Main menu

There is reason to believe that had the Post Office not abandoned (in 1943) its system of numbering its books it would have considered the change to decimal currency a sufficient reason for making a fresh start, both in the numbering of each edition and of the series to which they belong. Accordingly, and because it is convenient to be able to identify each issue, 'The Bookmark' Catalogue allocates decimal stamp books to series, according to the purpose and form of their issue.

Co-incident with decimal day, 15 February 1971, the inland postal rates were increased, the minimum rates becoming 2½p for the second-class service and 3p for the   first-class service. The initial issue of four books in February 1971 was designed to provide a range of stamps at these rates to suit the different needs of customers as seen at the time. The face values of the first four books put on sale were: 10p machine-vended, 25p counter 2nd-class, 30p counter 1st-class, and 50p counter, mixed 1st- and 2nd-class. Each of these is regarded as having started a separate series. A fifth book, privately commissioned, was introduced in May 1972.

In 1976, new methods of stamp book production were employed which used unified cylinders capable of printing stamps in sheet, roll or booklet form, the books being produced with folded instead of stitched covers. Also in 1976, and again in 1986 and 1996, there were developments in the machines used to vend stamp books, some of which were experimental, and new books were produced for them. In 1988, a new marketing initiative, involving private retail outlets in addition to the normal Post Office sales points, produced the so-called window books, printed by three different companies, which eventually led to the demise of the former counter books.

Catalogue details and images of all book covers & panes are available in the Member' section of the website.