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Friday 18 July 2008

Do Royal Mail Listen to Customers?

Lest We Forget - 6 November 2008
90th Anniversary of the Armistice ending World War I

Sorry I know this is not a Machin post, but I thought as Regional Pictorials were in the news this may also be of interest to some. I know these are not everyone's cup of tea but a lot of Machin enthusiasts do collect them.

It has been written that in response to criticism that the Poppy stamps were not available for ordinary social correspondence, without buying the miniature sheet in previous years. Three (different) poppy 1st class stamps from 2006 - 2008 will be issued se-tenant in normal sheets.

A Miniature sheet featuring the new special Poppy stamp (The third) will also be issued on the same day, 6th November 2008. This sheet will be printed by De La Rue Security Print in Lithography.

In the new design faces of soldiers are superimposed on the single poppy, difficult to see in this image (sorry) the background of the sheet will show rows of war graves. The miniature sheet also includes a block four 81p country definitives, one for each of the countries of the UK.

Surprise-Surprise ! There will also be a Commemorative Generic Smilers Sheet.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Interesting news, Roy. Of course, the problem is that the souvenir sheet is overpriced. How many people use 81p stamps frequently? (Any of you Britons care to comment?)

If the souvenir sheet had one poppy stamp and four normal first-class Machins, it would sell a lot more. And some souvenir sheets have had that - remember the End of the War sheet a few years ago?

However, I have to say that although the 90th anniversary is a bit odd for commemoration (couldn't it have waited until the 100th....oops, silly me!), I do think the poppy stamps are very well done and having them as a sheet is a good idea.

Maybe Royal Mail will cancel or postpone a different issue to make up for the extra one....just dreaming.

Larry