Portugal ATMs 2013. 2013, European Year of Citizens

Correios de Portugal devotes, again, two ATM sets, planned for 2013, relating to social subjects. The first one commemorates the European Year of Citizens, and the second, scheduled for September, will be devoted to a particularly interesting theme for topical collecting - the 150th anniversary of the International Red Cross. Let's hope that the design, for a change, will rise to this very important celebration.

The Maastricht Treaty has been in force since 1993 and sets out that any national of a Member State is a citizen of the European Union. European citizenship was created to strengthen and consolidate European identity, and gives important rights to all citizens, such as freedom of movement and residence throughout the European Union.
In 2013, to mark the twentieth anniversary of the Maastricht Treaty, the European Union celebrates the European Year of Citizens, to highlight its role in European construction, making sure that people know their rights as EU citizens, and how to exercise them.

The rolls of self-adhesive labels were printed by offset, and manufactured by the Portuguese company Litho Formas Portuguesa. The rolls are manufactured in two sizes of labels - 55 x 30 mm. to be used in the Amiel, SMD and NewVision Epost vending machines, and 80 x 30 mm. for the very few Crouzet distributors still in service.
The design of the issue is by João Machado. As shown in the right image in detail, the author forgot to include the Portuguese and also the Spanish island regions, like the Balearic and the Canary Islands, on the map of the European Union.
The labels includes 20 black optical scanning bars on the right edge, and a preprinted sequential number on the back of the waxed paper.

The first day of issue for this ATM series was April 1st 2013, coinciding with the start of the new postal rates (see table below). For this reason, most vending machines were out of service, waiting for an update on the scheduled rates.
The 7 new postage values programmed into the Amiel, SMD and NewVision machines are: 0.36, 0.57, 0.60, 0.70 and 0.80 EUR, and CORREIO AZUL 0.50 and 1.90 EUR. However, there are ATMs issued by the Amiel and SMD distributors with other values, either because of a button programming error or changes. There are also NewVision ATMs with yet other values, arising from programming errors in E-Post 2000 machines, or from the large list of possible values available from the E-Post 2000 M distributors (right picture).

The majority of ATM vending machines still in service are fitted with black ink cartridges, although there are a very few that, regularly or temporarily, issues ATMs printed using purple-violet ink cartridges.

		ATMs with the basic values of *Correio Normal* (Normal - priority mail) and Correio Azul (Express post) issued by the AMIEL vending machines, using black printing.

		ATMs with the basic values of *Correio Normal* and Correio Azul issued by the NEWVISION vending machine, black printing.

ATMs with the basic values of Correio Normal and Correio Azul issued by the SMD vending machine, black printing.

The few Crouzet distributors still in service, offer the basic values for domestic normal (0.36 EUR) and express mail (CORREIO AZUL 0.50 EUR, for this issue), just by pressing a button in the main menu. The remaining values, starting from a programmed minimum value (usually the basic domestic postage rate), can be obtained by keying in the amount, or by using the scales and indicating the destination and type of shipment. However, it is possible to obtain ATMs with any face value below the minimum value programmed, when the distributor does not have the right coins for change. In this case, the machine offers the user a stamp. If required, the machine can issue a receipt for the sale, printed on another identical self-adhesive label.


Correio Normal and Correio Azul ATMs sold by a CROUZET distributor, impression in black

Official first day cover with the 5-value set of *Correio Normal* issued by an AMIEL vending machine, and Lisboa commemorative postmark. There are first day postmarks for Lisbon and Porto.

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

,	*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
1.8.2008	0.31	0.55	0.60	0.57	0.67	0.80	0.47	1.85
1.1.2009	0.32	0.54	0.60	0.57	0.68	0.80	0.47	1.85
1.6.2010	0,32	0,53	0,60	0,57	0,68	0,80	0,47	1,85
1.4.2013	0,36	0,57	0,70	0,60	0,70	0,80	0,50	1,90
* This value appeared from 2005, programmed into 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.