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Post by smauggie on Aug 19, 2017 3:14:43 GMT
Terry Pratchett was a prolific author who wrote many books which took place in the same fantasy world called Discworld, which was a flat world supported on the backs of four giant elephants which all stood on the back of a giant space turtle. Because it is a flat world, the water of the seas continually fall off the edge.  On this world there is one major city, called Ankh-Morpork where many of the stories occur. One of his books was about a criminal genius who is caught, and then pressed into service (as an alternative to execution) as the city's postmaster. The book is called Going Postal. Later on the book was made into a movie and as a result real postage stamps for this fantasy postal system had to be created. For those fans of Pratchett's genius of comedy and satire, you can still acquire these stamps, as I did earlier this month. I will feature a few, but I thought I would start out with one of the high denomination stamps from the city of Ankh-Morpork which features the likeness of it's chief constable. The printer's name on the sheet selvage is actually the name of the company in his book that prints the stamps, not the actual printer of these stamps. The stamps are on comparable paper to that of modern US commemorative stamps (water activated) and is perforated and gummed just like them as well (though you can see a few blind perfs in my sheet). 
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guyana1230
Member 
Posts: 373 
What I collect: GUYANA, Surinam, British Commonwealth, Aland, Denmark Finland, Iceland, Japan, Norway, Sweden, USA, Scout Posts, Cinderellas
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Post by guyana1230 on Apr 6, 2020 16:03:47 GMT
Just got these today  |
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anglobob
Member
Posts: 2,603
What I collect: France and French Colonies,French cinderellas British Commonwealth QE2
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Post by anglobob on Apr 6, 2020 16:26:31 GMT
Hello...am more curious about the postage label,as I havent seen one like this here.It says postage paid but there is no value indicated.
Anglobob
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philatelia
Member
Captain Jack - my best kiloware find ever!
Posts: 3,655
What I collect: Ireland, Japan, Scandy, USA, Venezuela, Vatican, Bermuda, Austria
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Post by philatelia on Apr 6, 2020 17:38:42 GMT
Awwwww LOVE these!! One of my fav books ever - going postal! Ummmm pins anyone?
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khj
Member
Posts: 1,524
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Post by khj on Apr 6, 2020 18:27:04 GMT
Hello...am more curious about the postage label,as I havent seen one like this here.It says postage paid but there is no value indicated. Anglobob It is the Royal Mail 24™ PPI label rate, which has minimum piece/volume requirements and the rate will depend on type/weight of mailing. The actual value is not printed, because you have to have an account and the cost of the mailing gets added to a total expenditure. For more details, see what is currently called Royal Mail Tracked 24. |
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anglobob
Member
Posts: 2,603
What I collect: France and French Colonies,French cinderellas British Commonwealth QE2
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Post by anglobob on Apr 6, 2020 19:28:48 GMT
khj....many thanks for the info and the link.
Another nail in the coffin for using stamps on mail........
Anglobob
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cjoprey
Member
Scanning stamps for my website...
Posts: 1,504
What I collect: Belgium (predominantly), British Commonwealth (older ones), WW (whatever comes my way...)
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Post by cjoprey on Apr 6, 2020 19:32:12 GMT
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cjoprey
Member
Scanning stamps for my website...
Posts: 1,504
What I collect: Belgium (predominantly), British Commonwealth (older ones), WW (whatever comes my way...)
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Post by cjoprey on Apr 6, 2020 19:37:00 GMT
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Post by daniel on Jun 27, 2020 20:22:46 GMT
The Discworld stamps started with the publication of Terry Pratchett's Going Postal in 2004. They are a rare example of Cinderellas providing a living for those that produced them. One of the reasons for this is the issue of limited quantities of deliberate variations/errors, known as 'sports'. The stamps are available in Little Brown Envelopes, (LBEs) as shown above, containing a random selection of stamps or you can buy individual stamps or sheets. You cannot order the individual sports. There is a regular set of definitives including the $1 Tower of Art (the original university building) and a penny black. shown here:  Scan_20200627 by Daniel, on Flickr If you look closely at the green Tower of Art stamps, the middle one is the regular issue, the first one features a falling man replacing the bird, middle right, and the third shows the splash of the man falling into the water below. In this case you could not order the Tower of Art sheets. So, it is necessary to buy multiple LBEs if you want to stand a chance of getting sports. At the beginning there were multiple methods for perforating the stamps before using Enschede in The Netherlands to produce them. The last one is a rare Red Nose version produced for charity. In the examples above, the penny black features Lord Vetinari the ruler (dictator) of Ankh Morpork, the principal city-state on the Discworld. The fourth one along is another sport depicting a greying Vetinari. I have many rarities and proof items which I will show here for the first time. |
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Post by daniel on Jun 27, 2020 20:45:28 GMT
The definitives change each year. Here is a sample print produced for design approval for a later year with a final normal version along side a rare pair of sports.  Scan_20200627 (2) by Daniel, on Flickr |
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Post by daniel on Jun 27, 2020 21:14:49 GMT
Here are a couple more examples. Yet another version of The Tower of Art stamp issued for a later year, it is a rare imperforate version consisting of 3 sports along side one of the normal versions. Then we have a Sto Lat (another Disworld city-state named after a Polish song and ruled by Queen Kelirehenna) with 4 colour trials:  Scan_20200627 (4) by Daniel, on Flickr |
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Post by daniel on Jun 27, 2020 22:24:05 GMT
A small variety here. The Wincanton stamp produced for publicity purposes, the crinkle cut smaller version is rare. At least 2 items were produced for Stanley Gibbons. This item with an explanatory label was produced as a limited series of 300 for inclusion in a special edition of their magazine. Finally, a cover was produced for the East Knoyle Community Shop, shown on piece, and the green version of the Vetinari stamp was produced only to be stuck on the cover. Mint versions are very rare.  Scan_20200627 (5) by Daniel, on Flickr |
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Post by daniel on Jun 27, 2020 22:32:17 GMT
Am extremely rare test sheet showing multiple sports, not generally available. See if you can spot the differences, sorry no prizes   Scan_20200627 (6) by Daniel, on Flickr |
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cjoprey
Member
Scanning stamps for my website...
Posts: 1,504
What I collect: Belgium (predominantly), British Commonwealth (older ones), WW (whatever comes my way...)
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Post by cjoprey on Jun 28, 2020 9:40:04 GMT
Seriously envious of your collection daniel! Thanks for sharing all of these with us. |
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brightonpete
Departed
Rest in Peace
On a hike at Goodrich-Loomis
Posts: 5,110
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Post by brightonpete on Jun 28, 2020 11:50:22 GMT
I surfed to their site & asked them if they had a one click purchase option of everything, or at least groupings of their stamps. But no, one has to click on everything you want.
I have an aversion to too much clicking, so I passed on buying any.
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Post by daniel on Jun 28, 2020 12:54:40 GMT
Thanks. It is possible to subscribe to the LBEs. Catching up can be difficult, we are currently in the 17th year of Discworld stamps. Also. one might argue that the examples that I have shown, and will continue to show, are from the earlier golden era.
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Post by daniel on Jun 28, 2020 13:12:54 GMT
This item was given to those who had donated stamps for a charity, only about 52 were issued as this certificate. The stamp may be difficult to see but it features Lord Vetinari's shield.  Scan_20200628 by Daniel, on Flickr |
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Post by daniel on Jun 28, 2020 13:27:35 GMT
From time to time prize tickets were available in the LBEs for limited edition stamps. Here is one example:  Scan_20200628 (2) by Daniel, on Flickr |
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Post by daniel on Jun 28, 2020 13:38:57 GMT
An example of a genuine error, imperforate inbetween pair of Tower of Art stamps, and a deliberate extra perforations stamp!  Scan_20200628 (3) by Daniel, on Flickr |
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Post by daniel on Jun 28, 2020 16:41:00 GMT
Here are 2 interesting covers. The first is a very early Discworld stamp cover given free with the purchase of Going Postal from branches of Waterstones, UK booksellers. The second is the other Stanley Gibbons item with the Stanley Gibbons stamp produced by the makers of the Discworld stamps.  Scan_20200628 (4) by Daniel, on Flickr |
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Post by daniel on Jun 28, 2020 16:49:06 GMT
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Post by daniel on Jun 28, 2020 17:03:44 GMT
Many covers were produced by the Wincanton shop with the early ones containing a host of authentic looking supporting documents. Shown over 3 posts.  Scan_20200628 (6) by Daniel, on Flickr |
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Post by daniel on Jun 28, 2020 17:07:37 GMT
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Post by daniel on Jun 28, 2020 17:10:58 GMT
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Post by daniel on Jun 28, 2020 18:00:54 GMT
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Post by daniel on Jun 28, 2020 18:19:27 GMT
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Post by daniel on Jun 28, 2020 18:44:06 GMT
On the Discworld the Clax was a semaphore communication network. This stamp was supposedly only available on cover so the mint version is rare.  Scan_20200628 (13) by Daniel, on Flickr |
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cjoprey
Member
Scanning stamps for my website...
Posts: 1,504
What I collect: Belgium (predominantly), British Commonwealth (older ones), WW (whatever comes my way...)
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Post by cjoprey on Jun 28, 2020 20:23:36 GMT
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cjoprey
Member
Scanning stamps for my website...
Posts: 1,504
What I collect: Belgium (predominantly), British Commonwealth (older ones), WW (whatever comes my way...)
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Post by cjoprey on Jun 28, 2020 20:24:28 GMT
(I may just have bought every single stamp still available on Discworld Emporium that I didn't already have... Oops...)
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Post by daniel on Sept 1, 2020 22:10:36 GMT
Thanks cjoprey , I've been a member of their forum since 2006. Many of the rarities that I've shown won't be listed since they are not generally available. I'll continue with my rarities at some point. To honour Triangle Stamps as per Beryllium Guy here are a few examples of Discworld triangular high values, $5 which are not available to buy. You have to buy the Little Brown Envelopes and hope to get one randomly inserted. These are relatively rare in themselves but there is always a sport (one with a deliberate difference) which is exceptionally rare. Some of these have sold on the secondary market for £1,000 in the past. Sadly, I've never had one of those but here are a few examples showing Ankh Morpork City Gates. Hubward's Gate 2010, Least Gate 2012 and a relatively rare joined pair depicting the River Gate from 2013:  Scan_20200901 by Daniel, on Flickr |
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