If you’ve ever rummaged through a box of old postcards at an antiques fair, you might have noticed not only the quaint images from the 1890s or 1900s, but the extraordinary messages on the back: “Dear Cissie, Elsie and I will come for tea today. Will arrive about 4.30. Yours, …
Read More »Royal Mail investigating barcode stamps after customers hit with fines
Previously traditional stamps were delivered to a sorting office where they were stamped with ink to show they had been used. However the Post Office claims fraudsters were able to wash away the postmark ink and resale used stamps. David Gold, the head of public affairs and policy at Royal …
Read More »Paddington Bear stamps released by Royal Mail for 65th anniversary
25 August 2023, 11:44 Brand new Paddington stamps have been revealed. Picture: Royal Mail Everyone’s favourite bear is going to have their own stamps. Paddington Bear is set to appear on 10 special stamps released by Royal Mail to mark the bear’s 65th anniversary. Paddington made his first appearance in …
Read More »Discworld stamps to mark 40 years of Terry Pratchett books
A new set of stamps has been issued to mark the 40th anniversary of the first book in the fantasy Discworld series. Royal Mail said the eight stamps celebrate Terry Pratchett’s work, featuring characters including Rincewind, The Librarian, Granny Weatherwax, Sam Vimes and Great A’Tuin, as well as specially commissioned …
Read More »Stamp chaos as Royal Mail tells customers trying to swap old for new they are fakes
Royal Mail customers trying to swap old stamps bought from the Post Office for their new digital replacements have been told that they are fakes. As of Tuesday, old stamps issued by Royal Mail were no longer valid and using them means the recipient incurs a £1.10 surcharge. They have …
Read More »It’s an exciting new era – stamp collecting lives on in the digital age
Philately is a rigorous science. It isn’t just stamp collecting – we cover all communication between humans going back to Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. Stamps only came about in 1840, so they’re very recent in terms of the history of humanity. I collect a lot of covers, too – that’s the …
Read More »Royal Mail warns old stamps must make the last collection on Monday July 31 to avoid charges
Royal Mail has warned that letters posted on Monday with an old-style stamp could incur an extra charge if they do not make final collection times. July 31 is the deadline to use stamps without barcodes. From Tuesday, letters posted without barcodes will be treated as having “insufficient postage”, meaning …
Read More »When do old stamps go out of date? Royal Mail deadline and how to swap them
27 July 2023, 13:34 | Updated: 27 July 2023, 13:37 Old-style stamps are being replaced by ones with barcodes. Picture: Alamy/Royal Mail 1st and 2nd Class stamps without a barcode will be invalid from 31st July – here’s how to swap them. Royal Mail is urging customers to use up …
Read More »Prices for second class stamps to be capped amid fears over affordability
The planned cap on stamp prices is the latest blow to Royal Mail, which is trying to shift its focus to parcels as demand for letters continues to decline. Earlier this month, the Government blocked the company’s plans to axe Saturday letter deliveries. The move threatens to drive the price …
Read More »Royal Mail celebrates the 40th anniversary of Warhammer with 10 Special Stamps
Royal Mail today announces the launch of 10 Special Stamps being issued to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the internationally popular miniatures hobby, Warhammer. Six stamps in the main set depict characters from the worlds of Warhammer – Space Marines and Orks from Warhammer 40,000; Stormcast Eternals and Slaves to …
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