| Republic of China (Taiwan) - 2007 |
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In a new step towards the confirmation of a national identity and the removal of the Chinese references in the state-owned companies, the Taiwan postal administration, in February 2007, adopted the new name of Taiwan Post Co. (see the logo - right), replacing the old one of Chunghwa Post (translated literally as Chinese postal service) that was used from 2003.
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In October 2004 (Read article - Spanish version only), all the Nagler and VarioSyST automatic vending machines installed in Taiwan were switched off, and this was repeated between the 3rd and 5th of March 2007. One of the main reasons for this disconnection seems to have been the use of counterfeit coins, that the machines were not able to recognize.
| The new Innovision vending machines |
As a result of these new problems, the Taiwan Post Co. decided to leave the old machines out of service and to acquire 15 new automatic vending machines from the Innovision company, and these came into service 6 months later, on September 3rd 2007.
| As with the previous models, the new Innovision machines work only with coins. Using the LCD screen and the keypad, the user enters the value(s) of variable value stamp(s) (ATMs) required between NT$5 and NT$99. It is also possible to obtain stamps of NT$1 to NT$4, called residual values, which can be issued by the distributor as change for a transaction. The Innovision machines use the same type of rolls of labels that the Nagler and VarioSyST distributors and the ink impression on the ATMs is also mechanical. They do not issue any type of receipt. |
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Innovision vending machine installed in Rocupex 2007
Photo: T. von Loeper |
The 15 new machines have the serial numbers 076 to 090 (you may recall that the VarioSyST 503 distributors, were numbered between 001 and 030, whilst the VarioSyST 503a, were numbered between 046 and 075).
The control number (089 in the picture) is printed in the right upper corner at the moment the ATM is issued – just like the VarioSyST distributors, although it is possible to see many differences in the impression, such as the 5-pointed asterisk after the face value (the VarioSyST ATMs have an 8-point asterisk), the different printing font, or a larger space between the control number and the face value.
At the moment of cutting off and issuing the ATM, the Innovision machines leaves a small cutting mark in the center of the stamp’s lower edge. |
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ATM issued by an
Innovision vending machine |
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ATM issued by a
Nagler vending machine |
ATM issued by a
VarioSyST 503 vending machine |
ATM issued by a
VarioSyST 503a vending machine |
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On the date of the first day in service, September 3rd 2007, 14 of the 15 new distributors issued ATMs of the Black Bear -2nd period- design, first issued from 2005. All the machines print in black, except one of them (number 084) that printed onto the ATMs in blue/violet.
The machine number 077 had a roll of the earlier design, Chinese painting, issued temporarily in August 2005, on the occasion of the philatelic Exhibition Taipei 2005. |
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The new annual event of the national philatelic exhibition, ROCUPEX, was held in the city of Tainan, at the Southeast of Taiwan, from September 21st to 26th 2007.
As in the previous Rocupex, the Taiwan Post Co. prepared a new commemorative overprinting on the basic ‘Formosa Black Bear’ ATM design.
| The overprinting in Chinese characters in the left upper corner of the labels, in blue, shows the text "In commemoration of the National Philatelic Exhibition of the year 96 of the Republic of China". |
The Republic of China or Taiwan was formed in 1911, for that reason 2007 is year 96 in the local calendar.
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| Strict control of the issue is ensured as follows. Along with a 7 digit control number that is printed on the back of every label of this design, there is, preprinted on the back of every 5th |
| label, a number showing the quantity of labels remaining on the roll, and the number of the distributor (as printed in the front upper right corner on all the ATMs). On this occasion they have added a fourth control code (!!!) preprinted in red in the center of the labels which consists of 6 characters - 2 letters of the western alphabet and 4 numbers. |
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The Rocupex '07 ATM issue could be only obtained from the 4 Innovision vending machines, (077, 081, 082 and 088), specially installed in the exhibition.
And surprise, surprise !!, 2 of the distributors (077 and 081) printed the ATM text in black ink, whilst the other 2 (082 and 088) had been fitted with a red ink cartridge.
If that was not enough, on September 23rd the red ink cartridges of the 2 machines was removed, and in their place they installed (wait for it…… !) new ink cartridges to print in ... ¡¡¡ pink-magenta !!!
3 different color impressions and one ATM issue that was definitively sold out on the fourth day of the exhibition ... |
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| Photo: T. von Loeper |
| The Taiwan Post Co. sold a limited edition of souvenir packs, during the exhibition, including ATMs with the basic franking values, which together make up the set. |
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| First day cover posted to Spain, red printing ATM. |
Thus we see a new chapter of the ‘soap opera’ perpetrated in Taiwan over recent years with this type of issues, and which only serves to discredit (and discourage ?), even further, the collecting of ATMs from this country, internationally.
Maybe it is better to put these behinds us ??
| On November 24th 2007, on the occasion of the presentation of a new publication by the Postal Automation Philately Society (Automated Philately Journal 2007), Taiwan Post Co. installed 2 ATM vending machines with numbers 078 and 079. |
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To stimulate maximum interest in the ATM issue, the ink cartridges were in this case green !
... and available for just one day. |
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Three months after the closing of Rocupex '07, a new national philatelic exhibition opened its doors, in the Taipei Postal Museum.
Taipei 2007 was held from December 26th to 30th 2007, and again the Taiwan Post Co. prepared a special commemorative overprinting on the basic Formosa Black Bear ATM design. |
| The new blue overprinting, more concise than the previous ones, reproduces the text "2007 Taipei Stamp Exhibition" in Chinese characters in the left upper corner of the labels. |
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In total they prepared 240,000 labels - 120 rolls of 2,000 labels. Collectors could obtain them from December 26th from the 4 Innovision distributors (numbers 077, 079, 081 and 082), installed temporarily in the exhibition, and the rest of the vending machines (up to a total of 15 *) installed permanently in different post offices around the country.
* (Sanchong Jhongsahn Rd., Sinjhuang, Jhongli Jianguo Rd., Hsinchu Wuchang St., Taichung Gongyi Rd., Changhua Jhongyang Rd., Chiayi Yushan, Tainan Chenggong Rd., Kaohsiung Sinsing y Gangshan post office).
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| Photo: T. von Loeper |
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On December 26th, the opening day, several dozen of collectors waited their turn in the lines to access the distributors, even some hours before the doors opened. Once in front of the machines, they had only 5 minutes to purchase ATMs.
During the 5 days of the exhibition, the colors of the cartridges used in the 4 Innovision distributors were alternated, as follows:
December 26th: 077 and 079 - blue / 081 and 082 - black
December 27th: 077 and 079 - black / 081 and 082 - blue
December 28th: 077 and 079 - blue / 081 and 082 - black
December 29th: 077 and 079 - black / 081 and 082 - blue
December 30th: 077 and 079 - blue / 081 and 082 - black.
Fortunately, on this occasion there were no 'surprises' ... |
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| Commemorative cover and cover posted to Spain, franked with ATMs issued by distributors using blue printing, with first day postmark in black and commemorative cachet of the exhibition, in magenta. |
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 November 2007 and last updated:
26.01.08
. English edition rewritten by S. Goodman (23.01.08)
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