As in 2022, the Correos philatelic service has planned to release ten new variable value stamps throughout 2023, or ‘etiquetas franqueadoras ATM’ (ATM franking labels) as they refer to these stamps. These include two ‘definitive’ designs, which will be followed by issues on the occasion of major domestic (EXFILNA and JUVENIA in Teruel, and the National Stamp Fair in Madrid) and international (Taipei 2023) stamp events. In addition, the service has planned to set up temporary stands at two major festive events, the Feria de Abril in Sevilla and the La Mercè festivities in Barcelona, with the release of special issues of variable value stamps.
The two ‘definitive’ designs are the only ones that can be obtained at the IAR philatelic kiosk (code ES01 printed on the stamps) throughout the year, except for the brief occasions when the machine is moved or used for special issues. In 2023, these designs are dedicated to the International Day of Peace and Non-Violence, with a simple but symbolic design, featuring the map of the world in the shape of the dove of peace, and to the ATM ‘Tourism’ issue, as a tribute to the long series of earlier ATM issues, precursors of the current releases.
“The School Day of Non-violence and Peace”, also known as World or International Day of Non-violence and Peace, was proposed in 1964 by the Mallorcan educator Llorenç Vidal Vidal. This day of reflection is celebrated annually in schools around the world on January 30th, a date chosen to commemorate the death of Mahatma Gandhi in 1948.
From 1992 and over a period of 15 years, Correos has issued 132 label designs for the printing of variable value stamps. Underappreciated by many stamp collectors, this type of stamp was used extensively in all post offices for the franking of correspondence. Detailed information about all the issues is available on our previous website.
For this tribute, the philatelic service chose the 2001 ‘Tourism‘ special issue (see article), whose design was also used eleven years later for two ‘traditional’ stamps.
The rolls of 1,500 thermal self-adhesive labels were manufactured by Cartor Security Printers in the UK. The size of the label is 55 x 25 mm., with perforations around the edges. The labels come fixed on a yellow silicone coated release liner and are digitally printed with a gloss varnish finish, with the area to the left in white for the printing of the stamp’s data.
All the labels are numbered on the back of the release liner for inventory control.
Both designs were available from January 30th 2023 from the ES01 kiosk, coinciding with the date of the “School Day for Non-Violence and Peace”. Since April 2022, this kiosk has been installed, in the lobby of the Correos post office in Conde de Peñalver street, in Madrid, next to the ‘Clara Campoamor’ building, the Correos corporate headquarters (see article, published in VARIABLE 65).
All the stamps printed with both designs from the philatelic kiosk at this location include the permanent ‘Madrid Clara Campoamor‘ imprint in two lines under the face value indicator.
Below, the sets or ‘Tiras de 4 Tarifas’ with the four values programmed in the kiosk with the corresponding receipts, printed on the first day of issue.
Correos philatelic service has produced two commemorative covers and two special postmarks for these issues.
Individual orders to the philatelic service and the stamps contained in the annual presentation packs, are printed from the philatelic service back-office computer system, with the same wording but with the general MDCC code.
Besides the different code, the two machines, operating with different software and fitted with different direct thermal printers, produce a similar but not identical printing.
ES01 philatelic kiosk
Computer system – Code MDCC
First day covers with the two ATM variants, and the two special postmarks together with the ‘ATM Punto Filatélico – Madrid Clara Campoamor’ first day date stamp
(English edition rewritten by J. Gareze – March 2024)
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