Colchester
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Colchester
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Type C1, blue or violet.
Stamps types 1 to 4, envelope type 5, handcut about 45x45mm, charges were quoted as cards 10p until 19th December, 20p thereafter; packets 50p; items out of area £1. Designed and printed by I.F.Trinder in sheets of six (2 rows of three, tete-beche) plus 100 miniature sheets of four of the 10p value, all imperforate. Printing quantities 10p=2,224, 20p=270, 50p=260, £1=250 + 100 proof sets produced on white cartridge paper, & 66 pre-stamped envelopes. The pre-stamped envelopes were also given first day cover status & cancelled 12th December. Miniature sheets of four had "Scout Cycle Delivery" at the top and "Christmas 1990" at the bottom in purple. A first day cover was produced with the set of 4 stamps on a specially printed envelope.
Stamps types 6 to 9, envelope type 10, handcut about 38x4mm (type 6) 65x45mm (types 7/8/9). All values were printed as miniature sheets, type 6 was printed in sheetsof six, the others in sheets of four. All except the 50p value had the lower row of stamps inverted. A first day cover was produced with just the two 10p stamps on a specially printed envelope.
These illustrations are of proof copies of the 10p values, printed on thin matt card.
Stamps types 11 to 16, envelope type 17, 45x37mm (type 14 50x40mm), designed and printed by ? in sheets of ?, all imperforate except for #14 which is a self-adhesive version of #12 (with rounded corners). A first day cover was produced with types 11, 14 & 15 on a specially printed envelope. Miniature sheets of types 11, 13 & 15/16 have the text "Scouts Post 1992" and a scout badge printed at the bottom. It would appear that the "10p" missing variety is an error but the two 50p types 15/16 (different type faces for the value "50p") are positional varieties (all 4 are slightly different).
This illustration is of a proof copy of the basic design, printed on thin shiny card.
Stamps types 18 to 21, envelope type 22, 45x37mm (type 19 50x40mm), designed by James Foster and printed by ? in sheets of ?, all imperforate except for #19 which is a self-adhesive version of #18 (with rounded corners). A first day cover was produced with types 18, 20 & 21 on a specially printed envelope.
Stamps types 23 to 26, envelope types 27 & 27a, 50x40mm (50p 70x70mm), designed by James Mussett (10p & 20p) and M Hibbe (50p). Low values printed by ? in sheets of 16 (4 rows of 4) the top row being inverted giving tete beche pairs with row 2 All self-adhesive with rounded corners except for #26 which is imperforate. Break in top frame of low value design appears consistently on the top three rows throughout the printing. Envelopes differ by the placement of the value on the stamp design. A first day cover was produced with type 23 only on a specially printed envelope.
Type C2, apparently used as a cachet without stamps in 1995.
Type P1 - used on ordinary mail and FDCs in 1991/2.
Types P2 & P3 - used in black on ordinary mail and blue on FDCs in 1993/4.
Types P4 & P5 - used in black on ordinary mail and blue on FDCs in 1993/4.
| Year | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 |
| Start | None | None | None | None | None | None | None | None | . | Dec 12 |
| Carried | None | None | None | None | None | None | None | None | 2,000 | 2,057 |
| Year | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 |
| Start | Dec 10 | Dec 8 | Dec 7 | Dec 6 | . | None | None | None | None | None |
| Carried | . | . | . | . | . | None | None | None | None | None |
As mentioned in the introduction to this catalogue, the dispensation for Charity Posts to charge less than £1 per item only permits the carriage of cards, for which each post sets it’s own rate each year - it is therefore difficult to understand the need for values in Colchester other than the 10p charged for each card posted & the £1 issue for anything else. Obviously the 20p, 30p & 50p values could be used in multiples to cater for the £1 non-card rate, it is therefore left to individual collectors to decide whether these are valid, acceptable issues or not and to include them in / exclude them from their collections at their own discretion.
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