De La Rue Dunstable Printings

Machins and information on the move to Dunstable.

By March 2005 after a long delay due to several problems, De La Rue had moved all plant from Byfleet and operations began on the ATN press at the new Dunstable plant.

It has been said that "the first printings were the same ( indistinguishable) as those printed at the Byfleet plant" so early printings, unless you collect date blocks will have been catalogued under Byfleet listings.

Later printings, however are different in the fact that a duller flour incorporated into the paper, and they have a glossier appearance, it has also been reported that the last printing known on the brighter papers was 18/04/05. This being the £1.50 value.

RMS Paper known as (Royal Mail Standard ) or (Specification) is the paper currently used at Dunstable for all printings , this is also known in certain circles as ATN (c) Paper.

This has a cream PVA gum (previous gum had a blue tint) and is dull in appearance, it is said that it was developed and designed by order of The Royal Mail to get near to that of HS2 used previously by Harrison's at the High Wycome plant.

The fist value on the new specification paper came to light ( 2p ) from a printing dated 22nd April 05. It is intended that all printings will be on this type of paper in the future.

More details on these values and the emergency 35p value (issued 05/05/05) printed by Enschede of Holland will be added here when the information has been confirmed.