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Roy previously mentioned the rate increase to come on April 6. I just posted my usual summary to my web site.
While writing the post, I ran some quick calculations on the increases. They are whoppers! Every basic rate increases by more than 10%, except the first-class letter rate which, going from 36p to 39p, is only 8.3%. The increase for the lowest weight large letters is more than double that!
Also, Douglas Myall reminded me that the 54p Machin issued in 2007 is still enjoying a relaxing vacation at Tallents House (where I suspect it is quite a bit less than 20 degrees). Its vacation will end in April when it is redistributed throughout the UK to handle worldwide surface mail duties. So there will not be a brand new Machin for that value, though there probably will be a new cylinder.
--Larry
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3 comments:
Surely the 54p will re-emerge in the new security format?
I'm reliably advised that there are no plans to issue the new rate stamps in security format - nor the booklet airmail stamps, before anybody asks!
The 54p was issued in the new form with the dark line along the left margin of the sheet and the colour name at top left, so there is no reason to suppose it will not be redistributed. A new cylinder is more than possible.
I'm sure that most British postal users will find an increase of 3p on the basic First Class stamp enormous - this increase represented, after all, the price of a First Class letter upon decimalisation in 1971! But where it really hurts is on some of the overseas rates. I regularly use the European Airmail Printed Papers rate to receive post office grille cards for stamp issues. Today, a 400g package costs £2.71. After the April increase, the same price will only "buy" 180g; the same 400g package will cost £5.31, very nearly a 100% increase!
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