Oct-Dec 2013 - smilers-info.comfuture. Let's hope so as this may well produced a different...

© Ridgewood Publishing www.smilers‐info.com | January 2014 1

Oct-Dec 2013

Spring STAMPEX 2014

The PTS have released details of the Spring STAMPEX sheet due out on 19th February 2014 priced £18,50 from the show, celebrating the Working Horses of Great Britain. (31/12)

New Business Customised sheet from Benham

Benham have announced a new Railway themed Business sheet with a twist. Having apparently exhausted the choice of Locomotives to feature, Benham have decided to feature their designers! With so many wonderful subjects out there (Matt ‐ how about a punk rock band?) why the focus on steam engines? I just don't get it? (07/12)


Isle of Pabay 2013 ‐ Winter Smiler

The Isle of Pabay has been issuing Christmas Smilers since the very first Smiler sheets appeared in 2000.

This year is no exception and the folks sponsoring this sheet have advised that the 2013 version is now available. I have one sheet in stock and available for immediate dispatch to the first customer who reserves it by e‐mail, priced at £50 inc. p+p.


It features a painting by local artist Pam Budge (Croft Studios) entitled Cullen Winter which compliments the Smilers from Scotland sheet format very well. It will be catalogued as TSL‐265. (02/12)

Stafford Stamp Show Smiler

At the recent Stafford Stamp Show held on 8‐9 November 2013, Royal Mail supported the show with the presence of their Post & Go Machines and an instant Smilers booth. Royal Mail produced a show souvenir in the form of a personalised Red, White and Blue sheet which, in a first for the Stafford Show, was also available in sheets of 20 stamps/labels. Apparently very few full sheets of 20 were produced due to teething problems with the printing process and I have been advised that no more than 20‐30 full sheets were produced.


I have managed to secure a small supply of these sheets in half sheets of 10 and full sheets of 20. They are available for immediate dispatch at £50 a pair of matched half sheets (2x 10) and £60 for a full sheet of 20 stamps/labels including p+p. Please drop me an e‐mail if interested with your requirements and I will supply on a first‐come‐first‐served basis. (20/11)

New Concorde sheet from Benham

Benham have started advertising a new Business Customised sheet to commemorate the 10th Anniversary since the last commercial flight of Concorde. An odd anniversary in my opinion but one that will be strike a cord with Concorde thematic collectors no doubt. (20/11)

Smilers Perforations : Update

Following on from the information provided below on the different perforation patterns seen on Smilers sheets issued to date, John Gray has been in touch and respectfully pointed out that I had omitted to mention the non‐elliptical perforation variety which of course means that there are at least four not three different varieties of some stamps in the Business Customised Range. John is of course quite correct in pointing out this omission and if this confused readers then my apologies.


Armed with this clarification may I set the record straight and confirm that there are at least four (not three) different types of perforations appearing on Smilers sheets of one sort or another as follows:

Type 1 (Rounded edged perforations, 3 breaks, without elliptical perforations) Type 2 (Rounded edged perforations, 3 breaks, with two elliptical perforations, one

each vertical side) Type 3 (Rounded edged perforations, 4 breaks, with two elliptical perforations, one

each vertical side) Type 4 (Square edged perforations, 3 breaks, with two elliptical perforations, one

each vertical side)

Here is an updated checklist to complement the perforation guide provided previously:

Generic Smilers:

Type 1: GS‐034‐036, GS‐039‐40, GS‐043‐044, GS‐046 and GS‐048 Type 2 : GS‐051, GS‐056, GS‐060‐061, GS‐069‐070, GS‐072‐075, GS‐077‐080 Type 3 : GS‐047, GS‐052‐055, GS‐062‐065 (all with circular labels) Type 4 : All issues from GS‐081 onwards

Customised Smilers:

Type 1: CS‐026a‐f, CS‐026aa, CS26ba, CS26fa, CS30a‐f, CS31a‐b, CS32‐34, CS35a‐c, CS36

Type 2 : CS‐026ab, CS‐026ba , CS‐26ca, CS‐26da, CS‐26db, CS‐26faCS38, CS‐39a, CS‐39c, CS‐39d, CS39f, CS4‐0a‐d, CS‐41a‐b, CS‐42a‐d, CS‐43‐46, CS‐47a‐d

Type 3 : CS‐36, CS‐37a‐c, CS‐39b, CS‐39e (all with circular labels) Type 4 : All issues from CS‐48a onwards

Business Customised Smilers:

Type 1: BCS‐078, BC‐082, BC‐084, BC‐087, BC‐089‐094, BC‐097‐098, BC‐100, BC‐105‐106, BC‐108‐115, BC‐118, BC‐121‐123, BC‐125‐132, BC‐134, BC136, BC‐139, BC143, BC‐145, BC‐180, BC‐229.

Type 2 : BC‐135, BC‐137‐138, BC‐140, BC‐142, BC‐146, BC‐150, BC‐152‐53, BC‐276a (Oddfellows),


Type 3 : BC‐144, BC148, BC151, BC‐154‐178, BC‐186‐199, BC‐201‐209, BC‐211‐212, BC‐216‐227, BC‐230‐233, BC‐235‐244, BC‐247‐251, BC‐253‐257, BC‐259‐261, BC‐263, BC‐266‐268, BC‐270‐275, BC‐277‐288, BC‐290‐292, BC‐294‐299, BC‐301‐304, BC‐306‐309, BC‐311‐346, BC‐348‐359, BC‐380

Type 4 : BC‐360‐379, BC‐381‐383, BC‐385‐419 (to current issue)

Commemorative

Type 3 : CSS‐003‐016 except CSS‐007, 010 and 015 (gummed) Type 4 : CSS‐017‐022 (to current issue)

I would welcome your feedback, and/or corrections to the above listing. I have done my best to try and sort these into the correct classifications but mistakes happen so feel free to drop me a line and correct mistakes. I will endeavour to incorporate this information in a future edition of the Smilers Catalogue. (20/11)

Further Smilers Perforation Patterns Identified

I received an interesting e‐mail last week from a gentleman compiling a specialist Machin catalogue who lives in Austria. I may have missed this news first time round but there are at least three different perforation types on the Business Customised stamp sheets we should be aware of creating, in some cases, three different varieties of the same stamp. Hanns Jörg Fasching is the catalogue editor of the Bookmark' Catalogue, a specialist publication produced by the Modern British Philatelic Circle (a merger between GB DSB SC & BDSSC). Hanns wrote to me pointing out the existence of three perforation types for the rounded perforations seen on the earlier Smilers sheets.


The above illustration provided by Hanns shows the three types of perforations on the rounded perforations (Type 1, Type 2 and Type 2a for Circular Smilers) In addition there are the square‐edged perforations that were introduced on Smilers last year (Type 3). Looking at the sheets in my personal collection I was able to confirm the following to Hanns:

Generic Sheets: Type 1 for all definitive‐sized Smilers sheets issued from 2006 to 2011 with exception of the Christmas 2011 sheet and subsequent issues which are all Type 3, square edged perforations.

Personalised Sheets: Type 1 for all definitive‐sized Smilers sheets issued from 2006 to 2011 with exception of the Christmas 2011 sheet and subsequent issues which are all Type 3, square edged perforations.

Business Sheets: Type 1 for all definitive‐sized Smilers sheets issued from 2006 to May 2008. With the issue of the Dambusters sheet (BC144) in May 2008 Type 2 perforations started to be introduced until the A1 Pacifics sheets (BC‐162) which appears to have been the last Business sheet with Type 1 perforations due (probably) to a delayed issue by the sheet producer in July 2008. Thereafter, Type 2 Perforations with 4‐cuts appeared on all Business sheets up to the introduction of square edged perforations which first appeared on the Classic Locomotives of Scotland sheet (BC‐371) in April 2012. Thereafter with the exception of BC‐372 (Strike Hard, Strike True) and BC‐380 (175th Anniversary of P&O) all business sheets appear to have been issued with Type 3 Square edged perforations.

Commemorative Sheets: Type 2 for all commemoratives sheets until the introduction of Type 3 (square‐edged, 3‐cut) which first appeared on the commemorative sheets with the issue of the the James Bond Sheet (CSS‐017) in April 2012.

Circular Smilers Sheets: All Type 2a for Generic and Personalised sheets. No Business or Commemorative sheets have been issued using the circular label format although in theory this sheet template exists and may yet emerge from Business sheet producers in the future. Let's hope so as this may well produced a different perforation format yet again! (14/11)

iPad/iPhone App Updated

The Royal Mail iPhone/iPad/Android Smilers App has been updated a couple of times in the past few months. First it offered customers the ability to order customised Halloween Smilers incorporating various bits of Halloween paraphernalia and has just gone through another update this time offering a slightly different twist on the Christmas Smilers personalised labels. By choosing the Christmas label layout a personalised message can be added to the photo upload to produce a truly "from our house to yours at Christmas" message.


Interestingly I noticed a number of other Christmas themed stamps from previous years also available so presumably you can add this personalised label design to those as well. The four values from 2013 are available choices as are the 1st class Santa/Robin from 2012 and the 2nd and 1st class stamps from 2006 (12/11)

Christmas Personalised Smilers from Ridgewood

Here are images of the four personalised Smilers sheets produced by Ridgewood covering the four personalised Smilers Sheets issued by Royal Mail. These are in production (teething production problems at Royal Mail mean there will be a short delay in shipping these) for those interested in buying a set of four sheets I can supply these at £160 a set of four sheets using our now familiar Ridgewood Publishing Xmas label.


Please drop me an e‐mail reserving your set of four and as soon as I have them to hand I will drop you and e‐mail with my invoice reminder. Price includes Special Delivery shipping. (12/11)

Seasonal Smilers from Bletchley Park Post Office

Bletchley Park Post Office have advised of the availability of a new personalised Christmas Smiler sheet (1st x 20) featuring "Hollywood legend Warwick Davies" who is staring in the Milton Keynes Panto Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. The sheet will be available from early December to coincide with the opening of the Panto and is priced at £50. (12/11)

In addition BPPO have that in conjunction with the Home Front History they are staging a Home Front Christmas event at the Museum of Army Flying, Middle Wallop, and to make this event they are producing a second Christmas Smiler using the 2nd class sheet.

Both sheets are available for purchase from the BPPO website. (13/11)


Margaret Thatcher (1925‐2013)

Adrian Bradbury has issued a new Business Sheet commemorating the life and times of Margaret Thatcher who died earlier this year. The sheet is a history of her life from her early days in politics in the early 50's to her battle to transform Britain into the country it is today. She is the Marmite Icon, you either love her or hate her. The sheet is priced at a competitive £35 and is available to order now for immediate delivery from www.bfdc.co.uk (19/10)

New UniversalMail Strips

UniversalMail have issued two new international postcard stamp strips and these are illustrated below, further details are available at our UniversalMail web page.


The strips are entitled/referenced as follows:∙

UM‐080 ‐ Chatsworth UK0079 08/13∙

UM‐081 ‐ Images of England UK0080 09/13

I have obtained a supply of these new strips and can now offer these from stock at £7 each + £2 p+p each (please specify which ones you require). Please e‐mail me your requirements, limited stocks available. (18/10)


Lunar New Year Generic Sheet

Royal Mail have released images of the Lunar (Chinese) New Year Generic Smilers sheet to be issued on 10 December 2013. This is the third in what looks to be an annual offering from Royal Mail albeit somewhat earlier than the previous two issues and nearly two months before the actual event. Royal Mail have advised that the Generic sheet is being made available earlier than last year to enable the stamps to be used on greeting cards and as gifts which are traditionally exchanged before the actual event date. Next year is the Year of the Horse which is the theme featured on the sheet design. There are also photos of Lunar New Year celebrations taken from five cities around the United Kingdom – Swansea in Wales, Kilmarnock in Scotland, and Manchester, Liverpool and Milton Keynes in England. The sheet also depicts the horse in the key elements of metal, earth, fire, wood and water and contains the traditional ‘firework’ stamp.(09/10)

Future Instant Smilers/Post and Go Update

Further to the update on the STAMPEX Instant Smilers illustrated below. both of which are on available to buy on‐line in our Smilers Store, I was able to pick up some details of future instant Smilers scheduled to be issued over the next few months. The Royal Mail Instant Smilers booth is planned to be at the following events. The availability of new Post and Go issues is also indicated.


Stafford Stamp Show 8‐9 November 2013

o Red White and Blue Smilers/Union Flag with Show Logo

Machine Reel A Reel B A3 Rivers Machin A4 Rivers Robins

o Two Post and Go Machines planned as above o No overprint o Print string ANGB13 A3/4 o Robins may have the MA13 iridescent overprint (old stock availability dependant)

York Stamp Show 17‐18 January 2014

o Red White and Blue Smilers/Union Flag with Show Logo

Machine Reel A Reel B A3 Union Flag Machin A4 Union Flag Machin

o Two Post and Go Machines planned as above o No overprint o Print string A1GB14 A3/4

Other shows planned in 2014 which will host an instant Smilers booth/Post & Go Machines:

o Spring STAMPEX ‐ 19‐22 February 2014 (will have overprinted Post and Go strips) o Salisbury Stamp Show ‐ 14‐15 March 2014 (no overprinted Post and Go strips) o 85th Scottish Congress, Perth ‐ April 2014 o York Stamp Show, 19 July 2014 o PhilaKorea ‐ 7‐12 August 214 (will feature both A8GB14 and A8KR14 versions)

In addition the Post and Go Machines at the BPMA will at some point (as yet unconfirmed) dispense the 2nd class Post and Go pair in strips of six possibly with a MA14 iridescent overprint. (01/10)

Oct-Dec 2013 - smilers-info.comfuture. Let's hope so as this may well produced a different...

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