Alternative GB:

Decimal Booklet Covers and Contents

Someone once said "all stamps, and the material they depict are postal history in their own right, or in the case of modern material, they will be will be in the years to come".

The Daddy of them all "The Penny Black". Issued in 1840 -1841. This was the worlds very first adhesive postage stamp. Introduced to Britain by Rowland hill  (Postal Reformer) for his idea of a uniform penny post.

Contrary to pubic opinion Penny Blacks are not as rare as people think. Perkins & Bacon had printed more than a staggering  68 million of them in the space of one year before they were replaced by Penny Reds in 1841.

We can again use the Alternative Method if we look close enough at certain modern issues. These can actually describe Postal History through the nature of the theme and content.

For this theme I am looking at Decimal Definitive Booklets and their covers, issued from April 1981 through to July 1985. The contents of these form a very interesting collection of Machin definitives and the subject of the booklets describe stamps and Philatelic related material that was issued through the ages.

Moving on one hundred and forty years, issue date 06th May 1981, Number one in the series describes the stamp in question.

The Front covers of this Post Office Folding Counter booklet, has a face value of £1.30p.  It  shows a picture and  describes the contents of the booklet. The rear cover relates to some interesting text describing Rowland Hill, the design and short history the Penny Black.

The contents of the booklet are a mixed pane of ten stamps 6 x 14p ( steel blue ) Machin definitives,  with two side 4.5 mm phosphor bands, these covered the first class inland rate up to 60 gr.

Making up the remainder of the pane, joined se-tenant we have the remainder 4 x  11½p ( mushroom ) Machins these covered the second class inland rate up to 60 gr.

The 11½p values have either one 4 mm side band left or 4 mm side band right, . The pane is available affixed to the booklet with either the selvedge affixed to the left 01 or right 01A

02 & 02A: The Downey Head

The first George V stamps ( 1d and 1 ½d ) were issued on 22nd June 1911 which was Coronation day. Although the design of these stamps are attributed to the name Downey, the actual work is also of three other people

Issued on 30 September 1981, this booklet the 2nd in the series has the same contents as the Penny Black booklet described earlier  ( above).

The pane shown right is the alternative ( 01A or  02A ) with the selvedge affixed to the right. For phosphor band alignment and printing details please refer to the information described above.

03 & 03A:

James Chalmers 1782 - 1853

With the increase of postal tariffs this booklet has a new price tag of £1.43p. The front and rear covers describe Postal Historian James Chalmers.

Chalmers was born at Arbroath on 2nd February 1782. He took over the family book selling business in Castle Street, Dundee, Scotland in 1809 on the death of his brother William.

In 1822, James turned his attention to the Post Office improvements and forwarded a suggestions on re-organisation of the delivery service in Dundee.  His proposals led to a saving of one day in each direction for the London to Edinburgh post and for this he was rewarded by the Dundee merchants and councilors.

In 1837, he submitted some examples of gummed labels ( left ) to Robert Wallace, the MP for Greenock. Thus, James Charmers produced the first essays of adhesive postage stamps, which were in fact  the forerunner to the Penny Black.

With the advent of the price rise the contents of this booklet changed. A rise of 1½p to 15½p for the 1st class (up to 60 gr weight ) and a rise of 1p to 12½p for the inland 2nd class ( up to 60 gr. weight ).

The change has produced another a mixed pane of ten stamps 6 x 15½p ( violet ) with two side 4.5 mm phosphor bands,  joined se-tenant to the remaining 4 x  12½p ( light emerald ).