Portugal (2007)
ATM issues  2007 — European Year of Equal Opportunities for All

In a recent survey, most Europeans think that ethnic origin, religion, disability, age, sex or sexual orientation of a person, can present a serious obstacle to getting a job, even when they have equal qualifications. So, it is not unexpected that from July 2003 up to the end of 2007 the European Union developed the campaign For diversity, against discrimination, and 2007 has been declared the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All.
During 2007 all the member countries of the EU, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, produced different diverging campaigns and activities to raise people’s awareness of their right to enjoy equal opportunities, without discrimination - for everybody.

Correios of Portugal is especially sensitive to these social causes, as they have demonstrated with the subjects chosen for the recent ATM issues - AIDS, children at risk ... (‘recycling’ is planned for 2008), whilst the second ATM series of 2007 is dedicated to commemorating the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All.
Other European postal administrations (Spain, Italy, Luxembourg, ...) also have launched philatelic issues and/or postmarks related to this subject.
The Year's logo shows 3 figures in different colors, between which is the European flag, and which symbolizes the diversity of the peoples in Europe.
Two versions in different colors have been prepared, so that each government or organisation could use the one that they consider most suitable for its campaigns, although the majority have decided to use the version with the combination of colors that appears in the ATM issues.


The self-adhesive labels for the new ATM issues have a similar design, with the logo and the text '2007 Ano Europeu da Igualdade de Oportunidades para Todos’.
As usual, one of the labels is smaller (54 x 30 mm.), for use in the Amiel, SMD and NewVision Epost automatic vending machines, and the other (80 x 30 mm.), is for the Crouzet equipment.
As on previous occasions, the rolls of labels have been made by the French La Poste on self-adhesive paper and the impression is in offset.

The new issue could be obtained officially from the 9th October 2007, the same day as the celebration of World Post Day, and coinciding with the launch of Meu selo, the Portuguese version of the Spanish Tu sello, the personalized stamps that are having so much success in Spain and other countries.

Only some of the vending machines in the main Portuguese cities issued the new design on the first day of issue. The change of rolls is gradual over the following weeks. In Lisbon, for example, few collectors toured from post office to post office, from distributor to distributor, looking for the new design, for the machines with good printings and, of course, the usual (and expected) design errors in their manufacture (small spots and/or displacement of colors, variations of tone, etc) that entertain so much... but contribute so little to a serious study.

On the date of issue the Amiel, SMD and NewVision machines were programmed with 5 values of Correio Normal and 2 of Correio Azul, that form the sets: 0.30, 0.50, 0.52, 0.61 and 0.75 EUR and CORREIO AZUL 0.45 and 1.85 EUR. 
  Sets Correio Normal Correio Azul
Issue (9.10.2007) 0.30 - 0.50 - 0.52 - 0.61 - 0.75 0.45 - 1.85
0.30 - 0.55 - 0.52 - 0.61 - 0.75 *

* Some machines have the second button programmed for domestic shipments up to 100 g, which issues the value 0.55 EUR instead of 0.50. See tariffs


ATMs with the first values of Correio Normal (Normal - priority mail) and Correio Azul (Express post) issued by the AMIEL vending machine, blue/violet printing.
ATMs with the first values of Correio Normal and Correio Azul issued by the NEWVISION vending machine.
ATMs with the first values of Correio Normal and Correio Azul issued by the NEWVISION vending machine, black printing (from May 2008 - read article>).
ATMs with the first values of Correio Normal and Correio Azul issued by the SMD vending machine, blue/violet printing.
ATMs with the first values of Correio Normal and Correio Azul issued by the SMD vending machine, extremely rare BLACK printing.


For the Crouzet machines, the sets are composed of the basic franking values at the date of issue: 0.30, (0.50), 0.52, 0.61 and 0.75 EUR and CORREIO AZUL 0.45 and 1.85 EUR.

The values 0.30 EUR and CORREIO AZUL 0.45 EUR can be obtained directly from the vending machine. The rest of the values can be obtained using the scales and selecting the destination for the shipment, or keying the amount, starting with a minimum value of 0.45 EUR.
There are a few machines where it is possible to obtain directly the Correio Normal and Correio Azul ATMs with lower values. In all cases, it is possible to obtain lower values than the minimum programmed when the equipment does not have enough coins for change.
Correio Normal and Correio Azul ATMs sold by a distributor CROUZET, impression in BLACK
Receipts of the first day of issue

Most of Crouzet distributors issue the ATMs with the printed face value in black ink, with the exception of a few machines that use cartridges with blue-violet ink.
Correio Normal and Correio Azul ATMs sold by a distributor CROUZET, impression in BLUE/VIOLET


Official First Day Cover, with the set of Correio Normal issued by a NewVision distributor, with the commemorative postmark


All people in the European Union are entitled to equal treatment, irrespective of their sex, race or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation.


Postal rates programmed in the ATM vending machines Amiel, NewVision and SMD (EUR)

, Correio normal Correio Azul
Change of postal rates Domestic,
up to 20 g.
normalized		 Domestic,
up to
100 g.		 Spain,
up to 20 g. 		Europe,
except Spain,
up to 20 g. 		Rest of the world,
up to 20 g. 		Domestic,
up to 20 g.
normalized		 International
up to 20 g.
1.1.2002 0.27 0.45 0.46 0.54 0.70 0.43 1.75
1.1.2003 0.30 0.46 0.47 0.55 0.70 0.43 1.75
  Domestic,
up to 20 g.
normalized		 Domestic,
from 20 to 50 g.
normalized		 Domestic,
up to
100 g. *		 Spain,
up to 20 g.		 Europe,
except Spain,
up to 20 g. 		Rest of the world,
up to 20 g.		 Domestic,
up to 20 g.
normalized		 International
up to 20 g.
1.1.2004 0.30 0.45 0.48 0.48 0.56 0.72 0.45 1.75
1.1.2005 0.30 0.46 0.49 0.48 0.57 0.74 0.45 1.75
1.5.2006 0.30 0.48 0.50 0.52 0.60 0.75 0.45 1.80
1.1.2007 0.30 0.50 0.55 0.52 0.61 0.75 0.45 1.85
* This value appears from 2005 programmed in some of the Amiel, NewVision and SMD ATM vending machines, instead of the value of Domestic Correio normal (inland normal mail) between 20 and 50 g.

UP HOME PAGE The world
of ATMs
ATM Web - Spain and Latin American Postal Services: http://www.ateeme.net
© J. Jove - M. Sans. ATEEME. Variable value stamps study group. All rights reserved
This page was created in October 10th, 2007 and last updated:  05.06.08 . English edition rewritten by S. Goodman (15.10.07)