Portugal (2013). ATM issues 'International Committee of the Red Cross - 150 Years of Humanitarian Action'


The second ATM set for 2013, commemorating the 150th anniversary of the International Red Cross, was released in the background of the privatization of the CTT - Correios de Portugal Group. This transaction was approved, in early October, by the Council of Ministers. In December 2013, the Portuguese government sold 70% of the CTT Group in the stock market, for 580 million Euros, which is the fourth largest privatization offering in Portugal since the 2011 bailout.
The Swiss businessman Henri Dunant (right maximum card), travelling through northern Italy during a business trip, witnessed the aftermath of the Battle of Solferino (June 24th 1859), with thousands injured and abandoned to their own devices. Aided by the inhabitants of the nearby villages, they assisted the wounded, regardless of the side that they belonged to.
Three years later, he published his thoughts in the book 'A Memory of Solferino', which inspired the foundation of the Red Cross society. This idea was shared by four members of the Society of Public Utility, in Geneva, and in February 17th 1863 they founded the International Committee of the Red Cross (maximum card below).
The Red Cross is the international humanitarian organization with the largest presence worldwide.

The topic is especially interesting from both the social and philatelic points of view. In 2013, many postal administrations around the world have released philatelic issues devoted to this important anniversary. Many collectors have developed thematic collections on the Red Cross subject. Surely it would have been a great opportunity to promote this type of issues. But Correios de Portugal has spent years minimising the appeal of 'etiquetas de franqueamento' with simple and unattractive designs that in most cases merely reproduce the commemorative logo ... as in this case.
The rolls of self-adhesive labels were printed by offset, and manufactured by the Portuguese company Litho Formas Portuguesa. As usual, the rolls are manufactured in two sizes of labels - 55 x 30 mm. (left image) to be used in the Amiel, SMD and NewVision Epost vending machines, and 80 x 30 mm. for the Crouzet distributors.
The 'design' of the issue is by Ana Rita Matos, and reproduces the Portuguese version of the official anniversary logo.

  Unlike most Portugal ATM issues from the 90s, the design of this series does not include the black optical scanning bars on the right edge.
All the labels include a preprinted sequential number on the back of the waxed paper, indicating the number of stamps issued.

Correios de Portugal scheduled the ATM release to coincide with a change of postal rates, on November 1st 2013 (see table below). Regarding the postage values programmed into the vending machines, this change only affected the first value for domestic mail, which went from 0.36 EUR to 0.40 EUR.
Whilst the updating of tariffs on machines was quite fast, it was still possible to obtain this design from some machines, for the first few days, with the outdated rate 0.36 EUR.

The rest of programmed values ​​did not change. The 7 postage values programmed into the Amiel, SMD (left picture, open machine) and NewVision machines are - 0.40, 0.57, 0.60, 0.70 and 0.80 EUR, and CORREIO AZUL 0.50 and 1.90 EUR.

In recent years, Correios de Portugal has withdrawn many ATM vending machines often due to the closure of the post office where they were installed. In other cases, the post office remained, but the distributor was just removed, or replaced by another machine. Usually, the old Amiel and SMD equipment is replaced by the latest NewVision distributors, although, in some cases, the outside vending machine has been replaced by a Crouzet kiosk, installed inside the post office.
All the ATM vending machines still in service are fitted with black ink cartridges, although it is possible that, temporarily, one machine, 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.

After the change of postage rates, the Crouzet distributors offered the basic values for domestic normal (0.40 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.

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

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 (left image, below). If required, the machine can issue a receipt for the sale, printed on another identical self-adhesive label (right).

Official first day cover with the 4-value set of Correio Normal issued by an CROUZET 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
1.11.2013 0,40 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.

UP HOME PAGE The world
of ATMs
ATM Web - Spain and Latin American Postal Services: http://www.ateeme.net
© J. Jove - ATEEME. Variable value stamps study group. All rights reserved
This page was created in December 2013 and last updated:  11.01.14 . English edition last rewritten by S. Goodman (11.01.2014)