Dutch Precancels (Klik hier voor een Nederlandse versie)

Precancels (in the Dutch called "voorafstempelingen") are normal definitive stamps that are still being used for the mailing of bulk mail. It is only since the 90's that the Dutch PTT allowed bulk mailers like Readers Digest to cancel their mail themselves. As far as I know only stamps from rolls have been used in this process. The cancellation consists of a circular "ptt post" emblem. This is used to give a 'personal touch' to the mailings,

From the beginning of FEPAPOST all were anxious waiting for Saturday October 22, 1994. Then the competition for the youths from 12 to 17 years would be held. "Who can lick 'n stick the most postage stamps in 4 minutes of time?" On every envelop exactly one stamp needed to be licked and sticked in the usual upper right corner. Under professional supervision of Mr. Sips from Breda (North Brabant) five sessions were held, followed by a final. It appeared more difficult then one expects. Four minutes is a long time, and there comes a time one cannot lick any more. After a lot of licking and sticking the 15 year old Marije Collignon from Leidschendam (North Holland) was the winner. She licked and sticked 134 stamps in 4 minutes. (Translated from 'De Posthoorn, December 1994, issue #10, page 31)

Dutch PTT Post delivered the stamps for this competition. (The stamps that were issued for the FEPAPOST exhibition). The stamps were cancelled with horizontal or vertical bars. (see below)

Valentine-card

On February, 14- 2000 I received a vey attractive valentine-card. The pink front with a Dutch text "I fancy you....". The card was personally addressed, but although the letter type and the used ink seemed to indicate handwriting, it was pretty clear that it was a very nice font likely placed by a plotter or inkjet printer.. The stamp used was one of the 'Scratch' valentine stamps that in sheetlets of 10 were issued three years earlier. Each stamp on the sheetlet has another text beneath the scratch area.

The most unusual aspect of the card was the cancel.A phantasy cancel containing some wavy lines and PTT POST NEDERLAND. The PTT POST actually indicates that not the Dutch PTT cancelled this card, but the sender.

On the address side of the card the text "You me too?" followed by a web-address. Checking the web-site indicated it appeared that this was a mailing from a company CTG, which was looking for new personnel.

Obviously I was wondering which address-list had been used. It must have been a computer/software related one, since many of my colleagues had received the same card. A week later this was confirmed, when in the Dutch `computermagazine 'Computable' there was a small message from the publisher indicating that this card was part of a campaign from one of their advertizers.

New "port-betaald" stamps

As of July-1, 2000, with the introduction of the new post-law however, it was no longer allowed to use the 'normal (Beatrix) postage stamps' for large (bulk) mailings. These bulk mailings needed to be franked by a "Post Betaald/Port payé" emblem or by a franking-machine.

For certain correspondence it is still viewed to be more personal to use postage stamps. Therefore PTT post released 'port-betaald' stamps. Eufemistic they are called "AttentionStamps" ("AttentieZegels", and the Capitals are no typo's ). They cost an additional 4 cents (1.75 eurocents) above the normal bulk-mailing cost. To make it even nicer they released the first stamp (tulip motif) in 4 colours, and an additional motif (Herring-eater). These stamps are not for sale at the post-offices.

As you can see on the pictures above and below, a franking machine is used to place the stamp on the envelop. Sometimes the cutting is just below or above the perforation, and when exact on the perforation the perfs have straight edges, instead the paper strings when tearing through the perforation.Obviously these stamps are delivered in large rolls.

Dutch PTT (Nowadays called Royal TPG) expects to deliver other motifs in the future.
Companies I'm aware of using these stamps are Reader's Digest, Koerskompas, Astma Fonds, Uitgeverij ten Hagen Stam and Legio Lease.

Christmas AttentionStamp

With Christmas 2000 TPG sent a seasons greetings card with a new port betaald stamp. This stamp was in the same design as the regular christmas stamps of 2000. The cancellation was the same as the one was used for the large volume of christmas cards send in the last few weeks of the year. Normal circular date cancels (cds) are not used for postal cards in that period.

More attention to the Euro

On August-18, 2001 one additional design was added. The design refers to the switch from the Dutch Guilder to the Euro on January-1, 2002. It is said that the designer, Mart Warmerdam, used his son as subject for the boy. This stamp was used to send collateral to clients of the PTT Post Collect Club. Also the cancellation was adapted for this purpose. Note that this stamp is square, opposed to the previous 6 stamps.

Zealous postal clerk?

Early February 2002 my mother in law, who lives in the postal disctrict of Krommenie, North-Holland, received following item.

This item was sent in error from Nieuwegein, Utrecht, without a pre-cancelation. Sorting of the mail on first part of zip code happens in Utrecht, sorting on total zip-code of all items addressed to Krommenie in Amsterdam. Only the sorting for the delivering round happens locally. A postal clerk in Krommenie apparently noticed the non-cancelled stamp. (S)he decided, late in the evening, to cancel the "port-betaald" stamp with the normal circular date stamp (cds) at the local office before delivering.

CompanyStamp

V&D (Vroom and Dreesmann, a large department store) is the first company in the Netherlands that has it's own stamp for bulk-mail. Spring 2002 a large number of mailings were made. V&D has replaced the "Port Betaald" emblem by this new stamp. Because PTT Post wanted to issue more often company specific stamps (Initial they were talking about 6 per year) they renamed this type of stamp to "CompanyStamp" ("BedrijvenZegel").

I have not yet an example of this stamp.

A new beginning

During May 2002 the Royal Dutch PTT Post B.V. changed it's name to Royal TPG Post B.V. (Shortened to TPG, which is a TLA for TNT Post Group, a more international (anglophile) name. TNT was the name from the courier company acquired in 1988). Obviously all references to PTT Post needed to change. The most obvious example was the precancel stamp that was issued for this occasion and used in a mass-mailing to all addresses and additionally to all companies in the Netherlands. Instead using the "standard" ptt-post cancel, normally used for precanceled stamps, now a plain cancel with 2 circular lines was used. This mailing contained a letter of introduction, a set of cut-out postcards, which depict "a new beginning" and an pre-stamped envelope. The mailing to the companies had different content, advertising EasyStamp, a digital "stamp" software solution. Interesting enough the cancel on this mailing contained a month-year annotation. In this mailing is was explained that the "old" PTT-Post Port Betaald cancel devices still can be used. All new cancel devices however will carry the name TPG Post.

8,000,000 stamps have been produced. This is the second "CompanyStamp" being issued.

On August-1, 2002 finally the port betaald emblem containing the new name was received. Gradually this will replace the "old" PTT emblems (See earlier this page).

CompanyStamp is renamed to BrandStamp

Although their good intentions it took until 2004 before the next (3rd) "CompanyStamp"("BedrijvenZegel") is issued. This issue was for the Royal theatre Carré in Amsterdam, that existed 100 years, and was re-opened after a major refurbishment. Head Sponsor TPG Post even donated this stamp on monday November-15. They also renamed these type of stamps from "Bedrijvenpostzegel" to "MerkZegel" ("BrandStamp"). Apparently the market isn't that large for these type of stamps.

International AttentionValue

After the issue of the National AttentionStamps, TPG Post introduced on December-1, 2004 also an International AttentionStamp. This stamp is to add a personal touch to impersonal international postal shipments. The first International AttentionStamp contains a picture of a waterlily.

As far as I know, TPG Post is the only issuer of International AttentioStamps worldwide.

TPG Post selected a waterlily, because of its world-wide renownance. Being almost a pest in some Dutch waters, the waterlily is rare on most other places. The stamp was designed by Sybren Kuiper van Dietwee designers of Utrecht. The stamp measures 36 by 25 mm and is printed in the colours yellow, magenta, cyaan and black. The issue was 4.225.000 stamps on rolls of 5.000 or 10.000 stamps.

Personal AttentionStamps End of 2005 the so-called personal AttentionStamps were issued. The also are called "Series Port Betaald 2005". Apparently TPG Post is confused by all the different names they have been using. A Company can let TPG Post print these stamps with their own supplied photo. These animalsphoto's are the default ones from TPG Post.