Trials for a booklet to be dispensed by coin operated vending machines started in 1935 using vending machines made by Brecknell, Dollman and Rogers Ltd. These machines were used for razor blades, and the name “razor booklets” is occasionally still used.
The stamps used for these booklets were taken from counter sheets, from sheets intended for coils, and from sheets intended for other booklets. The first trials used King George V photogravure 1½d advert panes cut down to panes of two with part of the advert pane left on as a binding margin. The first issued booklet BC1 was made up with King Edward VIII stamps in the same way. It was not until 1951 that a cylinder was produced specifically to print booklet panes of four.
Code letters A-F were given to these booklets by the Post Office. The code letter was printed on the wrapper bands for sub-series B-E, but not on the booklets themselves.
| A | (1)-(2) | Jan 1937 | 6d | BC1, BD1 |
| B | (1) | Feb 1938 | 6d | BD2 |
| C | (1) | June 1940 | 6d | BD3 |
| D | (1)-(4) | Dec 1947 | 1s | BD4-5, E1-2 |
| E | (1)-(11) | Nov 1948 | 1s | BD6-10, K1-3 |
| F | (1)-(54) | Apr 1959 | 2s | N1-32, NR1-2, NX1, NP27-45 |
Sub-series A-E wrapper bands flattened to display the top and one side.
Dark Colours
6d Booklet Series 6, Sub-series A: BD1
Unprinted buff covers containing two panes of two 1½d stamps. The stamp panes were made from cylinder G10 or G18 advert panes before the adverts were printed, with the unprinted labels trimmed to form a binding margin. This produced panes with perforated selvedge, and with watermark upright or inverted. Individual booklets generally have both panes upright, or both inverted, but mixed watermarks are known.
Date: Jan 1938
Printer: Harrison
Watermark: GviR (upright or inverted)
Makeup: FC, QB22, int, QB22, BC
BD1: without interleaf
BD1a: with interleaf
6d Booklet Series 6, Sub-series B: BD2
Unprinted pink covers containing panes of two 1½d, 1d and ½d stamps. The stamp panes were made from panes of six of each value, trimmed to form a binding margin.
Date: Feb 1938
Printer: Harrison
Watermark: GviR (upright or inverted)
Makeup: FC, QB22, int, QB12, int, QB3, BC
BD2: without interleaves
BD2a: with interleaves
6d Booklet Series 6, Sub-series C: BD3
Sold from a single experimental machine in the King Edward Building (London’s Chief Post Office at that time) from mid-1940 until the end of 1941 when spare parts became difficult. About 10,000 booklets were sold.
Unprinted pale green covers containing panes of four 1d and ½d stamps. The stamp panes were made from coil printings intended for sideways delivery.
Date: June 1940
Printer: Harrison
Watermark: GviR (sideways)
Makeup: FC, QB11, int, QB2, BC
BD3: binding margins at top (1d E perf, ½d I perf)
BD3a: binding margins at bottom (1d I perf, ½d E perf)
BD3b: 1d margin at bottom, ½d at top (both I)
BD3c: 1d margin at top, ½d at bottom (both E)
Pale Colours
1s Booklet Series 6, Sub-series D: BD4
In 1947, six experimental 6d booklet machines were converted to dispense 1s booklets (panes of two). The first issued was on 12 Dec 1947 at Tooting Bec PO. The other five machines were at the London Chief Office (King Edward Building), Stockwell, Tottenham, Romford, and Watford.
Unprinted cream covers containing two panes of two 1½d, 1d and ½d stamps. The stamp panes were made from the first two columns of counter sheets.
Date: Dec 1947
Printer: Harrison
Watermark: GviR (upright only)
Makeup: FC, QB25, QB25, QB14, QB14, QB6, QB6, BC
BD4a: stitched through stamps, then restitched correctly
1s Booklet Series 6, Sub-series E: BD6
In 1948, more experimental 6d booklet machines were converted to dispense 1s booklets (panes of four). The first issued was in Nov 1948 at Sloane Square PO.
A rare booklet with only 15 copies known, five of which are exploded. Unprinted cream covers containing panes of four 1½d, 1d and ½d stamps. The stamp panes were made from the top two and bottom two rows of counter sheets.
Date: Nov 1948
Printer: Harrison
Watermark: GviR (upright only)
Makeup: FC, QB24, QB13, QB5, BC
BD6: binding margins at top
BD6a: binding margins at bottom
New Colours
1s Booklet Series 6, Sub-series D: BD5
Same as BD4 but with stamps in the new colours.
Unprinted cream covers containing two panes of two 1½d, 1d and ½d stamps. The stamp panes were made from the first two columns of counter sheets.
Date: May 1951
Printer: Harrison
Watermark: GviR (upright only)
Makeup: FC, QB28, QB28, QB17, QB17, QB9, QB9, BC
1s Booklet Series 6, Sub-series E: BD7
Same as BD6 but with stamps in the new colours.
Sold at the Festival of Britain Post Office, often postmarked with the festival handstamp. The stamp panes were made from the top two and bottom two rows of counter sheets.
Date: May 1951
Printer: Harrison
Watermark: GviR (upright only)
Makeup: FC, QB27, QB16, QB8, BC
BD7: binding margins at top
BD7a: binding margins at bottom
BD7ab: 1d and 1½d panes in wrong order
1s Booklet Series 6, Sub-series E: BD8
The stamp panes were from sheets of 216 designed for “E” stamp booklets. Sheets were printed from single pane cylinders with 18 rows of 12 stamps, 120 stamps upright (30 panes of 4) and 96 stamps inverted (24 panes of 4), all with binding margins at the top. Individual booklets have all panes upright, or all inverted.
Date: Dec 1952
Printer: Harrison
Watermark: GviR (upright or inverted)
Makeup: FC, QB27, QB16, QB8, BC
BD8a: 1½d pane reversed and stitched through stamps
1s Booklet Series 6, Sub-series E: BD9
Same as BD8 but with one line of Postage Rates on the inside front cover crossed out in ink.
Date: Sept 1953
Printer: Harrison
Watermark: GviR (upright or inverted)
Makeup: FC, QB27, QB16, QB8, BC
1s Booklet Series 6, Sub-series E: BD10
Same as BD8/9 but with new cover design and corrections to the postage rates.
Date: Nov 1953
Printer: Harrison
Watermark: GviR (upright or inverted)
Makeup: FC, QB27, QB16, QB8, BC
Booklet Panes
Booklet panes of two were made from sheets of QB23 advert panes (BD1), from sheets of panes of six (BD2), and from the first two columns of counter sheets (BD4, BD5).
Booklet panes of four were made from sheets intended for coils (BD3), from the top and bottom rows of counter sheets (BD6, BD7), and from sheets of 216 designed for “E” stamp booklets (BD8, BD9, BD10).
Full sheet reconstructions are shown under Sheets & Perforations.
Watermark GviR panes of two.
Watermark GviR.
Watermark GviR sideways.
Booklet BD3 panes were made from coil printings intended for sideways delivery, and were the first panes with a sideways watermark. “Sideways” refers to the orientation of the watermark relative to the printed stamp image. However, as these stamp panes were bound into the booklets sideways, a sideways watermark is upright relative to the booklet. The image on the left is watermark upright, that on the right is watermark sideways.
Dark Colours
QB3/a: from panes of six, upright or inverted
Booklets BD2/a; Perfs E, P, I; Cyls E2, E10, E18, E28
QB12/a: from panes of six, upright or inverted
Booklets BD2/a; Perfs E, P, I; Cyls F1, F5, F15
QB22/a: from advert panes, then panes of six, upright or inverted
Booklets BD1/a; Perfs P; Cyls* G10, G18
Booklets BD2/a; Perfs E, P, I; Cyls G19, G20, G28, G50
* cylinder numbers do not appear in the finished booklets.
QB2/a: from sheets for sideways (P) coils*, selvedge at top or bottom
Booklets: BD3/a-c; Perfs: E, I; Cyls: A40 (bottom selvedge)
(QB2as: Type 23 with punch hole on R1/1. Ex Sept 1985 NPM sale)
QB11/a: from sheets for sideways (O) coils*, selvedge at top or bottom
Booklets: BD3/a-c; Perfs: E, I; Cyls: B17 (top selvedge)
(QB11as: Type 23 with punch hole on R1/1. Ex Sept 1985 NPM sale)
* Post Office coils of stamps are identified by a code letter:
(P) being 480 ½d stamps for delivery left side first,
(O) being 480 1d stamps for delivery left side first.
Rows 1 & 2 (bottom selvedge) and rows 9 & 10 (top selvedge) were used to make these booklet panes, the remaining six rows (3 to 8) were used to produce (P) and (O) rolls.
Pale Colours
QB6: from the first two columns of counter sheets, upright only
Booklets: BD4; Perfs: E; Cyls: 137, 143, 147, 150
QB14/a: from the first two columns of counter sheets, upright only
Booklets: BD4; Perfs: E, I; Cyls: 157, 159, 160, 172, 175, 179
QB25: from the first two columns of counter sheets, upright only
Booklets: BD4; Perfs: E; Cyls: 185, 187
QB5/a: from the top and bottom rows of counter sheets, upright only
Booklets: BD6/a; Perfs: selvedge at top (P) or bottom (I); Rare
QB13/a: from the top and bottom rows of counter sheets, upright only
Booklets: BD6/a; Perfs: selvedge at top (P) or bottom (I); Rare
QB24/a: from the top and bottom rows of counter sheets, upright only
Booklets: BD6/a; Perfs: selvedge at top (P) or bottom (I); Rare
New Colours
QB9: from the first two columns of counter sheets, upright only
Booklets: BD5; Perfs: E; Cyls: 151, 153, 154, 155
QB17: from the first two columns of counter sheets, upright only
Booklets: BD5; Perfs: E, I; Cyls: 191, 192
QB28: from the first two columns of counter sheets, upright only
Booklets: BD5; Perfs: E; Cyls: 192, 194, 195, 196, 199
QB8/a: from the top and bottom rows of counter sheets, upright only
Booklets: BD7/a; Perfs: selvedge at top (P) or bottom (I)
QB8/b: from sheets of 216, upright or inverted
Booklets: BD8-10; Perfs: selvedge at top (P); Cyls* E86
QB16/a: from the top and bottom rows of counter sheets, upright only
Booklets: BD7/a; Perfs: selvedge at top (P) or bottom (I)
QB16b/c: from sheets of 216, upright or inverted
Booklets: BD8-10; Perfs: selvedge at top (P); Cyls* F3
QB27/a: from the top and bottom rows of counter sheets, upright only
Booklets: BD7/a; Perfs: selvedge at top (P) or bottom (I)
QB27/b: from sheets of 216, upright or inverted
Booklets: BD8-10; Perfs: selvedge at top (P); Cyls* G1
* cylinder numbers do not appear in the finished booklets
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Next: QEII Machine Vended