The ATMs / Variable value stamps in ANDORRA (2)
(Spanish Post)

  • Introduction
  • ATM "Principat d'Andorra"
    		•
  • Paper varieties
  • The errors
    		•
  • Postal rates in Andorra
  • Spanish Post Offices
    		•

    Paper varieties

    During the years that the Green mountains design has been in use, the 5 different thermal paper have been produced. The first three by OVELAR, S.A. and the last two by RCM-FNMT. This has created a series of ATMs with 5 varieties of paper:
    Paper type 1 Paper type 2 Paper type 3
    Manufacture: February 1996 March 2000 October 2001
    Printer: OVELAR, S.A. OVELAR, S.A. OVELAR, S.A.
    Size: 47 x 27 mm. 47 x 27 mm. 47 x 27 mm.
    1st. date of issue: September 1996 2000 2002
    Printing: 2.280.000 1.216.000 1.216.000
    Paper: Thermal adhesive no phosphorescent Thermal adhesive phosphorescent Thermal adhesive phosphorescent
    Characteristics: - Dull colours
    - Wavy side with points
    - Central cut    		 - Shining colours
    - Wavy side with points
    - Central cut    		 - Mat colours
    - Wavy side with points
    - Central cut
     
     
    Paper type 4 Paper type 5  
    Manufacture: May 2003 December 2005  
    Printer: R.C.M. - F.N.M.T. R.C.M. - F.N.M.T.  
    Size: 47 x 26,5 mm. 47 x 26,5 mm.  
    1st. date of issue: 2004 March 2006  
    Printing: 1.459.200 1.459.200  
    Paper: Thermal adhesive phosphorescent Thermal adhesive phosphorescent  
    Characteristics: - Pale colours
    - Smooth wavy side
    - Cut displaced to the left
    More information ...    		 - Shining colours
    - Wavy side
    - Cut displaced to the left
    - Postal emblem (type C) printed with invisible ink
    More information ...    		  

    These 5 types of paper have been used (not always in sequence) in the 5 post offices in Andorra equipped with franking scales, but it is not possible to establish the exact dates or period of use for each post office.
    Paper type 4

    The 4th paper, manufactured in 2003 and used in post offices from 2004, is probably the paper with the most recognizable differences. It's possible to identify it easily by the smooth wavy sides, the central 'C' score displaced to the left, the pale colours -especially the yellow- or the very dull paper (when held up to the light).

    The adhesive labels of this 4th printing, manufactured by the RCM-FNMT, show a cyclical manufacturing error in that the design moves downwards a little on each label and jumps to the starting point after each 21 labels.
    The image shows the 2 extreme positions: In the 1st, the height of the white lower band is 6 mm, and 8,50 mm. in the 2nd one.

    This peculiar cyclical error, every 21 labels, is more obvious when there are small ink spots or printing errors in different zones of the design, as showed in the image at the right.
    These small errors take place at the moment of the impression, by offset, because of the presence of small particles of dirt. They vary from a roll to another one and even within a roll they can appear, disappear or even modify themselves.

    More information ...

    Paper type 5

    The new printing was also manufactured by RCM-FNMT and shows many differences from the previous one (paper type 4), like the shining colours or the wavy side.

    The new paper includes, as additional security measures, the printing of the Correos postal emblem (type C) with invisible ink, in the white lower area.
    This mark and also the different characteristics in the upper phosphorescent layer can be seen easily with an UV lamp.
    More information ... (Sorry, no English translation available at the moment)
    Paper 4 (left) - Paper 5 (right)

    The rolls of this new reprinting were manufactured in December 2005, but were used in balances from the end of March 2006. During the first weeks they used both these rolls and the last rolls of previous paper type 4.


    The errors

    The errors in the ATMs come, either from the paper used by the machine, or from the face value printing process.
    Paper error.
    ATM detail with a misalignment in the printing colours, when the label was manufactured.

    In the case of the thermal ATMs, perhaps the most common error is the printing of the face value and machine number at the bottom part of the label, with a horizontal or vertical displacement in thermal printing, due to a misalignment of the machine.

     

    Adjust label "not adjusted"
    Machine 0800


    Detail
    At other times it is the traction mechanism that fails and it produces labels or stamps with the thermal printing concentrated in a narrow zone, as for these two adjust labels.
    Detail

    Curious initialization strip from balance 6086 with different errors
    More information about the errors in the thermal ATMs, visit this page.
  • Introduction
  • ATM "Principat d'Andorra"
    		•
  • Paper varieties
  • The errors
    		•
  • Postal rates in Andorra
  • Spanish Post Offices
    		•
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    © J. Jove - M. Sans. ATEEME. Variable value stamps study group. All rights reserved
    This page was created in 2000 and last updated :  04.04.06 . English edition rewrited by S. Goodman (03.04.06)