IRELAND ATMs. The SOAR issues in 2012

2012. Changes in postal rates

After several years without change in the most common postage rates, on May 1st 2012, An Post increased all the prices for postal items weighing more than 50 g, as well as all the postage rates for domestic express mail and international items.

This change was also reflected in the 4 pre-programmed 'Buy stamps' option values in the Wincor Nixdorf postal kiosks, which are also used as a reference for the basic collector values set.
Following its introduction, the kiosks were programmed with two postage rates for domestic mail, 0.55 and 0.95 EUR - for letters up to 100g. and maximum sizes C4 and C5, respectively, and two for international mail, 0.82 and 1.50 EUR, for items weighing up to 100g. and maximum size C4 and C5 (image below, left). After changing these postal rates, the new 4 pre-programmed values are 0.55 - 0.65 - 0.82 - 0.90 EUR, corresponding to the current rates of domestic and international mail for standard letters and postcards up to 50g., and from 50 to 100 g., respectively (image below, left and list with the basic postage rates >).

12222, Irish animals and marine life (III)

As a continuation of the series started in 2010, An Post issued, in 2012, the third set of new definitives dedicated to showing, protecting and promoting Ireland's rich biodiversity. The 8 new photographic designs feature different animal species living in the country.

The series could be obtained from August 9th 2012(12222 is the ordinal date, in the format YYDDD - 12 for the year, and 222 the day number of that year, counting January 1st as day 1). From that date, the new series was used at all post offices across the country equipped with the SOAR (Stamps On A Roll) franking system, but on the date of issue, it was not available from any Wincor Nixdorf postal kiosk. However, it is expected to be available, eventually, from these machines.

As with previous releases, the manufacturer of the rolls of labels is the Label Art Ltd. company, from designs by Zinc Design Consultants. The labels are sized 56 x 25 mm. and have perforations around the edges. They are manufactured using thermal self-adhesive paper, with three vertical phosphorescent stripes, each approximately 13 x 2 mm. The 8 designs appear consecutively on the rolls.
Again, 2 types of rolls have been produced for this edition.
1. Rolls of 600 self-adhesive labels with just the pre-printed design, the country name, and incrementing numbers in the corners, to be used for the printing of variable value stamps in post offices equipped with the SOAR system (image below, left).
2. Rolls of self-adhesive stamps including, in addition, the pre-printed face value (0.55 EUR), the date, and a special code. These are sold by the Philatelic Service in the form of 2 strips of 4 mint stamps (image below, right), and were also used on the official first day covers.

Variable rate stamps - ATMs	Pre-printed stamps
		The third series of Irish animals and marine life includes the fireworks anemone (Pachycerianthus multiplicatus), spiny seahorse (Hippocampus guttulatus), green crab (Carcinus maenas), pike (Esox lucius), smooth newt (Lissotriton vulgaris), Irish hare (Lepus timidus hibernicus), raft spider (Dolomedes fimbriatus) and kestrel (Falco tinnunculus).
		Also in this series, the designs in both types of editions are identical, although they are printed in reverse order in the rolls - as can be seen in the images. For this series, the philatelic service prepared a commemorative postmark dedicated to Irish hare, one of the animals depicted in the series.

The upper images show the differences between both types of issues.

- In the first case (left strip), the information printed in the right block is variable. The impression is made using a Epson TM-J7500 thermal printer, and done at the time of purchase, using the rolls of self-adhesive labels. These labels have only the pre-printed word, 'Éire' and the sequential vertical number (going from 1 to 600). It is possible to print ATMs with different face values, starting from 0.01 EUR, according to the system options and customer needs. Below the face value, the printer prints the date of purchase, in ordinal format, (12222, first day, on the picture), a unique identifier code for each stamp including the post office, the device, and operation numbers. It is also possible to include a text indicating the shipment type (StandardPost in the right image).

- In the case of the pre-printed stamps (upper pictures, right), the printing system is offset digital (HP Indigo), and the information in the right block is fixed and identical on all the stamps - The face value (0.55 EUR - current basic rate for domestic mail), the date of issue (12222 - the first day of issue), the usual 11-digit code below (02501000001), and the increasing numbers going from 1 to 8.

Official first day covers

The 2 first day covers include the 8 pre-printed stamps and 8 ATMs with the same face value, issued on the first day (12222)

	The 'Irish animals and marine life (III)' set could also be obtained, from early November2012, from those Wincor Nixdorf postal kiosks in service. To that end, An Post ordered a reprint of the rolls of label. The labels have the same format, size, perforation and phosphorescent strips, but the rolls for use in postal kiosks do not include any pre-printed vertical numbering, only the design and 'Éire' in the upper right corner. The postal kiosk thermally prints the face value (0.55 EUR in the left strip of stamps), the date of issue (E313, where E is the year -starting with 2008, the first year of use of postal kiosks, as A-, and 313 the day number in that year, counting from January 1st as day 1), and the machine code (9825001 in the image). Therefore,this set can be obtained as three different printing variants, depending on the equipment used for the stamp imprints.

	Detail of the Wincor Nixdorf postal kiosk, with the screen showing the four main postage rates programmed

Pre-printed stamp Philatelic service	Variable value stamp - ATM SOAR system - Epson printer	Variable value stamp - ATM Wincor Nixdorf postal kiosk

- All the information is pre-printed by digital offset - Fixed face value 0.55 EUR - Fixed date 12222 - Fixed code 02501000001 - Sideways numbering from 1 to 8	- 'Éire' and vertical numbering pre-printed by offset along with the design - Other information printed thermally - Variable face value - Variable date (12222 in the image) - Control code for the machine and operation number, different to each stamp (2350270941036 in the image) - It can include the shipment type (StandardPost, ...) - Sideways numbering from 1 to 600	- 'Éire' pre-printed by offset along with the design - Other information printed thermally - Variable face value - Variable date (E313 in the image) - Machine number (9825001 in the image) - Labels without sideways numbering

12313, Christmas 2012

For the third time, since the introduction of the SOAR (Stamps on a Roll) postage system in 2010, An Post decided to release a new special set of labels for Christmas.
As before, the Christmas 2012 stamp set is made up of 3 issues - one self-adhesive 'traditional' stamp for domestic mail (see first day cover below), issued in a booklet, and rolls of self-adhesive labels with 2 different designs, to be used over the Christmas holidays in post offices. The first day of issue for all these Christmas stamps was November 8th 2012 (12313 is the ordinal date, in the format YYDDD - 12 for the year, and 313 the day number of that year, counting January 1st as day 1).

Rolls of self-adhesive labels were produced, with only the pre-printed design, 'Éire', and the sideways numbering, for use in post offices equipped with the SOAR system, along with self-adhesive stamps, sold by the Philatelic Service in the form of strips of 2 mint stamps. They were also for first day covers, which include the face value, date and code, and all were pre-printed by digital offset (HP Indigo).

The ATMs (right image and below, left) can have any face value, depending on user needs, and show the actual date of issue (12313 in the images, the first day of issue). The code is unique for each stamp and, depending on the option selected by the postal employee, it may also include the shipment type (StandardPost- image, RegisteredPost, ExpressPost, ...). The pre-printed sideways numbering goes from 1 to 600.

The preprinted stamps (image below, right) always have the date 12313 (first day of issue), with the unique code 02501000001, and the sideways corner numbering is 1 on the stamp with the face value of 0.55 EUR) and 2 where the face value of 0.82 EUR).
The special Christmas editions are not used in the Wincor Nixdorf postal kiosks.

Variable rate stamps - ATMs	Pre-printed stamps	The rolls of labels are manufactured by Label Art Limited on thermal self-adhesive paper. The size of the labels is 56 x 25mm., have perforations around the perimeter, and three vertical phosphorescent stripes.

The two new issues are designed by Zinc Design Consultants, and reproduce details of paintings of biblical scenes. The first motif, which appears on the 0.55 EUR pre-printed stamp, is a detail of The Adoration of the Shepherds (1670s), a painting by Italian artist Girolamo Troppa, currently exhibited at the National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin. The 0.82 EUR stamp is illustrated with a detail of The Adoration of the Magi, a work by the Flemish painter Jan Brueghel the Elder, painted in 1598, and now in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, in Vienna (right maximum card).

The Philatelic service prepared first day covers with the 3 stamps of the Christmas 2012 series - the self-adhesive stamp and the 2 pre-printed SOAR issues. The first day cover at the right also include 2 ATMs issued on the first day (12313).