Byfleet De La Rue Cylinders And Date Blocks

RMS Paper known as (Royal Mail Standard ) or (Specification) This is the paper currently used at Dunstable for all current printings , Known in certain circles as ATN (c) This has a cream PVA gum and is dull in appearance, 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.

TR3: This is the main term for paper used by Royal Mail for the Byfleet printings, there are 3 types found to date with variations of OBA (Optical Brightening Agent) in the coating. These are listed and known to specialist collectors as Dull, Intermediate and Bright papers listings are given secondary codes by collectors as - d, - i, and - b.

TR3-d = DULL
TR3i = INTERMEDIATE
TR3-b = BRIGHT

(It is believed by some that this paper was also used for a very short period at dunstable, but others disagree) These above can be sub categorised into (with) different 2 gums ATN (1) - Layflat gum ATN (t) - Tinted Gum

HSC is another paper used at Byfleet, a single paned dull paper with Layflat gum (imported from Jon Enschede of Holland). Due to the fact only single panes could be used on the ATN press, only no dot cylinder blocks were available from this printing.

These are all of the dates recorded on site to date, it is quite possible that some dates exist and have not been recorded. The dates appear in order of Value / colour of stamp, Cyl and Phos numbers, Paper and gum. All are cylinder D1 D1 unless stated.

No Dot and Dot cylinder blocks were available on most printings (x) denotes that the dot block does not exist.

Previous on site listings of this same information will eventually be deleted so that we can now have this information to hand and update it on one single page. A permanent link will be added to this post at the top left of the blog.

Please note Dunstable printings RMS paper (from 22.04/05) and Self adhesive security (slit) stamps will be recorded on separate pages. A link to the pages will be added here in due course. I will not be recording Country Pictorial definitive dates at this time, but may do in the near future.

Thanks go to the MCC catalogue, the Bookmark Journal, Ian Billings and Richard Parsons for their listings and also their help and advice.

1p Crimson: D1 D1
Bright paper - tinted gum 19/-03/03
Intermediate paper - tinted gum 16/05/03 - 19/05/03 - 18/09/03 - 02/ 03/04 - 08/03/04 - 08/04/04 - 13/04/04 - 19/04/04 - 03/09/04

2p Deep green D1 D1
Bright paper - tinted gum 25/03/03
Intermediate paper - tinted gum 01/05/03 - 08/04/04 - 15/05/03 - 05/11/03 - 15/03/04 - 19/04/04 - 24/08/04 -

4p New blue D1 D1
Dull paper - tinted gum 01/04/03
Bright paper - tinted gum 01/04/03
Intermediate paper - tinted gum 18/09/03

5p Claret D1 D1
Dull paper - tinted gum 02/04/03
Bright paper - tinted gum 03/04/03
Intermediate paper - tinted gum 29/04/03 - 16/05/03 - 17/09/03 - 03/11/03 - 04/11/03 - 22/03/04 - 16/04/04 - 18/04/04 - 23/08/04

7p Magenta D1 D1
Intermediate paper - tinted gum 10/02/04 - 01/03/04 - 22/03/04 - 02/09/04 - 03/09/04

8p Deep yellow D1 D1
Bright paper - tinted gum 31/03/03
Intermediate paper - tinted gum 04/11/03

9p Bright Orange D1 D1
Intermediate Paper tinted gum 12/11/04 - 15/11/04 - 31/03/05 - 01/04/05 DLR logo -

10p Deep orange D1 D1
Bright paper - tinted gum 20/03/03
Intermediate paper - tinted gum 30/04/03 - 18/09/03 - 03/11/03 - 24/03/04 - 13/04/04 - 19/04/04 - 25/08/04
Intermediate paper - tinted gum (dark shade) -16/05/03
Dull paper -08/04/05

20p Bright green D1 D1
Dull paper - PVA layflat gum - 04/03/03
Bright paper - tinted gum ( pale shade) 25/03/03
Bright paper - tinted gum (dark shade) 04/03/03
layflat gum (dark shade) 04/03/03
(layflat gum (phosphor wash) 04/03/03
D3 D3 Bright paper- tinted gum (dark shade) 15/04/04
D2 D1 Dull paper - PVA layflat gum (normal shade) (no dot only)
12/02/04
D3 D1 Dull paper -11/04/05 - 12/04/05 - 15/04/05
D3 D3 Intermediate paper - tinted gum 02/03/04 - 15/03/04
D3 D3 Dull paper 26/08/04

33p Slate grey D1 D1
Dull paper - PVA layflat gum 04/03/03
Bright paper - tinted gum 25/03/03

34p Lime green D1 D1
Bright paper - tinted gum 04/03/03
Intermediate paper - tinted gum 28/04/03 - 17/09/03
Dull paper - tinted gum 28/03/03

35p Sepia-brown D1 D1
Dull paper - tinted gum ( no dot only) 11/02/04
D2 D2 Intermediate paper - tinted gum 03/03/04 - 04/03/04 - 12/03/04 - 07/04/04 - 23/08/04

This next issue was a stop gap short order (emergency printing) ordered by The Royal Mail from Jon Enschede of Holland. What was also interesting with this particular stamp is, it was printed with just one centre phosphor band. The Enschede 35p value only remained on sale for a short time until the De La Rue factory was operational, then a further reprint was issued (again with one CB) with the De La Rue logo.

Enschede 35p CB Lime Green E1 (centre band) 21 /12/04

35p Lime Green D2 D1(Centre band)
Intermediate paper tinted gum 05/04/05 - 06/04/05

37p Grey-black D1 D1
Intermediate paper - tinted gum 04/06/03

39p Light greyD1 D1
Dull paper - layflat gum (no dot only) 12/02/04
D2 D2 Intermediate paper - tinted gum 04/03/04 - 23/08/04

40p Greenish-blue D1 D1
Dull paper - layflat gum 6.00 (no dot only) 12/02/04

D2 D2 Intermediate paper - tinted gum 03/03/04 - 31/08 /04 - 04/04/05 - 05/04/05

41p Red D1 D1
Bright paper - tinted gum -04/03/03 -25/03/03

42p Sage green D1 D1
Bright paper - tinted gum 24/03/03 - 25/03/03
Intermediate paper - tinted gum 01/05/03 - 13/05/03 - 15/05/03 - 17/09/03 - 13/05/04 - 31/08/04 - 01/09/04 - 02/09/04 - 14/04/05

43p Pale Emerald D1 D1
Dull paper - layflat gum (no dot only) 11/02/04
D2 D2 Intermediate paper - tinted gum - 02/03/04 - 14/03/04 - 08/04/04

46p Old Gold D1 D1
Intermediate paper- tinted gum 15/11/04 - 16/11/04 - 01/04/05 - 04/04/05

47p sea-green D1 D1
Dull paper - tinted gum 29/03/03
Intermediate paper - tinted gum 15/05/03 - 24/08/04 - 12/04/05

50p Sand D1 D1
Bright paper - tinted gum 31/01/03 - 24/08/04
Intermediate paper - tinted -30/04/03 - 16/09/03 - 04/11/03 - 15/04/04

68p Stone D1 D1
Intermediate paper - tinted gum 03/06/03

£1 Bluish-Violet D1 D1
Intermediate paper - tinted gum 26/03/03 - 19/04/04 - 26/08/04 - 29/04/03 - 19/05/03 - 20/05/03 - 16/09/03 - 05/11/03 - 06/11/03 - 23/03/04 - 26/08/04 - 07/04/05

£1.50 Rust-Red D1 D1 D1
Intermediate paper - layflat gum 11/04/03 - 13/04/05

£2.00 Indigo D1 D1 D1
Intermediate paper - tinted gum (missing £ sign) 27/03/03
Bright paper - tinted gum 27/03/03

D2 D1 D1 Bright paper - tinted gum 13/04/05
Intermediate Paper 13/04/05

£3 Purple D1 D1
Bright Paper 28/03/03 - 14/04/05
Intermediate 28/03/03

£5 Sepia D1 D1
Intermediate paper - tinted gum 30/04/03 - 15/05/05
Dull paper -tinted gum 15/04/05

Continue to Dunstable printings on dull RMS paper