  But As there is much more too it than simply the removal of the Textphone number, it seems that this should qualify for a new catalogue sub-number.  

Whether the Validity (size) details return on the post-Christmas definitive booklets produced in 2026 remains to be seen.

Back in 2019 I reported that when the Printer's imprint was removed and the FSC logo was added these were both identified in the Concise.  But when the phone numbers changed from 0845 to 0345 this was consigned to a footnote, even though collectors usually wanted both.  So because of this inconsistency, we will have to wait and see!  I think the difference is enough to warrant a new catalogue number.

UPDATE 15 February

Royal Mail have started delivering these new products to dealers with standing orders, and from this we can see that the text panel is the same as the (later) 4 x 1st Christmas while the Validity text returns to normal.   Here's the 2nd class book of 8, with cylinder numbers.  (Click on any image to see an enlarged version.)

Some collectors collect first day covers (FDCs) because they are attractive with a cover design which complements the stamps.  Others collect because they are also a reminder of the date the stamps were issued, and in the case of definitives it helps to identify different versions of the same stamp when comparison of mint stamps might be more difficult.

Official first day covers have been produced for basic new definitives and for prestige book definitive panes (usually the only panes they provide on first day covers).

But there are variants for which there is no official FDC, because Royal Mail do not regard the stamp as new.

When we started producing FDCs we tried to fill those gaps, not with especially designed covers but in the main with the covers that Royal Mail produced for the issue. We generally used standard definitive covers for definitive variants, or the cover produced for a special stamp issue, such as a retail or prestige booklet.

Recognising that the PSB panes often contained duplicates or stamps which were not new, we gave our customers a cheaper option than Royal Mail by using just singles of the new stamps in the panes.

Reviewing our stock of Definitive FDCs I find that there are some which never made it to our web-shop, and have only ever been offered at the time of issue on our website, and those which were are now offered at lower clearance prices.  I hope there will be some of interest to more recent followers of the blog and long-time readers.

The list is a pdf file which will remain listed in the Links table to the right of this page. A separate file, linked from that one, has illustrations of some of the covers, and scans can be provided for any others.

Because it's a pdf file you cannot leave comments there, so please follow the usual pattern and leave a comment here for any covers that you want.  As usual, there are several of some, and only one in stock for many.

To order:

- please leave a comment here with your name, and then 

- send an email with your Name and Address and Blog Follower ID to my usual address - see top right.  And indicate which item you want (A, B, etc) in case more than one is available.  Please check the existing comments before you write.   

I will process requests in the order they are received but not always immediately - I am not checking every five minutes!   If other people have already asked, by all means put your name down, but we have very low stock of some of these covers.

Thank you for looking - further discounts for larger orders.

The aircraft which has appeared on most British stamps is almost certainly the Concorde supersonic airliner. 

Since its first flight in 1969 Concorde has appeared on several other stamps - I haven't counted, but it's probably ahead of the Spitfire (and I don't count the Red Arrows flight as nine planes on one stamp!) 

Now on the 50th anniversary of the first commercial flghts from London and Paris to Bahrain and Rio de Janeiro respectively Royal Mail is issuing a set and miniature sheet, the latter paying homage to the original issues in 1969.

Royal Mail write-up

On 21st January 1976, Concorde flew simultaneous flights from Heathrow to Bahrain by British Airways and from Paris Charles de Gaulle to Rio by Air France, with each aircraft taking off from Heathrow and Paris at precisely the same time 11.40am. The supersonic plane became the icon of the 1970s with an aim to beat the barriers of time and space and to connect a much smaller, faster and globalized world. 

Those passengers were the first to see the curvature of the Earth below them and the sky turning from blue to black above. Over the next 27 years, millions more were to experience ‘time travel’, arriving in New York at a local time an hour or so earlier than their departure time in London. 

Its supersonic speed meant that on certain early evening transatlantic flights departing from Heathrow or Paris, it was possible to take off just after sunset and catch up with the sun, landing in daylight. This was much publicised by British Airways, who used the slogan “Arrive before you leave.” 

Whilst Concorde no longer takes to the air, even fifty years later, Concorde remains a technical marvel and a much-loved icon of civil aviation. 

The stamps 

8 x 1st Class stamps
British Pre-Production Concorde Rolled Out, 1971; British Pre-Production Concorde In Flight, 1974;  Concorde’s First British Airways Livery, 1974; Concorde’s First UK Commercial Flight, 1976;  Concorde Flying Overhead, 1985;  Celebrating 10 Years of Service, 1985; Concorde’s Last British Airways Livery, 1997; Final Commercial Flight 2003.

Technical details 

The 50 x 30 mm stamps, designed by Common Curiosity, were printed in litho on gummed paper by Cartor Security Printers in four sheets of 60 in se-tenant pairs, perforated 14.  Acknowledgements: The Concorde aircraft, name and associated trademarks are used under licence with kind permission of Airbus and British Airways. AIRBUS and Concorde are protected trademarks of Airbus. All rights reserved.  British pre-production Concorde rolled out, photograph © Victor Drees/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images; British pre-production Concorde in flight, photograph by Ken Petitt © The British Airliner Collection; Concorde’s last British Airways livery, photograph © John M Dibbs; all other photographs © Adrian Meredith Photography

Miniature Sheet

The 192 x 74 mm miniature sheet, containing stamps 50 x 30 mm, was also designed by Common Curiosity, featuring original designs by Michael and Sylvia Goaman and David Gentleman, based on early Concorde models and prototypes.   The fourth stamp is an unadopted 1969 design by David Gentleman. Printed by Cartor Security Printers in litho on gummed paper. Images © Royal Mail Group Ltd 2026.  (The stamps are larger than those issued in 1969.)

Collectors Sheet

All eight sheet stamps from the Concorde issue are presented alongside labels with additional imagery all set on top of the striking image of 4 of the aircraft in the air. This image was taken on Christmas Eve, 1985, when British Airways organized a unique formation flight with four Concorde aircraft to celebrate 10 years of passenger service.   The Collector Sheet is printed on self-adhesive paper of course which is different from the set.

Products Available

Set of 8, miniature sheet, presentation pack, collectors sheet, first day covers (2), stamp cards (13),  press sheet of 10 miniature sheets, coin covers (3), framed miniature sheet, framed collectors sheet.

A selection of earlier Concorde stamps on maximum cards

These stamps are reported to have been on sale last week, ie around 10th January.

After a longer-than-expected delay I have now been able to add some more (mostly) one-off covers, stamps, ephemera for your consideration.  These are on a new page linked in the column on the right.

(Incidentally you may notice a slight reordering of the sections on the right; this is just to bring the Offers list nearer the top.)

Here are some of the new items offered, click on the link above to get to the details and don't forget in most cases you can click on the images to enlarge them. 

And there's more items, together with all the unsolds from previous weeks.  Happy browsing!

Strictly speaking there are no tariff changes, ie no prices have changed, but some services have changed including the elimination of 'International Signed".  Only International Tracked and Signed and International Tracked remain.

Summary

International Tracked and Signed is now for Documents only, and only up to 750g (ie no parcel rates).

International Tracked is for Goods, including gifts, and Documents may be sent but a Customs Declaration must be completed.  There is no (basic) letter rate; the cheapest option is for 100g Large Letters.

Printed Papers have been moved to a new section and include rates for International Tracked, International Standard (basic airmail) for which there is also no basic latter rate (minimum price for 250g is £8.95 to Europe), and ( listed in that order) International Tracked and Signed (again, no letter rates so minimum price £14.25) but including weight options for 1kg to 5kg.

I'm working from a pdf rather than hard copy, which makes comparison difficult, but I could almost believe there are copy & paste errors in this.  Why no Small Parcel rates for ITS unless they are printed papers?  Why no Large Letter rates for printed papers under 250g?

I'll leave this for readers to pursue safe in the knowledge that only the dealers and collector-sellers will be affected!

Regular readers will remember that when the Datamatrix-added stamps were trialled, 

"Nick Landon, Chief Commercial Officer at Royal Mail, said: 'This initiative will see Royal Mail become one of the first postal authorities in the world to add unique barcodes to stamps. By doing this, we are looking to transform the humble stamp so that we can offer our customers even more convenient, new services in the future."

(See 2nd class Machin with datamatrix added)

Then...

"Following a successful national trial we will now be adding unique barcodes to all our regular ‘everyday’ Definitive and Christmas stamps. Each barcoded stamp will have a digital twin and the two will be connected by the Royal Mail App. The unique barcodes will facilitate operational efficiencies, enable the introduction of added security features and pave the way for innovative services for our customers. 

"The new barcoded stamps enable you to watch and share an exclusive Shaun the Sheep video via the barcode itself using the Royal Mail App. You or the recipient can watch the video just by scanning the stamp barcode using our App. More videos will be added over the coming months."

But apart from Shaun the Sheep, what additional innovative services have been added?  None as far as I am aware.

But one of the other first postal authorities in the world to add unique barcodes to stamps, Germany, has developed their barcodes to provide more detail, as I found out when a reader in Germany sent me a Christmas postcard.

The Deutsche Post stamp barcode base tracking isn’t even that detailed (only the fact that the letter has passed intermediate and final sorting centres), but it’s appreciated. It would probably be easy for RM to implement the same if they decided to.

Interestingly, while there are 2 stamps making up the airmail value, there’s only 1 piececode associated with them. I found this out when I scanned them in the app. During the purchase, the postal clerk scanned both stamps’ barcodes & did some inputs into their computer.

This is what the Deutsche Post website shows (they have an English option). 

What is basic letter tracking?

Basic tracking documents the processing of your mail item at the origin and destination mail centers. Confirmation of actual delivery is not included in basic tracking.

I assume that if the card had been sent to a domestic address then the latest entry would show the 'final sorting centre' as the one that delivered to the addressee.  Being international with no link with Royal Mail, Cologne West was as far as it is recorded.

The extra effort of scanning and (presumably) putting the address into the system at Post Office branches would probably require additional payment from Royal Mail to Post Office Ltd, and hence to the postmaster.  However, it would bring extra footfall into the branches which might be additional benefit. 

A benefit for collectors and anybody who is interested in the stamp on their letter/card is found by clicking on 'More about this motif' which produces this very useful dropdown:

The last line, More information, describes why datamatrix-coded stamps have been issued and provides a YouTube video showing how you can track the progress of an ordinary letter even when it is dropped into a street postbox.  The letter is scanned in the DP app, and then you can give it an identity (card to Norvic) and then track it through the system.  It would be possible to tell the addressee when it was at the final delivery office.

Not shown on the picture above is a further line which translates as 'More information about the stamp'.  Clicking on that, and then translating with Google Translate produces a wealth of information about these pictorial definitives:

Permanent series "World of Letters - Airmail"

Artistically, imaginatively, surreal - this is how the motifs of the new postage stamp series "World of Letters" can be described in a nutshell. In a playful way, she combines the most diverse worlds of life with the letter, the most personal ambassador in the world, and creates an original overall picture that invites you to collect and brings the desire to write to new life.

The possibilities of messaging are diverse and have a long history. Also "Luftpost", the motif of the new postage stamp of the series "World of Letters", is older than some may believe. For millennia, the pigeon served as a postman until the French brothers Montgolfier in the 18th. century a hot air balloon, the so-called Montgolfière, developed. From now on, man could lift himself up into the air. However, the breakthrough of the airmail was achieved with the invention of the aircraft. On the 17. December 1903 the world's first motorized flight took place. The Wright brothers did not have letters in their luggage that day, but already in 1911, as part of an exhibition in the Indian Allahabad, letters and postcards were officially transported in a biplane for the first time. With the permission of the Reich Post Office, a plane was used for the first time in Germany for the first time in 1912 at the postcard week "Flugpost am Rhein und am Main".

A particular interest in airmail receipts are stamp collectors who are committed to aerophilately. The stamps and stamps used are of importance here, but also the circumstances - for example, rescued mail items from accidental aircraft are sought after. The crowning achievement of such a collection, however, is the "Inverted Jenny," an American stamp misprint from 1918, in which the pictured double-decker Curtiss JN-4 was printed with the nickname "Jenny" traffic. With only a hundred known copies, the misprint of the first U.S. airmail brand is a valuable rarity. 

I haven't taken the trouble to edit the errors in the translation as most people will understand the meaning.

Obviously with Royal Mail only applying datamatrix codes to definitive and Christmas stamps the scope is far more limited, but imagine how much information the could have provided to people who were interested in these six cathedrals (or at least the five that people might have had on their cards).

A reminder of what these monthly listings are for.  

What's the Default?

Regular readers will know that, in the context of slogan postmarks reported here, I have used the term 'default' to mean the slogan that Royal Mail revert to when there isn't a campaign slogan in use, like "St George's Day".

In 2016 they were using the Royal Mail 500 slogan, followed in 2018 by "mental health awareness", but they also supported the 'Stroke Association" regularly, and at the end of the year it was "Action for Children" which ran into 2022.  A number of Covid-related slogans were used, followed by the current British Heart Foundation slogan from early 2023.

I've recently been told that in technical terms there is a different meaning of 'default'.  This was prompted by the report below of the use of the Air Ambulance slogan.   The technical default is the slogan that was current at the time of the last update of the basic IMP software which must have been during the currency of 'Air Ambulance'.  

I understand that the BHF slogan has to be re-downloaded every time it becomes the one to be used, ie after each other campaign ends.  My source suggests that this makes it a 'filler' slogan.  "The true default slogan appears whenever the software has to be completely reloaded in an IMP when it receives whatever slogan was in use the last time the (basic) software was fully updated. At that point any further updates should be added, including the current campaign slogan."

So if the current campaign slogan or the BHF slogan are not added at that time, printing of the one in use when the software was previously updated will resume albeit months after the original use. *  

That seems to me to be highly inefficient, but I'll accept what I was told unless anyone else who has technical information on the IMPs or iLSMs provides any other detail.   

* This is similar to Post & Go errors when a reboot reverts to previous postal rates until the update software has been reapplied to charge new rates. 

-----

So given the different meanings of 'default' - the logical and the technical - I shall continue to use the term which I have used since 2016 for "the slogan which Royal Mail use when they don't have anything else to promote". 

Thanks to PW for the explanation and disucssion.

January starts (as December ended) with the default British Heart Foundation slogan., and we already have both regular examples.  JH provided the one from Norwich, and RW the one from Plymouth both dated 2 January.

Now two for the price of one from LT.  Superimposed on the BHF slogan here is one for Air Ambulance Week - which is something of a surprise because that has the date September 8th - 14th.  So I don't know what's going on at Sheffield Mail Centre, because both slogans were applied there but the date on the BHF slogan is illegible.

Support your
Air Ambulance

Air Ambulance Week
September 8th - 14th

 The year's first error!! 

UPDATE 24 January.  Trevor reports that the Air Ambulance error at Sheffield continues... 

UPDATE 27 January: The annual Holocaust Memorial Day slogan has been brought back into use. The earliest date I have is 26 January, the example from Cornwall Mail Centre. Unlike last year, Royal Mail did not advertise this on X.     There's a clearer example from Gatwick MC - on an invalid 1st class Machin.

Holocaust
Memorial Day
27 January 2025
Remember the past
Protect the future

Other postmarks and postal markings, etc

Unfortunately this image from JW is only a fraction of the cover, but I imagine it was referred to Revenue Protection to check on some of the stamps.  Whatever the outcome, it was passed to be delivered as normal.

We showed a 1st class version of this in 2023, and now we have a 2nd class version.

Update 30 January.  Dereham rectangular cancellation.

I recently found this one in my office - I have used the term 'cancellation' because I'm not convinced that this was ever designed to used as a postmark handstamp. You can get an idea of the size from the stamps but this is exactly 60 x 35 mm.  It looks like an office stamp: it doesn't include the county, but it does include Royal Mail at the top.  

ROYAL MAIL
-4 OCT 1995
DEREHAM
NR19 2AA 

This won't be the only example. but I believe this was part of a mailshot from the town council sending out certificates from a local art and craft show. I doubt that many people will have kept the envelope unless it was just somewhere to store their certificates.  

The two single-band 19p definitives pay the 1st class 60-100g rate of 38p.

 Remember, slogan postmarks appearing in January will be added to this post, so check here before you spend time scanning and emailing.