Delta Stamps Fact File No. 3
     

Self Adhesive Definitive Counter Sheet Printings

 

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De La Rue (Dunstable) ATN self adhesive definitive sheet printings
(issued 17th February 2009)

Revised Machin definitive counter sheets were issued on 17th February 2009 featuring new security devices. These sheets were printed on self adhesive paper and came in a new sheet size of 50 (similar to recent Christmas issues). The stamps have additional security features including :-

These features are intended to make it more difficult to photocopy / scan stamps and also to prevent reuse of stamps.

As a result of these changes, the layouts of the counter sheet have been redesigned to cater for the use of self adhesive paper - the details are as follows :-

Standard sized self adhesive definitive sheets

Primary Sheet of 300 (6x50)

Primary Sheet size 300 (6x50(2x25(5x5)))

Upper Pane Sheet Markings :-

Upper Panes [50 stamps (2x25)] : A - Left; B - Centre; C - Right
Top Panel Colour Imprint Row 3/1
  Barcode Row 2/5; printed in black
  Stock Code Row 3/5; printed in colour of stamp
     
Bottom Panel Cylinders Row 9/1
  Cyl Pane Id Box Row 10/1; Spot upper left, centre or right
  Date / SSN Row 8/5 - 9/5
     

Lower Pane Sheet Markings :-

Lower Panes [50 stamps (2x25)] : D - Left; E - Centre; F - Right
Top Panel Colour Imprint Row 3/1
  Barcode Row 2/5; printed in black
  Stock Code Row 3/5; printed in colour of stamp
     
Bottom Panel Cylinders Row 9/1
  Cyl Pane Id Box Row 10/1; Spot lower left, centre or right
  Date / SSN Row 8/5 - 9/5
     

Standard sized cylinder pane identification box for primary sheet giving 6 combinations :-

A pane - Upper left
B pane - Upper centre
C pane - Upper right
D pane - Lower left
E pane - Lower centre
F pane - Lower right

When the counter sheet size was changed from 50 to 25 (basically just guillotining the primary sheet into smaller units) the identification box size doubled to give 12 (4x3) combinations.


NVI Large sized self adhesive definitive sheets
~ including both RECORDED SIGNED FOR (RSF) NVI values

Primary Sheet of 200 (4x50)

Primary Sheet size 200 (4x50(2x25(5x5)))

Upper Pane Sheet Markings :-

Upper Panes [50 stamps (2x25)] : A - Left; B - Right
Top Panel Colour Imprint Row 3/1
  Barcode Row 2/5; printed in black
  Stock Code Row 3/5; printed in colour of stamp
     
Bottom Panel Cylinders Row 9/1
  Cyl Pane Id Box Row 10/1; Spot upper left or right
  Date / SSN Row 8/5 - 9/5
     

Lower Pane Sheet Markings :-

Lower Panes [50 stamps (2x25)] : C - Left; D - Right
Top Panel Colour Imprint Row 3/1
  Barcode Row 2/5; printed in black
  Stock Code Row 3/5; printed in colour of stamp
     
Bottom Panel Cylinders Row 9/1
  Cyl Pane Id Box Row 10/1; Spot lower left or right
  Date / SSN Row 8/5 - 9/5
     

Large NVI cylinder pane identification box for primary sheet giving 4 combinations :-

A pane - Upper left
B pane - Upper right
C pane - Lower left
D pane - Lower right

In the case of counter sheet sizes of 25 (basically just guillotining the primary sheet of 200 into smaller units) the identification box size doubled to give 8 (4x2) combinations.


NVI Large sized self adhesive SPECIAL DELIVERY definitive sheets

The Special Delivery ('SD') stamps issued on 26th October 2010 are from primary sheets of 400, however, the positions of the sheet markings have be revised. The stamps themselves have the hidden year code 'MAIO' as part of the iridescent layer and this appears in front of the Queen's forehead.

Counter sheets are of 25 stamps and sheet markings appear to have been standardised for each panel of 25 with a new eight compartment cylinder panel identification grid box. Previously, the 'Large' format stamps had been cut into counter sheets of 50 and had a cylinder pane identification grid box of four - the sheet being made up of two panels of 25. The new counter sheet markings are as follows :-

Counter Sheet Markings of 25 (first version) :-

Pane of 25 stamps.
  Barcode Row 1/5
  Colour Imprint Row 2/1
  Stock Code Row 2/5
  Date Row 3/5; Ink jet
  Cylinders Row 4/1
  SSN Row 4/5; Ink jet
  Cyl Pane Id. Grid Box Row 5/1; eight/twelve compartment box

Counter Sheet Markings of 25 (revised FSC version) :-

Pane of 25 stamps.
  FSC Logo; C020244 Row 1/1
  Barcode Row 1/5; printed in black
  cerf Row 2/1
  Stock Code Row 2/5; self coloured
  Colour Imprint Row 3/1
  Date Row 3/5; Ink jet
  Cylinders Row 4/1
  SSN Row 4/5; Ink jet
  Cyl Pane Id. Grid Box Row 5/1; twelve compartment box


Low Value Make Up Rates and New Rates - 2011

The low value definitives were reissued on self adhesive paper on 8th March 2011. These were for the 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p and 20p values and the counter sheet size was 25 (similar to the 'SD' NVI values, however, the Barcodes are printed in black). Interestingly, the iridescent overprint was not printed on these low values but they do have the four 'U' shaped die cuts within the design area. Another interesting feature is that the 2p, 5p and 20p values are printed on a common / shared primary sheet meaning there are only 4 cylinder grid positions per value (the other 8 grid positions are shaded out) instead of the 12 that will exist for the 1p and 10p values.

Subsequent to this, all denominated values from April 2011 were self adhesive printings issued in counter sheets of 25 and with the iridescent 'ROYAL MAIL' overprint.


De La Rue (Gateshead) - 2013

From early 2013, De La Rue relocated their printing facility from Dunstable upto Gateshead. The ATN printing press was moved and continued to be used with no change being made to the prevailing sheet format, however, for a short period the numbering unit was non operational meaning the early sheet printings from Gateshead did not carry the printing date and sheet serial number.


Self Adhesive Counter Sheets - New Self Adhesive Paper (early 2017)

As an additional security measure, a new Self Adhesive paper substrate was introduced in early 2017 (Booklets and Business Sheets had been using a version since early 2016). This has the wavyline 'ROYAL MAIL' text printed on the carrier paper so that it appears where the paper matrix has been stripped away. Counter sheets only appear in the second form of this feature, that is alternating two rows of upright text - one large; one small and then two rows of inverted text - one large; one small. The change dates to the week commencing 27th February 2017. A handful of printings with the year code M17L occur on both old and new Self Adhesive papers. These are £1.17, £1.40, £1.57, £2.27 £2.55 and 2nd NVI.

Further to this, the revised (upright / inverted) 'ROYAL MAIL' text in the Self Adhesive paper substrate can yield variants depending on how the paper was reeled. This has happened with the counter sheet £1.17 value. The second printing in March 2017 (printing date 03/03/17, which was the first printing with the new substrate) was issued with the paper direction that was different from the Walsall 100x2nd Business Sheets (as this was the first usage its classified - Type I). Subsequently, a third printing of the £1.17 occurred in April 2017 (printing date 07/04/17). This has a different paper direction - and is in fact the same as the first Walsall 100x2nd Business Sheets (Type I).

Type II (printing date 03/03/17)
Type I (printing date 07/04/17)
large
ROYAL MAIL
upr
small
ROYAL MAIL
upr
large
ROYAL MAIL
inv
small
ROYAL MAIL
inv
small
ROYAL MAIL
upr
large
ROYAL MAIL
upr
small
ROYAL MAIL
inv
large
ROYAL MAIL
inv



Summary of Self Adhesive sheet printings with additional security features :-

  Value Cyls
Counter Sheet
Primary
Barcode
Printer Process
Issued 17th February 2009
50p Grey D1 D1 ph D1
50
300
101729
De La Rue Gravure
  £1 Ruby D1 D1 ph D1
50
300
101736
   
  £1.50 D1 D1 ph D1
50
300
124636
   
  £2 D1 D1 ph D1
50
300
124643
   
  £3 D1 D1 ph D1
50
300
124650
   
  £5 D1 D1 ph D1
50
300
124667
   
 
2nd NVI D1 D1 ph D1
50
300
101767
De La Rue Gravure
  1st NVI D1 D1 ph D1
50
300
103594
   
       
 
     
  2nd NVI Large D1 D1 ph D1
50
200
121154
De La Rue Gravure
  1st NVI Large D1 D1 ph D1
50
200
121147
   
       
 
     
Two Colour printings; Issued 17th November 2009
  1st NVI RSF D1 D1 D1 ph D1
50
200
126098
De La Rue Gravure
  1st NVI Large RSF D1 D1 D1 ph D1
50
200
126104
   
       
 
     
Two Colour printings; Issued 26th October 2010
  SD upto 100g NVI D1 D1 D1 ph D1
25
200
127927
De La Rue Gravure
  SD upto 500g NVI D1 D1 D1 ph D1
25
200
127934
   
       
 
     
Issued 8th March 2011 [these five values DO NOT have the iridescent overprint]
  1p D1 ph D1
25
300
130200
De La Rue Gravure
  2p D1 ph D1
25
300 *
130217
   
  5p D1 ph D1
25
300 *
130224
   
  10p D1 ph D1
25
300
130231
   
  20p D1 ph D1
25
300 *
130248
   
* The 2p, 5p and 20p values come from a common / shared primary sheet.
Issued 29th March 2011
  68p D1 D1 ph D1
25
300
130262
De La Rue Gravure
  76p D1 D1 ph D1
25
300 *
130279
   
  £1.10 D1 D1 ph D1
25
300 *
130286
   
  £1.65 D1 D1 ph D1
25
300 *
130293
   
* The 76p, £1.10 and £1.65 values come from a common / shared primary sheet.
Issued 6th February 2012 [FSC logo and code C 020244 is now included (rows 6/1-7/1)]
  1st Diamond Blue D1 D1 ph D1
50
300
103594*
De La Rue Gravure
  1st L Diamond Blue D1 D1 ph D1
50
200
121147
   
* The 1st Diamond Blue has the same Barcode as the Gold version , however, the value tablet has been repositioned; the stock code is different and the colour imprint is Diamond Blue. The wavyline text pattern is 'DIAMOND JUBILEE' and is reversed out of the iridescent layer.
Issued from March 2012 onwards
~~ [FSC logo and code C 020244 (rows 1/1 - 2/1) ; Colour Imprint row 3/1]
  1p D2 D1 ph D1
25
300
130200
De La Rue Gravure
  2p D2 D1 ph D1
25
300
130217
   
  5p D2 D1 ph D1
25
300
130224
   
  10p D2 D1 ph D1
25
300
130231
   
  20p D2 D1 ph D1
25
300
130248
   
  50p Slate Grey D1 D1 ph D1
25
300
101729
   
 
76p
D2 D1 ph D1
25
300
130279
   
  78p D1 D1 ph D1
25
300
136790
   
  81p D1 D1 ph D1
25
300
138374
   
  87p D1 D1 ph D1
25
300
133485
   
  88p D1 D1 ph D1
25
300
136776
   
  97p D1 D1 ph D1
25
300
138367
   
  £1 Wood Brown D1 D1 ph D1
25
300
101736
   
  £1.05 D1 D1 ph D1
25
300
141923
   
  £1.17 D1 D1 ph D1
25
300
144146
   
  £1.28 D1 D1 ph D1
25
300
133492
   
  £1.33 D1 D1 ph D1
25
300
140438
   
  £1.40 D1 D1 ph D1
25
300
144153
   
  £1.47 D1 D1 ph D1
25
300
138381
   
  £1.52 D1 D1 ph D1
25
300
140445
   
  £1.57 D1 D1 ph D1
25
300
144160
   
  £1.88 D1 D1 ph D1
25
300
136783
   
  £1.90 D1 D1 ph D1
25
300
133508
   
  £2 D1 D1 ph D1
25
300
124643
   
  £2.15 D1 D1 ph D1
25
300
138398
   
  £2.25 D1 D1 ph D1
25
300
140452
   
  £2.27 D1 D1 ph D1
25
300
144177
   
  £2.45 D1 D1 ph D1
25
300
140469
   
  £2.55 D1 D1 ph D1
25
300
144184
   
  £3.15 D1 D1 ph D1
25
300
140476
   
  £3.30 D1 D1 ph D1
25
300
140483
   
Issued 3rd January 2013 [FSC logo and code C 020244 is included (rows 6/1-7/1)]
  1st Royal Mail Red D1 D1 ph D1
50
300
103594
De La Rue Gravure
  1st L Royal Mail Red D1 D1 ph D1
50
200
121147
   
Two Colour printings; Issued 27th March 2013 [FSC logo and code C 020244 is included (rows 6/1-7/1)]
  1st NVI RMSF D1 D1 D1 ph D1
50
200
126098
De La Rue Gravure
  1st NVI Large RMSF D1 D1 D1 ph D1
50
200
126104
   
Issued 9th September 2015 [FSC logo and code C 020244 is included (rows 6/1-7/1)]
  1st Amethyst Purple D1 D1 ph D1
50
300
140575
De La Rue Gravure
With the 1st Amethyst Purple, the value tablet has been repositioned; the stock code is NVIF LTR and the colour imprint is Amethyst Purple. The wavyline text pattern is 'LONG TO REIGN OVER US' and is reversed out of the iridescent layer.

Note 1 : In the case of single colour printings the second cylinder prints the wavyline 'ROYAL MAIL' iridescent overprint text. The 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p and 20p values from ink cylinder D1 did not have the iridescent overprint.

Note 2 : The Barcode (and FSC info) is printed in black but the cylinder was not engraved with a cylinder number (The SD values have the Barcode printed in blue).


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© Delta Stamps 2009