Spain - ATM issue ESPAMER 1996

Three years after the previous issue, as happened with the World Philatelic Exhibition in 1992, Correos y Telégrafos decided to produce a new Klüssendorf commemorative issue for this important philatelic event.

The new issue has many differences compared with the earlier releases. The design shows the logo of the philatelic exhibition on the perforated profile of a blank stamp. The texts ESPAÑA and CORREOS with its logo, and the security microprinting CORREOSCORREOSCOR, are located in the top left corner, using a design idea that began on some of the thermal ATM issues from 1995.

The gummed paper used for this issue is heavier and of a different quality, and for the first time with the Klüssendorf issues in Spain, it has a phosphorescent coating. Also, the numbering on the back of the labels, and the printing system, is different from previous releases. The characteristics of these labels do not match others of the same type manufactured in the same period for other countries. All this leads us to think that the manufacturer is no longer the Dutch Joh. Enschedé, but the Spanish Fábrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre (F.N.M.T.), the contractor for the manufacture of rolls of self adhesive thermal labels in this period, ... or, quite possibly, OVELAR, S.A., the company subcontracted by FNMT, and the true manufacturer of most of the rolls of thermal labels.
Unlike the previous issue (Jacobeo 1993), in which the black colour was printed separately, producing a vertical displacement leading to a very obvious print fault in the design (the pilgrim's staff crossing the eye of the Pelegrín, is an example), in this case all the colours have been printed at different manufacture stages, resulting in vertical and horizontal displacements of varying importance, as shown in detail below. However, because of the type of design of the issue, these displacements are not so obvious.

Note, for example, the blue Y almost touches the black N in AVIACION (left picture), but in the right picture it nearly touches the black E of ESPACIO. Note that the vertical red perforation profile is separated from the blue R of ESPAMER and joined to the black O of ESPACIO in the left picture, but joined the blue R and separated from the black O in the right image. Each colour is printed at different production stages.

Printing varieties

This design was initially issued from May 4th 1996, by the 2 Klüssendorf Stampcenter 631 vending machines (numbers 007 and 014), installed for the ESPAMER (printing 3 digit face values), whilst the Klüssendorf Stampcenter 847 stamp printers were used by the Spanish Philatelic Service (printing 4 digit face values). The total printing was not sold out and it was also possible to obtain this issue from some of the IBM postal kiosks (4 digit face values).

The Philatelic Service did not supply 3-digits ATMs of this design to collectors. Additionally, very few were used in the Klüssendorf Stampcenter 631 vending machines, so the 3-digit printing variety is more scarce and therefore more highly valued.

Depending on the machine or the configuration used, the ATM face value was printed with either 3 or 4 characters. In all instances the impression was mechanical, with black ink, although there are some rare ATMs of this design with 4 characters and the face value printed in lilac-violet. These were issued by the IBM postal kiosk installed in the Bilbao main post office, in 1997.


Variety 3 digits black	Variety 4 digits black	Sub variety 4 digits violet
Klüssendorf StampCenter 631	Klüssendorf StampCenter 847 IBM postal kiosk	IBM postal kiosk

Some ATMs have, on the back of every fifth label, a 4-digit pre-printed control number ranging from 0005 to 2000, which indicates the number of blank labels remaining on the roll within the machine.

Unlike the earlier issues, where this figure appeared in different positions in the centre of the label, in this case the control number is printed on one of the 2 edges of the label, and using a different printing font.

(For more information about the Klüssendorf type ATMs, errors and special printings, see study).

Read complete study - ATM ESPAMER 1996 >>>

Varieties - Values - Sets - ATMs and receipts of the Klüssendorf machines -
ATMs and receipts of the IBM postal kiosks -
Commemorative postmarks in the ESPAMER 96 - The ESPAMER in Spanish philately