Norvic Philatelics - GB New Stamps and Special Postmarks

Pictorial Faststamps: Sea Travel - 16 September 2015

Pictorial Post & Go stamps appear in machines in UK Post Offices for defined periods of time in the year and this series is intended to provide attractive stamps that are appropriate for the season in which they are issued.

In 2015 the subject matter and pictorial designs for Post & Go will vary as wildlife and natural history subjects are replaced.  Two of the sets are linked as they will feature boats and ships.  Heraldic Beasts will be issued for the FIP exhibition in May.  Following a request from Post Office Ltd in 2013 for a Christmas set, a final set of four new designs of Post & Go will be issued for Christmas on winter animals.

We had hoped that this third set, Sea Travel, would feature more ships but Royal Mail took a different approach (having issued Ocean Lines in 2004 and Merchant Navy stamps in 2013, and this set shows worldwide views from ocean liners.

Post & Go terminals allow customers to weigh their letters and packets, pay for and print postage stamps and stationery supplies, often without the need to visit the counter. The first Post & Go machine was trialled in The Galleries Post Office® in Bristol in 2008.  The labels will be used in Post & Go machines at Post Offices around the country, and from new Royal Mail machines at Spring Stampex.  The labels can be obtained with 6 different service indicators: 1st class up to 100g & 1st class Large up to 100g, a dual-value Europe up to 20g/World up to 10g, Europe 100g, Worldwide 20g, and Worldwide 100g.  The stamps are dispensed singly or in strips of up to 6 of the same value or various values. 

 Sa Travel Faststamp Dover. Sea Travel Post and Go Faststamp Hong Kong.
Sea Travel Post and Go Faststamp  Sydney. Sea Travel Post and Go Faststamp Ha Long Bay.
Sea Travel Post and Go Faststamp New York. Sea Travel Post and Go Faststamp Venice.

From top left: Dover, Hong Kong, Sydney, Ha Long Bay, New York, and Venice.
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The UK is perhaps the best-connected island nation in the world, enjoying an unparalleled range of air links, as well as a tunnel to Continental Europe. Yet the British people also cherish sea travel – whether watching the White Cliffs of Dover retreating at the start of a great adventure, catching a first glimpse of the palaces of Venice or viewing a haunting Vietnamese seascape. An open deck also provides the best way to arrive in cities such as Hong Kong, New York and Sydney, whose iconic landmarks sharpen into focus as seafarers approach
Sea TravelPost and  Go presentation pack.



The stamps in detail

Dover - Ferries bind coastal communities around the UK, but they also connect it to neighbouring countries. As the layers of history at Dover Castle testify, the south-eastern port of England has provided a crucial link with Europe for two millennia

Hong Kong -This energising city-state offers a vision of the future. The next best thing to sailing into Hong Kong aboard a cruise ship is to emulate the experience on the Star Ferry, shuttling day and night across a superb natural harbour flanked by dazzling skyscrapers.

Sydney - Australia’s largest city crowns the natural blessing of a fine harbour with handsome structures that reflect the connection with the Pacific. The Harbour Bridge beautifully frames the waterside Opera House – its iconic shape echoing a scattering of sea shells.

Ha Long Bay - Tucked just inside the tropics, Ha Long Bay lies where the S-shaped nation of Vietnam curls around to meet China. UNESCO has recognised this “spectacular seascape of limestone pillars”, comprising 1,600 islands and islets, as a World Heritage Site.

New York City - While New York City is the hub of a nation that celebrates speed, the ideal way to see Manhattan at its most majestic is sailing in at a dozen knots from the Atlantic Ocean, as the thriving city and its high-rise structures slowly come into view.

Venice - A city born in the maritime age remains supremely immune to modernity. Some of the world’s greatest art resides in the churches and museums of Venice, but the real joy is to drift between the palaces on the local water bus – the vaporetto.



Technical details:

Designed by Osborne Ross the six 56mm x 25mm stamps are printed in gravure by International Security Printers, with two phosphor bars.  The stamps in the pack will have the service indicator and other detail printed in gravure.   Illustration is by Andy Tuohy; photography © Olivia Wilkes 2011

All images are by kind permission of Royal Mail, Copyright 2015. This website is copyright Norvic Philatelics 2015.


Products issued

The labels will be used in Post & Go machines at Post Offices around the country, and from the Royal Mail machines at Autumn Stampex.
A mint set of 6 x 1st will also be available from Royal Mail's Tallents House Bureau in a pack similar to a presentation pack (see right). All values in the pack are 1st Class.

Royal Mail will again produce a First Day Cover and official First Day Postmarks for these stamps.


Special Postmarks
Postmarks available for the day of issue will be shown here.  These are not to scale. These postmarks cannot be obtained after the date of issue.

Official first day post and go postmark.
 Seaview pictorial first day of issue postmark for post and go stamps.
Seaview non-pictorial first day postmark.

Postmarks showing seascape (waves) and lifebelt.

Ref FD1522TH Philatelic Bureau Official Postmark illustrated with a map of the British Isles Ref FD1522PL Seaview first day postmark showing lifebelt.
Ref FD1522NP Seaview non-pictorial first day postmark Ref L13561
Sea Travel, Sea View Rd,
St Margaret's at Cliffe, Dover
Ref L13562
Post and Go - Sea Travel
Dover
Postmark showing ocean liner.
Postmark showing ocean liner.
Stampex first day of issue postmark for Sea Travel faststamps.
Reserved for later
announcements
including
Stampex postmark

Ref L13563
Post and Go - Sea Travel
Southampton
Ref M13571
Post and Go - Sea Travel
Shipping Rd, Birmingham
Ref L13581
Autumn Stampex Post & Go
Sea Travel First Day of Issue London N1



This page updated 11 September 2015

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