Royal Mail will be in attendance during the forthcoming World Stamp Show NY2016, to be held between 28 May and 4 June 2016 at the Javits Centre, New York and to mark the occasion they will be issuing a new generic Smilers sheet on the opening day comprising a 20 x DS "Hello" stamp and label format as seen previously with the ubiquitous Hello from Royal Mail strap line! The design was shared at the Trade briefing during STAMPEX week and we had been told was under press embargo by Royal Mail until the 9th April 2016.
That all seems to have gone out of the window with the publication of the 4 April edition of Linn's Stamp News (freely available as a download from Linn's website), the press embargo would seem to have been superseded by Royal Mail as Royal Mail has taken out a full page advertisement announcing the impending arrival of the British and provided full visualization of their proposed new stamp sheet!
For those who also collect Post & Go strips you will be interested to learn that their will be two new collectors strip will also be available from the show and from Tallents House. Strips of the Union Flag and the New York stamp from the Sea Travel issue will carry the overprint “World Stamp Show – NY2016. (22/03)
ANZAC Day Centenary Commemorative Day
Royal Mail will be issuing a new Commemorative Sheet on 25th April 2016 to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the first ANZAC Day held in 2016.
The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) was a First World War army corps of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force that was formed in Egypt in 1915 and operated during the Battle of Gallipoli. General William Birdwood commanded the corps, which comprised troops from the First Australian Imperial Force and 1st New Zealand Expeditionary Force. The corps was disbanded in 1916 following the Allied evacuation of the Gallipoli peninsula and the formation of I Anzac Corps and II Anzac Corps. (21/03)
Jersey Post's New Smilers Sheet
On 15 April 2016 Jersey Post will issue a new generic "smilers" sheet comprising 20 x UK letter Rate NVI stamps and labels commemorating Sir Isaac Newton and The Universal Law of Gravitation. Somewhat of an odd theme with no obvious links to 2016 since Sir Isaac Newton published his mathematical proof of gravity in the year 1687 ‐ 329 years ago! Like the label image ‐ spooky! (20/03)
Each year, at the end of January, the folks from the Shetland Islands celebrate Up Helly Aa ‐ a sort of grand Christmas tree bonfire night with knobs on! Seriously, this is a big cultural event if you happen to live in the Shetlands and signifies the ending of the Yule celebrations in old Norse speak. You might also be interested to learn that for the past 10 years or so the organisers of the event have produced a personalised Smilers event cover (two in 2015) complete with special hand‐stamp in very limited numbers.
This year was no exception with the latest souvenir cover appearing at the end of January 2016. I have tracked down all eleven covers and can now share these with you in a new Up Helly Aa Information Note (www.smilers‐info.com/notes/Up Helly Aa.pdf) that I have produced ‐ click on the link to download a copy which includes some additional information on the event and details of all eleven covers.
I recently managed to buy 3 complete sets of these covers and can now offer 2 sets of 11 covers as illustrated in the information note to the first two buyers for £75 per set including p+p. Please e‐mail if interested in reserving a set for your collection. (20/03)
Benham have released details of a new Business customised Smilers sheet due out in April to commemorate HRH Queen Elizabeth II 90th birthday. The ten stamp label images chronicle her life from early childhood through to the current day and complement the radiant selvedge images. Issued in a numbered limited edition of just 500
Catch the Pigeon 2
Last year Bletchley Park Post Office announced it was shutting up shop and as a consequence we thought we had seen the last of the Bletchley Park Post Office Business customised stamp sheets. John Chapman (one half of the former Bletchley Park Post Office team) contacted me recently and advised that he is planning a second Pigeon Mail stamp sheet to compliment the earlier BPPO sheet issued in November 2013 (BC‐420).
I am advised by John that the new sheets will be available from May 2016. John is selling these at £40 each or £35 ea. for two or more sheets (plus p+p). If interested please contact John Chapman directly. (19/03)
Adrian Bradbury calls time on his Smilers sheets!
After 10 years of producing his colourful range of Business customised stamp sheets, Adrian Bradbury has called time and confirmed that he has stopped producing them. Last year Adrian stated to produce his A4 sized commemorative stamp cards, a cross between a First Day Cover and a Smilers sheet and as a result has confirm that for now at least no further Smilers sheets are planned. A sad day for the Smilers collecting community as Adrian was always enthusiastic and his designs were mini works of art in themselves. We wish him well with his on‐going efforts with his commemorative stamp card series and hope he has a change of art soon. (19/03)
Anglesey Smilers ‐ Souvenir Covers Update
A new Smilers cover has come to my attention courtesy of Martin Husband. Martin is the man behind the Isle of Anglesey Philatelic Bureau as advised in my 3Q15 blog. If you recall I featured a new Themed Smilers sheet based on the Glorious Wales Smilers sheet format depicting Thomas Telford's Menai Suspension Bridge. Recently Martin confirmed that he has produced a limited edition souvenir cover featuring a stamp from this sheet with special postmark dated 1st March 2016.
Covers are available directly from the Anglesey Philatelic Bureau priced £7.00 + p&p and if interested please contact Martin Husband directly by clicking the e‐mail link. (12/03)
Leeds and Peckham's Themed Smilers
If you are reader of the British Philatelic Bulletin you may have spotted an article in Volume 53 No. 2 (October 2015) relating to a Royal Mail's promotion of Personalised Stamp sheets (Smilers) in general and in particular the arrival of Royal Mail's Star Wars personalised stamp sheets. Referenced in this article were the use of this product to promote Clubs and Societies and specifically the Leeds Philatelic Association's 125th Anniversary and the Peckham War Horse Project.
A fellow Smilers nut, Keith Wraight, brought these sheets to my attention and being the sleuth that he is, has tracked down an example of the Leeds Philatelic Associations sheets and, I understand, is in hot pursuit of the Peckham War Horse Project sheets illustrated above (bottom right).
Following the featured article The Leeds Philatelic Association were approached by the Smilers collector community and the Association decided to produce sheets on a on‐demand basis with 15‐20 initially produced by the Society. The sheets were delayed into 2016 due to a late change in logo design and, we understand, they finally surfaced on 2 February 2016. The logo design is a distinctive Maltese Cross flanked by two owls ‐ owls appear on the Leeds Coat‐of ‐Arms.
The Peckham War Hose Project sheets were conceived on the back of a project to re‐create a scene from 1915 in which WW1 war horses and gun carriages were briefly billeted in a street in Peckham. Two sheets are thought to be in production one featuring an image from a 1915 postcard and the other the recreated scene. More information can be obtained from this website. The street scene was re‐enacted and photographed on May 11th 2015 in Lyndhurst Way, SE15. More later if and when Keith manages to track these down ... (21/02)
Route to Victory Specials appear on eBay
Recently spotted on Bay was one of the two "special" Route to Victory business customised stamp sheets produced by Westminster for the Route to Victory cover collection back in 2006. These sheets were never made available to the public and appeared last year from a dubious source close to Royal Mail. Now a small supply has turned up and is being offered by Rushstamps via eBay with two sheets being offered to date via separate auctions. The first sheet made a staggering £310 whilst the second has just been sold for £215. Is this a case of the early bird catching a cold? (12/02)
My Occasions Stamp Sheets from Jersey Post
A set of twelve commemorative stamp sheets from Jersey Post have been released on 10th February incorporating the 12 Special Occasions stamps issued in 2014. There are six different themes used in this series, six at the local letter rate and six using the UK letter rate.
• Happy Birthday; • It's My Party; • Let's Celebrate; • Love; • Wish you were here, and • Thank‐you
The sheet formats and designs are identical to Royal Mail's personalised stamp sheet formats and it is believed that they are produced by the same source ‐ Cartor, France.
Each sheet has a single stamp and label design throughout and although not currently available, the next logical step for Jersey Post would be to make these designs available through a personalised stamp sheet service similar to that offered by Royal Mail. Full details of these sheets is available at the Jersey Post commemorative stamp sheet section of this website.
Whilst personalised stamp sheets have been available in the original Jersey Moments designs from August 2012,the website went "off‐line" in July 2015, due to a software problem. However, just before it went off‐line Jersey Post briefly introduced and then withdrew a new portrait stamp sheet format and I was lucky enough to secure a small number of sheets in a unique format to Jersey Post back in July 2015 before the website crashed. I would like to hear from anybody else who was successful in ordering a sheet in the updated formats at that time. Here is an image of the sheet that I obtained and I have two for sale priced £150 each. Please contact me (graham@smilers‐info.com) if interested.
Here is an extract from the e‐mail I received from Jersey Post at the time:
"Thank you for your email. I must apologies as I did not properly explain the situation with regards to the Jersey Moments website. A flaw in our software momentarily showed the Business Sheets as being available through the website and this was corrected a couple of days after you brought it to our attention. In fact, this product is not available and furthermore, the entire range of personalised stamps will be replaced within the next few months.
What this fundamentally means is that the Business Sheets that you are referring (to) are not available to the general public at this time but, as a gesture of goodwill, we would like to see if we can help you with your requirements as this is a unique situation.
Please could you let me know what quantity of sheets of 10 stamps you would like and if you are able to email over the image you require on the label. Please note that the sheets of stamps featuring the Mont Orgueil stamp are sheets of 10 stamps and the background behind the stamps is plain white. We will be able to email you a visual of the sheet for your confirmation before it is printed."
Subsequently I ordered three sheets as an experiment; hence I now have two for sale. These may be unique, or they may eventually materialise from Jersey Post. I have waited nine months to reveal this sheet, in the expectation that the range of stamp sheets would eventually appear but with the advent of these twelve new personalised stamp sheet designs from Jersey Post I believe now is the right time to share this information with fellow collectors of these sheets. (12/02)
Historiaphil is a French based philatelic dealer that specialises in a distinctive area of philately relating to a variety of themed events including historical, political and aviation related subjects. My interest in this dealer stems from it use of personalised stamps and covers from France, UK and elsewhere. Not exclusively you understand, there are other product lines not involving personalised stamps but a significant number of stamp sheets and covers have been issued over the past 10 years or so which I have only recently discovered and started recording. The most recent pair of stamp sheets and covers appeared on eBay last month and has revived my interest in themed stamp sheets because they are beautifully produced and are clearly the product of a philatelic enthusiast.
Historiaphil is run by husband and wife team Jean‐Luc and Mélissa Staedel and can be found at this website which is available in both French and English. At the website there are images of past and present issues some of which are still available to buy. I have prepared a listing of Historiaphil personalised GB stamp sheets and covers as an aid to stamp sheet collectors and you can download this now by clicking on this link. (06/02)
New Business Smilers from Royal Mail
Readers of the British Philatelic Bulletin (BPB) will already be aware of the feature about two new Business Customised stamp sheets due out in March. Our Willie and The Boons stamp sheets mark the 80th anniversary of the appearance of these two comic strips which first appeared in the Sunday Post in 1936. The sheets are supplied in specially designed
folders which contain the background story to these cartoon characters. The sheets are due for release on 8th March 2016. The BPB bills these as "side‐splitting stamp sheets". I'll let you be the judge of that!
The sheets are produced in conjunction with DC Thompson & Co Ltd. publishers of the comic strips and will be issued in quantities of 10,000 each. Priced competitively at £14.99 each from Royal Mail Tallents House. We can supply a pair of these sheets posted to your address for £40 the pair (inc. 1st class post and packing), £45 Europe, £50 worldwide. If you are interested in purchasing a pair, please e‐mail me with your requirements. (06/02)
Spring Stampex 2016
The Philatelic Traders Society will be releasing another in its series of STAMPEX Smilers sheets at the forthcoming Spring Stampex event to be held at the Business Design Centre, Islington, between 17‐20 February 2016. This year is the 60th Anniversary of STAMPEX and the sheet design is a bold colourful affair cleverly utilising the Happy Birthday stamp from the Royal Mail Business personalised range.
I will be stocking these sheets and can supply these at £25 each incl. p+p. Please e‐mail me with your requirements and I will be happy to post these out to you from the 17th February 2016. (12/01)
Rowland Hill Fund Raiser
In the current edition of the British Philatelic Bulletin there is an article informing its readers of a Penny Black Smilers sheet special offer exclusive to the BPB readers. Royal Mail have produced a limited edition personalised Smilers sheet based on the Penny Black sheet issued last year to raise money for the Rowland Hill Fund, a charity set up in 1882 as a memorial to the great postal reformer, and founder of the modern postal service, Sir Rowland Hill, who retired as Secretary of the Post Office in 1864.
Available as an A5 sized (half sized) stamp sheet of 10 stamps/labels or an A4 sized (full sized) stamp sheet and is offered to readers (maximum 2 half sheets per order) either unsigned or signed priced £25 per half‐sheet (unsigned) or £35 per half‐sheet signed by the CEO of Royal Mail Moira Greene. Apparently, 100 half sheets have been produced with 3 being held back as competition prizes (no details) so there are 97 half sheets available to readers on a first come, first served basis. To order readers are requested to send an e‐mail to: [email protected] with your name and address or call 020 7239 227 for further information and details of how to pay for the sheets. The Roland Hill Fund exists to support and assist needy postal workers and their families. It has close links with Royal Mail with offices based at Mount Pleasant. (12/01)
Westminster Year of the Monkey First Day Covers
For the third year in a row, The Westminster collection are marketing a Chinese New Year business customised Smilers sheets in the form of a First Day Cover mounted on a stiff card backing. This year it is the Year of the Monkey and the sheet design is appropriately themed and available to purchase directly from the Westminster Collection priced £49.95 + p+p.
A souvenir coin cover is also available priced at an extortionate £95.00 p+p. It's a lovely cover, but at that price I am afraid it will remain just that, I for one won't be be buying it at that price and I strongly advocate that the rest of the Smilers community similarly reject this overpriced cover. (12/01)
