Old UK Postage Stamps

[2750Papyrus]

I recently needed to buy some tiny screws and found what I needed on E-Bay.  I don't know how often the seller completes a transaction, but the delivery envelope carried the following QEII stamps, all unfranked:-

 

qty 3 - nine penny stamps

qty 1 - six and a halfpenny stamp

qty 2 - nine and a halfpenny stamps

qty 1 - fifteen and a halfpenny stamp

 

I think the halfpenny coin was withdrawn in 1984 but have no idea when the stamps were withdrawn.  Do we have a stamp collector in our ranks who can comment?

 

[Hibelroad]

I imagine the sale of the stamps would have ended around the time the halfpenny was demonetised but all decimal value stamps are still valid for postage. Some people come across/ inherit small hordes of old stamps which they either use or sell at a discount on eBay for other traders to use, this happened to me. 

[Michael Hodgson]

Stamps without a bar code will cease to be valid next year. 

You can exchange them at the post office for valid new ones of the same value though. 

Not sure what they'd do about halfpenny stamps though!

 

These new ones presumaby won't last long however, as they'll want to introduce new ones with the head of HM King.  I expect the bar coded ones with HMQ will remain valid a least for a while.

[kevinlms]

I used to buy a fair bit from Hattons in the 1980s and their parcels always came covered in stamps of all odd amounts - often very low amounts, which explained the quantity. The parcels were coming to Australia.

[Hroth]

Its possible that currently they're still usable, provided the face value adds up to the required postal rate.  This will change in January 2023 when the Royal Mail transitions to the new "bar-coded" stamps, a move which is intended to cut off those who bought quantities of the first and second class self adhesive stamps at a far lower price than what is currently charged for first and second class postage. 

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-60213179

 

 

[RedgateModels]

37 minutes ago, Hroth said:

Its possible that currently they're still usable, provided the face value adds up to the required postal rate.  This will change in January 2023 when the Royal Mail transitions to the new "bar-coded" stamps, a move which is intended to cut off those who bought quantities of the first and second class self adhesive stamps at a far lower price than what is currently charged for first and second class postage. 

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-60213179

 

 

 

and will also stop the reuse of unfranked stamps. We may see then end of stamps being franked at all

[Mark Saunders]

1 hour ago, Hroth said:

Its possible that currently they're still usable, provided the face value adds up to the required postal rate.  This will change in January 2023 when the Royal Mail transitions to the new "bar-coded" stamps, a move which is intended to cut off those who bought quantities of the first and second class self adhesive stamps at a far lower price than what is currently charged for first and second class postage. 

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-60213179

 

 

Wrong any unused will be exchanged for the barcoded ones ! 
 

It’s not like the past these when postage went up and the stamps had face value.

[J. S. Bach]

The US Post  Office issues some stamps classed as "Forever", they are valid as first class (non-international), well, forever. When the rates go up, the stamps are still usable as first class no matter what the rate has increased to.

 

 

Also, when my mother worked in an importer's office in the early 1960s, she would bring me home the stamps (and sometimes the whole envelope) that came in. I have a large quantity of purple UK stamps with the Queen's image although I do not at this time remember what the postage was on them.

[Michael Hodgson]

17 minutes ago, J. S. Bach said:

I have a large quantity of purple UK stamps with the Queen's image although I do not at this time remember what the postage was on them.

Probably 3d (worth just over one new penny).  They would have included the words Postage and Revenue, because you could also use stamps to pay a tax called stamp duty on certain paperwork - cheques and receipts were liable to stamp duty.

[Ozexpatriate]

5 hours ago, J. S. Bach said:

The US Post  Office issues some stamps classed as "Forever", they are valid as first class (non-international), well, forever.

They offer first class international forever stamps too. They are round. The current one is a daisy.

[Hroth]

6 hours ago, Mark Saunders said:

Wrong any unused will be exchanged for the barcoded ones ! 

 

Provided you know that the old ones will not be legal tender (as it were) after some time in January 2023.  Not everyone pays attention to such things, and if you have a stash of stamps you might not go near a Post Office and see info about them....

 

[phil_sutters]

8 hours ago, 2750Papyrus said:

I recently needed to buy some tiny screws and found what I needed on E-Bay.  I don't know how often the seller completes a transaction, but the delivery envelope carried the following QEII stamps, all unfranked:-

 

qty 3 - nine penny stamps

qty 1 - six and a halfpenny stamp

qty 2 - nine and a halfpenny stamps

qty 1 - fifteen and a halfpenny stamp

 

I think the halfpenny coin was withdrawn in 1984 but have no idea when the stamps were withdrawn.  Do we have a stamp collector in our ranks who can comment?

 

From my recollection of my Dad's other, philatelic, hobby, unfranked stamps were not prized by collectors.

[John M Upton]

Point of order, the new stamps do not have a barcode despite what the infinite number of monkeys with an infinite number of typewriters that pass for the media these days tell you., they are QR codes, not a bar in sight.

[Ozexpatriate]

8 hours ago, Michael Hodgson said:

... you could also use stamps to pay a tax called stamp duty on certain paperwork - cheques and receipts were liable to stamp duty

HM's government tried that in the colonies in the 18th century. It didn't go over very well.

[RichardT]

18 hours ago, Michael Hodgson said:

They would have included the words Postage and Revenue, because you could also use stamps to pay a tax called stamp duty on certain paperwork

As a minor point of information, paying tax (or rather, showing that tax had been paid) was actually the *original* purpose of stamps.  They were then re-purposed as a way of paying postage charges, but retained their original use as well.  Hence the uproar about stamps in the American colonies which @Ozexpatriate highlighted above - represented by those seeking independence as “taxation without representation”. (A cynical/revisionist view might be to note that these colonists hadn’t previously objected to “being defended without representation”, but only when asked to help pay for the costs…but that is a completely different thread about how historical tropes are formed in hindsight!)
 

When I worked as an archivist we always had to be aware of philatelists at the shady end of the hobby requesting access to deeds and similar legal documents in the searchroom just so they could cut off any pre-1840s (tax) stamps as they were collectible.

 

RichardT

 

 

Edited September 23, 2022 by RichardT
Adding more irrelevant detail

[Il Grifone]

It has always struck me as weird 1. Why didn't we just give them some seats in parliament (and then just overrule them!) or 2. they didn't want to be taxed to pay part of their defense, but were happy to pay all of it afterwards🤔.

 

IIRC the purple stamps were 3d, something like 30p today, but quite enough to send a letter then.

Edited October 17, 2022 by Il Grifone

[Damo666]

On 22/09/2022 at 13:35, RedgateModels said:

 

and will also stop the reuse of unfranked stamps. We may see then end of stamps being franked at all

Is the QR code for some automatic scanner recording the correct postage, or is the QR code unique for each stamp, so if it's gone through the system it cannot be steamed off and reused. Asking for a friend.

[pharrc20]

I received this leaflet in the post today regarding the non-barcoded stamps. Note it says on the reverse - Please do not try to exchange your stamps at your Post Office branch, as they will not be able to do this. You can only do this directly with Royal Mail.

 

Cheers Paul

[J. S. Bach]

As a point of interest, any non-cancelled US stamp, no matter what its age, is still valid for whatever postage the stamp is for. I could use an 1847 5-cent Franklin if I wanted to (no way) and it would be valid with the additional postage to bring it up to the current rate. I collect first-day and other interesting covers and some sellers use various stamps of many vintages on the outer shipping envelope. Some of those envelopes are more interesting than the enclosed items! 😺 One minor specialty is NUS Naval covers, especially the USS Monaghan.

[RedgateModels]

9 hours ago, Damo666 said:

Is the QR code for some automatic scanner recording the correct postage, or is the QR code unique for each stamp, so if it's gone through the system it cannot be steamed off and reused. Asking for a friend.

 

from https://www.electropages.com/blog/2022/02/royal-mail-switch-digital-twin-stamps

Quote

Each stamp will have a unique code that will not be reused, and these barcodes can incorporate links and messages from the sender (such as a link to a video message or an e-card). Furthermore, the use of digital twin stamps allows Royal Mail to improve security and fight against stamp fraud whereby customers either reuse stamps that haven’t been appropriately marked or use fraudulent stamps not manufactured by Royal Mail.

It's all a bit moot as they'll be out of business by the new year anyway. Wonder if Evri will issue stamps???

Edited October 18, 2022 by RedgateModels

[Michael Hodgson]

Stamps are an obsolescent technology

[Kylestrome]

16 minutes ago, Michael Hodgson said:

Stamps are an obsolescent technology

 

I agree. I hardly ever send anything in the post but when I do, I buy a 'stamp' online and print it, cut it out and glue it on.

 

It's not very exciting to look at though:

 

[teaky]

11 hours ago, Damo666 said:

Is the QR code for some automatic scanner recording the correct postage, or is the QR code unique for each stamp, so if it's gone through the system it cannot be steamed off and reused. Asking for a friend.

Apparently the QR code will "allow people to watch videos and send messages".

 

How long before the first report of "A stamp infected my phone with a virus" ?

 

I don't now the answer to your question but perhaps it will prevent re-use if each stamp has a different message encoded.

[Dunsignalling]

23 minutes ago, Kylestrome said:

 

I agree. I hardly ever send anything in the post but when I do, I buy a 'stamp' online and print it, cut it out and glue it on.

 

It's not very exciting to look at though:

 

Great business strategy, getting the customer to do your work for you!

Just like self service checkouts at the supermarket.

 

John

Edited October 18, 2022 by Dunsignalling

[Hroth]

I'm looking to be free of my current stock of "old stamps" by Christmas.

 

Just wondering, if the next step by Royal Mail will be to do away with 2nd class post, and rebrand 1st class as "Universal" or something equally insulting.