Norvic Philatelics - GB New Stamps and Special Postmarks
Pictorial Faststamps: British Flora - Winter Greenery 13 November 2014
Post & Go Winter Greenery is the third
and final set in the British Flora theme for 2014 that celebrates the UK’s
wild flowers and plants. This series will provide attractive stamps for
postage users utilizing the Self Service Kiosks in Post Offices this
Christmas. The set of 4 stamps includes flora associated with the season
and satisfies requests for Christmas Post & Go options (including 2nd
Class and 2nd Class Large rates).
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.
There have been three sets of stamps this year. The first set in
February showed Spring
Blooms, and the second issue showed Symbolic
Flowers. The Poppy stamp from this issue was also issued on
single-design rolls on 21 October in time for Remembrance Day.
Post & Go terminals allow customers to weigh their letters and packets,
pay for and print postage labels and stamps 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 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 60g,
Worldwide 20g, and Worldwide 60g *. The stamps are dispensed singly or
in strips of up to 5 or 6 (depending on the machine) of the same value or
various values. On NCR machines 2nd class and 2nd class Large
denominations can be dispensed on the appropriate (blue background)
reel. NCR Self-Service machines also dispense stamps with these
designs for many different weights and services including Small Parcels,
Special Delivery, and International Tracked and Signed. Wincor-Nixdorf
machines will not dispense the 2nd class/Large blue Ivy and Holly stamps -
we've been told that some Wincor-Nixdorf branches will not be supplied with
these; they didn't get solo Poppies either.
* We assume that a Collectors Set of (non-2nd class) Faststamps will
be printed on Holly and Butchers Broom alternately. A complete set
of all available Faststamp values on all designs will therefore be only 16
stamps.
1st class reel: Holly and
Butcher's Broom
2nd class reel: Ivy and Mistletoe
The Collectors Pack will include the stamps with values as
shown.
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The stamps in detail
COMMON IVY
This hugely successful climbing woody plant is often found completely
enveloping trees, walls and telegraph poles, as well as forest floors. Ivy
is the UK’s only evergreen liana, and provides all-year-round shelter for
birds, hibernating insects and even bats.
BUTCHER’S BROOM
An unusual member of the Asparagus family, this shrub possesses no leaves
and has modified its stem into leaf -like panels to catch the sun. Bundles
of dried, stiff stems were originally used by butchers to scour and sweep
chopping boards.
MISTLETOE
Often hidden in the summer months, this plant can be seen hanging from
branches in large round bunches when trees start to lose their leaves. It
produces intensely sticky fruits that birds rub off onto the bark, allowing
the plants to root and feed off the tree.
HOLLY
The UK’s commonest native evergreen tree thrives in the country’s damp cool
climate. As well as being collected in sprigs for Christmas, the berries of
this tree are a rich source of winter food for a host of birds, especially
mistle thrushes and robins.
Technical details:
Designed by Kate Stephens and illustrated by Julia Trickey the four 56mm x
25mm stamps are printed in gravure by Walsall Security Printers. The
stamps in the pack will have the service indicator and other detail printed
in gravure. All images are by kind permission of Royal Mail,
Copyright 2014. This website is copyright Norvic Philatelics 2014.
Products issued
The labels will be used in Post & Go machines at Post Offices around
the country.
A mint set of 4 values will also be available from Royal Mail's Tallents
House Bureau in a pack similar to a presentation pack. The stamps in
the pack will be 1st, 1st Large, 2nd and 2nd Large, as shown above, with a
philatelic branch code.
Royal Mail will again produce a First Day Cover and official First Day
Postmarks for these.
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.

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Ref FD1421TH
Philatelic Bureau Official Postmark
illustrated with a map of the British Isles |
Ref FD1421PL
Hollybush Ayr
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Ref FD1417NP
Hollybush, Ayr non-pictorial
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Ref L13238
Ivychurch, Romney Marsh, Kent
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Ref M13242
Holly Dell, Birmingham
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Ref M13252 Post & Go Winter
Greenery
GBFDC Association, Hollybush, Ledbury
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Ref L13269
British Flora Winter Greenery, Rettendon, Chelmsford |
Ref L13270
British Flora Winter Greenery,Woking |
This page updated 4 November 2014
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