Spain - ATM issue BARCELONA 92

The third Klüssendorf issue was dedicated to the Olympic Games - BARCELONA 92.
The design is similar to the 2 previous issues, with the official logo in the upper left hand corner, and the distinctive symbols of the Organismo Autónomo Correos y Telégrafos (Spanish posts) in the lower area.

The official emblem of the XXV Olympic Games was a design of Josep Maria Trias, of Barcelona.
It shows a dynamic figure that suggests an athlete jumping an obstacle - the 5 Olympic rings. This figure is characterized by simple but recognizable outlines, and the colours are used as important symbols. The head is blue - the Mediterranean; the opened arms, in yellow, a sign of hospitality and dynamism - suggesting the sun and the light, whilst the legs are in red. Yellow and red are present in the Barcelona, Catalunya and Spain flags.

Printing varieties

This ATM design was issued from July 28th 1992 by the 2 Klüssendorf Stampcenter 631 automatic vending machines (numbers 011 and 012) installed in the lobby of the Barcelona main post office.
These 2 self-service machines had previously been in service in the Granada World Philatelic Exhibition, and later transferred to Barcelona.

On the following day, July 29th, the World Olympic Philatelic Exhibition- OLYMPHILEX 92 was opened. In the exhibition there where 2 Klüssendorf Stampcenter 847 stamp printers (numbers 1 and 11), used solely by Correos postal employees.
The 2 StampCenter 631 distributors installed in Barcelona continued issuing this design over the following 3 years.
All these machines issued ATMs with a 3 digit face value.

It was possible to obtain this ATM issue by placing an order at the Madrid Philatelic Service, which sold ATMs with 3 and, from March 23rd 1993, also with 4 digits.

When the Philatelic Service was deciding which values should be used for the sets, they took into consideration the postal rates that were current in 1992 - the year when the issue was designed, not the values in use in 1993. This has special significance for ATMs with 4 digits. These were due for issue from March 1993, but sets exists with the 1992 value and four digits. Sets with the 1993 values are both scarce and expensive.

Depending on the machine used and the configuration of the StampCenter 847, the face value of the ATMs could be printed with 3 or 4 digits. In all cases the impression was mechanical, with black ink.


Variety 3 digits black	Variety 4 digits black
Klüssendorf StampCenter 631 Klüssendorf StampCenter 847	Klüssendorf StampCenter 847

Some rolls of ATMs have a 4-digit preprinted control number on the back of every 5th stamp, which indicated the number of blank labels remaining in the machine.
(For more information about the Klüssendorf type ATMs, errors and special printings, see study).

Read complete study
Printing varieties - Values - Sets - The receipts of the Klüssendorf 631 vending machines in Barcelona - The OLYMPHILEX '92 and the commemorative postmarks - The ANY MIRO perforation - ... and more ...