Portugal (2008)
ATM issues - National Year of Volunteering in the Fire Service

In more recent times, Correios of Portugal has shown an appreciation of the social causes in its country, and the ATMs, one of the types of stamps used more commonly by the Portuguese, are a magnificent means of showing support for these causes. Therefore, most of the ATM issues, from 2002, are dedicated to subjects close to the hearts of Portuguese society.
For the writer of this article, Portugal is one of the most interesting countries as far as the study and collecting of ATM issues is concerned. From 1981 they have used continuously changing models of ATM distributors, with their corresponding issues. Almost all the Correios post offices are fitted with ATM vending machines, most of them accessible 24/7. In addition there exists dozens of postal kiosks distributed throughout the country.
In short, this is a situation diametrically opposed to some postal administrations which continuously launch thematic ATM issues with purely philatelic aims, although, as will be commented on later on this article, some decisions, by those in charge of the Portuguese philatelic service, are a little difficult to understand.

The first series of ATM issues for 2008, in Portugal, is dedicated to the National Year of Volunteering in the Fire Service (Ano Nacional do Voluntariado nos Bombeiros). A very correct decision in a country which suffered a number of wild forest fires in recent summers.
The first volunteer firefighting association in Portugal was created on September 18th 1868. In 2008 they celebrated its 140th anniversary, and there are 436 volunteer firefighting associations in Portugal, which together mobilise a total of one million two hundred thousand Portuguese citizens. They are responsible for some 80% of the emergency callouts in the country.
The new legal Regime of the Humanitarian Firefighting Associations was published on August 13th 2007 in the official gazette, Diário da República, opening a new chapter in the activities and history of the firefighting associations and their volunteer work.
The Liga dos Bombeiros Portugueses, a confederation founded in 1930 bringing together all the Portuguese firefighting associations and corps, promoted the commemoration, in 2008, of the National Year of Volunteering in the Fire Service.

The rolls of labels were manufactured by the French La poste on self-adhesive paper and printed in offset. As usual, there are 2 different label sizes and designs. One is a smaller self-adhesive label (approx 55 x 30 mm.) to be used in the Amiel, SMD and NewVision Epost automatic vending machines. The other rolls, with larger labels (80 x 30 mm.), are for the Crouzet distributors. For this issue 2 different designs, with pictures of firemen helmets, have been chosen. On both labels is the text Ano Nacional do Voluntariado nos Bombeiros.

In order to prevent and avoid the usual appearance, on the philatelic market, of ATMs with the face value printed in colours different from those specified, Correios sent instructions to all post offices, and those in charge of ATM vending machine maintenance, that from May 30th 2008, the first 'official' day of issue of the new National Year of Volunteering in the Fire Service designs, (and to take advantage of this change of rolls), the purple ink cartridges in the vending machines be removed, so that all the machines in service would print the face value only in black. This also applied to the Philatelic Service.
This is the correct decision that we congratulate and although it is idealistic, it is very difficult to understand, bearing in mind the precedents that exist in this country when it comes to co-ordinating changeovers of rolls and ink cartridges, where some local post offices 'went there own way'. Add to this the fact that, following all the head office directives, Correios had virtually reached the point where all post offices throughout the country were working in harmony with the printing color. Crouzet machines would use black ink and all others would be purple, with just a few small exceptions and these would be rooted out.

The result, as expected, was that on May 30th, the first day of issue, some post offices with Amiel, NewVision or SMD distributors, changed over to the newly issued rolls and the black cartridges, whilst other post offices changed the rolls and kept the purple cartridges, whilst yet many others did neither one nor the other !!. As with previous issues, the change of rolls occur over time following the issue, although it is possible to find a few post offices that seem to continue outside the established rules by continuing to use older designs. As a result, the 2 new designs can be obtained with 8 different printing varieties !
Without a doubt, this is a solution that created a problem ....
To top it all, some NewVision vending machines had had the ink cartridge changed to black some days before the proposed date, so that the previous design, Igualdade de Oportunidades could be obtained with this black printing variety, from May.

With no change in the postal rates, on the date of issue the Amiel, SMD and NewVision machines were programmed with the 5 values of Correio Normal and 2 of Correio Azul, that form the sets. These are 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 (30.05.2008) 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 , which issues the value 0.55 EUR instead of 0.50 (see tariffs), programmed for domestic shipments up to 100 g.

The first design shows a fireman’s helmet, model Gallet F2 X-TREM, manufactured by MSA. This is a light and very sturdy helmet, usually used by the Portuguese firemen in the fight against forest fires.
ATMs with the first values of Correio Normal (Normal - priority mail) and Correio Azul (Express post) issued by the AMIEL vending machine, new 'official' black printing.
ATMs issued by the AMIEL vending machine, special purple printing.
ATMs with the first values of Correio Normal and Correio Azul issued by the NEWVISION vending machine, new 'official' black printing.
ATMs issued by the NEWVISION vending machine, special purple printing.
ATMs with the first values of Correio Normal and Correio Azul issued by the SMD vending machine, new 'official' black printing.
ATMs issued by the SMD vending machine, special purple printing.

Official illustrated first day cover, with the 5-values set of Correio Normal issued by an Amiel vending machine - black printing, and commemorative postmarks

The Crouzet issues are the favourites of most of the ATM collectors in this country. The Crouzet distributors are fast, usually in service, and they issue a receipt on an identical self-adhesive label to that used for the stamp issue. At the same time, they are the older distributors still in service and, unfortunately, they are being replaced, progressively, by new NewVision machines.

The design appearing on the labels for the Crouzet distributors, and also the subject for the commemorative cancellation, is a fireman’s ceremonial helmet. It is a very heavy helmet used only for special occasions. It can be a black color (on the ATM), gilded (like the one on the official first day envelopes - see the upper picture) or even a shiny metallic type (see the front cover of VARIABLE 9).

In this case there were a few variations with the impression of the data on the labels, because most of the Crouzet vending machines were already printing in black, but some exceptions exists ...
Correio Normal and Correio Azul ATMs sold by a distributor CROUZET, impression in black
Receipts of the first day of issue, black printing
Correio Normal and Correio Azul ATMs sold by a distributor CROUZET, impression in purple



NOTE. The maximum cards illustrating this article are realized from a limited series of 4 postcards edited by ATEEME in collaboration with the Bombeiros Voluntários de Paço de Arcos.


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.

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This page was created in June 2nd 2008 and last updated:  07.06.08 . English edition rewritten by S. Goodman (07.06.2008)