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Post and Go Machines were introduced on 8th October 2008 when the first Office - The Galleries , Bristol became operational. The machines allow the weighing of items and production of point of sale Postage Labels which are on self adhesive paper. Two types of Postage Label can be dispensed by the machine - one on a blank base label which is for a specific weighed item and is produced with a 'Post By' printed date. The labels also carry a service indicator such as 'A', '2L', '2LL', '1LL', '1PK', etc and the postage amount paid. The second type is on a preprinted label (an example appears below and was known as a Faststamp) and could have one of five selectable NVI value rates. Strips of up to five labels could be dispensed at once (any combination of values). The Faststamps are not tied to a 'Post By' date. The Point of Sale machines print is produced using a thermal printer :-
In February 2013 a Cyan / Blue coloured Machin Head label was introduced for vending second class rates - 2nd and 2nd Large. These labels had a year code - MA12 in the wavyline 'ROYAL MAIL' text just in front of the Queens forehead. In July 2013 the olive brown Machin Label was issued with the year code MA13 - again just in front of the Queens forehead.
The Year Code format changed in 2016. Starting with the Cyan 2nd Class NVI Label the year code was CL16S. The Olove Brown 1st Class NVI labels didn't appear with a new form Year code until late 2018 with a format R17YAL.
Cyan - for second class tariff rates with year code - 'CLI6S' ~wavyline text now includes '2nd CLASS'
Originally, the text occupied a balanced image area to the left of the Queens portrait. With the introduction of the 'Birds' pictorial Post and Go labels it was necessary to modify the machines software to cater for the new design which occupied a good half of the label. Thus the Point of Sale text had to be compacted and centred on the left hand side. Apparently, this software change could not be carried out remotely and an engineer had to attend site to upgrade each machine. As a consequence, some machines were modified prior to the 'Birds' introduction date of 17th September 2010, resulting in the Machin design label being used with the revised 'compact' point of sale text.
During 2014, new models of Post & Go machines were installed throughout the Post Office network and these replaced existing Wincor kit. The new generation machines are manufactured by NCR. The main features include :-
During late 2016, the NCR Post & Go machines were upgraded to include a third printer. This third printer produced a new style of Open Value label akin to the prevailing Horizon labels. The new style of Open Value labels was larger and they were vended for items over 100g. These labels include a tracking PRN code and this and other information can be extracted by scanning the QR code. The labels have a hidden date code MAI6 which occurs just behind the band of the Queens diadem. The labels don't carry phosphor bands and don't have die cut perforations.
A new type of printer was used to produce the Post & Go labels at the Stampex exhibition in February 2011. This produced the Type II - Compact text albeit with a slightly 'taller' typeface. The second line starting with 'Up to' has the 'U' in uppercase for Type I Text original typeface, whilst the 'u' is lowercase for Type II Text.
The Hytech print used a variant of Type II Text - notice the '20g' elements on the line below 'Europe'; and the code line - the second group has 2 digits (was 1), the third group has 6 digits (was 5) (see table below).
* The Type IIa Text variant produced by RM Series I machines first appeared at Autumn Stampex 2012, however, the Machin label version was not issued until November 2012. The text is broadly the same, however, the code line used an alpha numeric first group (see table below).
** The Type IIb Text variant produced by RM Series II machines first appeared at Spring Stampex 2014 and used a new IAR printer. These had a special 'Stampex 2014' text overprint; those with standard text (as above) were available at Salisbury Stamp Show March 2014. Again, the text is broadly the same, however, the code line changed - the second group is four characters and the third group is reduced to four digits (see table below).
The four code blocks produced as the bottom line on the label start with the Branch Office code number.
5-6 Princes Mall, Waverly Bridge
These have consisted of six different designs per issue (four different designs for some Christmas issues - two for second Class and two for first class). The reason for having six relates to the printing cylinder circumference which was set for eighteen images per column. Since the Wincor Post and Go machines have an automatic cut set at a maximum of five it means continuous strips of the six different designs cannot be obtained (the Exhibition machines at the Royal Mail stand at Stampex, etc do vend strips of six). The Wincor machines were modified when the Worldwide 40g tariff rate was introduced giving 'collectors' strips consisting of two strips of three.
Robin (as Birds I) with year code - 'MAI2'
Robin (as Birds I) with year code - 'MAI3'
When the Pictorial Label Faststamps have been exhausted the standard Machin or Union Flag version will be vended from the Post and Go Machines.
Freshwater III (Rivers)