Ireland (Éire). The SOAR issues in 2013



The seventh definitive stamp series - Irish Animals and Marine Life.
SOAR stamps for franking complement

Since 1922, the Irish post has issued a total of 7 definitive stamps sets. The latest was released on September 8th 2010. That year was designated, by the United Nations, as the International Year of Biodiversity, and the set was devoted to showing the wonderful variety of animal life in the country, through some magnificent photographs.

This new definitive series consists of the different annual SOAR series, dealt with in other articles, and also self-adhesive stamps with similar images, adjusted to the new format, for the most common postage values. These were issued in the form of booklets of 10 and coils of 100 stamps, and also from 2013, in sheets of 25 stamps.
The first stamp was issued on June 22nd 2011, in a booklet of 10 self-adhesive stamps for domestic mail. The image features the hermit crab (Pagurus bernhardus), one of the designs that appeared in the first SOAR series dedicated to Irish animals and marine life - 2010 (see article >, also in VARIABLE 18).
Two new 10-stamp booklets were issued on May 1st 2012, one for domestic mail, similar to the previous issue, but with slight variations in the design, (upper right image), and one for international mail with the image of the common frog (Rana temporaria), a stamp that appeared in the second SOAR series dedicated to Irish animals (II) - 2011 (see article >, and in VARIABLE 22).
Two other designs of the first SOAR series, dedicated to Irish animals and marine life (2010), were the red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) and the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), which were also used for the coils of 100 self-adhesive stamps, as well as for domestic mail. The two designs appear alternately within the coils (right image), which were released on September 29th 2011.

Postage rates were modified on April 2nd 2013. An Post produced new self-adhesive stamps of the definitive series, with the most common postage values.
B
elow, the images used on the booklets of 10 stamps for national and international mail which first appeared in the second SOAR series of Irish animals and marine life (2011), the goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) and the beadlet anemone (Actinia equina).

An Post also manufactured coils of 100 stamps for domestic mail, with images of one stamp of the first SOAR animal series (2010), the golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), and one of the second series (2011), the red deer (Cervus elaphus) - right image.

But of particular interest in our field of study are the new stamps with different face values, to be used as franking complements, with the same characteristics and format as the preprinted SOAR editions.

At the time of writing this article (August 2013), An Post has released 3 stamps with face values of ​​0.05 EUR, 0.10 EUR and 1.00 EUR, using 3 pictures of the third SOAR series dedicated to Irish animals and marine life - 2012 (see article >, and in VARIABLE 26). The designs used are the Irish hare (Lepus timidus hibernicus) for the 0.05 EUR value, the spiny seahorse (Hippocampus guttulatus) for the 0.10 EUR stamp, and the kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) on the 1.00 EUR value.
The stamps are printed by offset digital (HP Indigo). On the right, there is the name of the country and the face value, and a block below includes the date of issue (13092, corresponding to April 2nd 2013), and the usual 11-digit code (02501000001), always used in SOAR preprinted releases. The sideways vertical numbering is the same on all these stamps - 1.

The release of this type of stamp will continue into the coming months with new complement values. They are released in sheets of 25 identical stamps, with precutting between the stamps (image below
).




13213, Irish animals and marine life (4th series)

As a continuation of the long series started in 2010, An Post issued, in 2013, the fourth series dedicated to showing, protecting and promoting Ireland's rich biodiversity. The 8 new photographic designs feature different animal species, four of which are native marine life.

The series could be obtained from August 1st 2013 (13213 is the ordinal date, in the format YYDDD - 13 for the year, and 213 the day number of that year, counting January 1st as day 1). On the issuing date, only a few rolls of the new designs were available at the Dublin GPO counters, and were sold out within hours much to the annoyance of collectors and dealers who are not always welcome there. From that date, the new rolls were distributed and used at all post offices across the country equipped with the SOAR (Stamps On A Roll) franking system.

As with the previous series, on the date of issue, it was not available from any Wincor Nixdorf postal kiosk. However, it is expected to be available, eventually, from these machines.

The manufacturer of the rolls of labels is by the Label Art Ltd. company, from designs by Zinc Design Consultants. The labels are sized 56 x 25 mm. and have perforations around the edges. They are manufactured using thermal self-adhesive paper, with three vertical phosphorescent stripes. The 8 designs appear consecutively on the rolls.

The new series has been manufactured in two different formats.
1. Rolls of 600 self-adhesive labels with the pre-printed design, the country name, and incrementing numbers in the lower right corner, to be used for the printing of variable value stamps in post offices equipped with the SOAR system (image below, left).
2. Self-adhesive stamps including, in addition, the pre-printed face value (0.60 EUR), the date, and a code. These are sold by the philatelic service in the form of 2 strips of 4 mint stamps (image below, right), and were also used on the official first day covers (images at the end of the article)
.

Variable rate stamps - ATMs Pre-printed stamps
The Irish marine life stamps feature the cushion star (Asterina gibbosa), the red tube worm (Serpula vermicularis), the European Eel (Anguilla anguilla) and the common seal (Phoca vitulina).
The Irish animals feature the natterjack toad (Epidalea calamita), the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), the great spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) and the black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla).
For this series, the philatelic service prepared a commemorative postmark dedicated to the Great spotted woodpecker, one of the animals depicted in the series (see maximum card).

The upper images show the differences between both types of issues.

- In the first case (left strip), the information printed in the right block is variable. The impression is made using a Epson TM-J7500 thermal printer, and done at the time of purchase, using the rolls of self-adhesive labels. These labels have only the pre-printed design, the word 'Éire', and the sequence number (going from 1 to 600). It is possible to print ATMs with different face values, starting from 0.01 EUR, and shipment types, according to the system options and customer needs. Below the face value, the printer prints the date of purchase, in ordinal format, (13213, first day, on the picture), a unique identifier code for each stamp including the post office, the device, and operation numbers. It is also possible to include text indicating the shipment type.

- In the case of the pre-printed stamps (upper pictures, right), the printing system is offset digital (HP Indigo), and the information in the right block is fixed and identical on all the stamps - The face value (0.60 EUR - current basic rate for domestic mail), the date of issue (13213 - the first day of issue), the usual 11-digit code below (02501000001), and the incrementing numbers going from 1 to 8
.

Official first day covers


Some months after the initial release, the 'Irish animals and marine life (IV)' set could also be obtained from the Wincor Nixdorf postal kiosks in service.
As usual, An Post ordered a reprint of the rolls of labels. The labels have the same format, size, perforation and phosphorescent strips, but the rolls for use in postal kiosks do not include any pre-printed vertical numbering, only the original design and 'Éire' in the upper right corner.
The postal kiosk thermally prints the face value, the date of issue (G211 in the left strips, where G is the year -starting with 2008, the first year of use of the postal kiosks, as A-, and 211 the day number in that year, starting from January 1st as day 1), and the machine code (9802001 in the image).

The set corresponds to the 4 programmed values in the postal kiosks, starting from July 21st 2014.

Therefore, this set can be obtained as three different printing variants, depending on the equipment used for the ATM/stamp imprints.

Pre-printed stamp
Philatelic service
Variable value stamp - ATM
SOAR system - Epson printer
Variable value stamp - ATM
Wincor Nixdorf postal kiosk
- All the information is pre-printed by digital offset
- Fixed face value 0.60 EUR
- Fixed date 13213
- Fixed code 02501000001
- Sideways numbering from 1 to 8 (4 in the image)
- 'Éire' and vertical numbering (156 in the image) pre-printed by offset along with the design
- Other information printed thermally
- Variable face value
- Variable date (13213, first day of issue, in the image)
- Control code for the machine and operation number, different for each stamp (02352502215007 in the image)
- It can include the shipment type (StandardPost, ...)
- Sideways numbering from 1 to 600
- 'Éire' pre-printed by offset along with the design
- Other information printed thermally
- Variable face value
- Variable date (G211 in the image)
- Machine number (9802001 in the image)
- Labels without sideways numbering



13311, Christmas 2013

For the fourth consecutive year, since the introduction of the SOAR (Stamps on a Roll) postage system in 2010, An Post released, in 2013, a new special set of labels for Christmas.

The Christmas 2013 stamp set is made up of one self-adhesive 'traditional' stamp for domestic mail (right image, detail of the first day cover), issued in a booklet, and rolls of self-adhesive labels with 2 different designs, for sale over the Christmas holidays, in post offices.

The first day of issue for all these Christmas stamps was November 7th 2013 (13311 is the ordinal date, in the format YYDDD - 13 for the year, and 311 the day number of that year, counting January 1st as day 1). However, as usual, on the date of issue, the rolls with the new SOAR series were only available from some postal positions of the Dublin main post office.
Public hall of the Dublin main post office, with the access to the philatelic counter and the postal museum

Variable rate stamps - ATMs Pre-printed stamps The labels were designed by Red & Grey Design, and feature a robin and a sprig of holly.
The rolls of labels are manufactured by Label Art Limited on self-adhesive paper. The size of the labels is 56 x 25 mm. and have perforations around the perimeter, and three vertical phosphorescent stripes.

As with the previous Christmas series, this issue has been manufactured in two different formats -
(1) Rolls of 600 self-adhesive labels, with only the two pre-printed designs, appearing alternately. The country's name -Éire- in the upper right corner, and the correlative sideways numbering, for use in post offices equipped with the SOAR system,
(2) Self-adhesive stamps, sold exclusively by the Philatelic Service in the form of strips of two mint stamps. They were also used for first day covers. These stamps also include the face value, date and code, and all were pre-printed by digital offset (HP Indigo)
.

The ATMs (right image and upper, left) can have any face value, and show the actual date of issue (13311 in the images, the first day of issue). The 14-digits code is unique to each stamp and, depending on the option selected by the postal employee, it may also include the shipment type (StandardPost- (image), RegisteredPost, ExpressPost, ...). The rolls have 600 labels, and the pre-printed sideways numbering goes from 1 to 600.

The preprinted stamps (upper image, right) always have the date 13311 (first day of issue). The unique code 02501000001, and the sideways corner numbering is 1 on the stamp with the face value of 0.60 EUR) and 2 where the face value is 0.90 EUR) - these are the current postage rates for domestic and international mail, respectively. In total, 15.000 strips of two stamps were produced.
The special Christmas editions are not used in the Wincor Nixdorf postal kiosks.

The Philatelic service prepared first day covers with the 3 stamps of the Christmas 2013 series - the self-adhesive stamp and the 2 pre-printed SOAR issues.
The first day cover at the right only include 2 ATMs with the current domestic face value (0.60 EUR), issued on the first day (13311)
.



The basic postal tariffs in Ireland (2008 - ...)

Ireland and North Ireland Great Britain Europe Rest of the world
Letter / postcard
Up to 50 g
Letter / postcard
50-100 g
Large envelope
Up to 100 g
Letter / postcard
Up to 50 g
Letter / postcard
50-100 g
Large envelope
Up to 100 g
Letter / postcard
Up to 50 g
Letter / postcard
50-100 g
Large envelope
Up to 100 g
Letter / postcard
Up to 50 g
Letter / postcard
50-100 g
Large envelope
Up to 100 g
3.03.2008
0.55 0.55 0.95 0.82 0.82 1.50 0.82 0.82 1.50 0.82 0.82 1.50
From May 1st 2012
0.55 0.65 0.95 0.82 0.90 1.50 0.82 0.90 1.50 0.82

0.90

1.50

  Ireland and North Ireland Great Britain Europe Rest of the world
Letter / postcard
Up to 100 g
Large envelope
Up to 100 g
Letter / postcard
Up to 100 g
Large envelope
Up to 100 g
Letter / postcard
Up to 100 g
Large envelope
Up to 100 g
Letter / postcard
Up to 100 g
Large envelope
Up to 100 g
2.04.2013 0.60 1.05 0.90 1.65 0.90 1.65 0.90 1.65
21.07.2014 0.60 1.20 1.00 1.95 1.00 1.95 1.00 1.95



2nd. phase.
2008-... The Wincor Nixdorf postal kiosks >>>

2010 - The pilot test and the new ATMs 'Irish Wild flowers' >>>


UP HOME PAGE The world
of ATMs
ATM Web - Spain and Latin American Postal Services: http://www.ateeme.net
© J. Jove - ATEEME. Variable value stamps study group. All rights reserved
This page was created in August 2013
and last updated:  03.10.14 . English edition last rewritten by S. Goodman (3.10.2014)