THE FORMAT INTERNATIONAL SECURITY PRINTERS LTD. ARCHIVE

Information and Reference of What was Found in the Archive

Railway Preservation Society of Ireland Private Carrier Stamp issues printed by the Format International Security Printers Ltd. and items found in the Archive

RAILWAY PRESERVATION SOCIETY OF IRELAND LETTER FEE STAMPS

Railway Preservation Society of Ireland Private Carrier Labels printed by Format International Security Printers Ltd.

The RPSI was formed in 1964 to preserve in working order steam locomotives and other rolling stock built for the Irish railway system, from 1850 to the present day. The RPSI maintains a museum at Whitehead and operates steam-hauled excursions over the present day Irish railway network for families and enthusiasts. The Society is a non-profit charity managed by volunteers. All funds from ticket sales, shop sales and membership fees or donations go directly to keeping Ireland's steam railway heritage operating for future generations.

Various stamp printing companies were used to print carriage labels for them. On May 13, 1981 a souvenir sheetlet of 9 20p labels was released. Apparently nobody knows that it was the Format International Security Printers who printed them. The evidence is what was found in their archive and sold in the final sale of the archive in 1995. The artwork and 5 imperforate proof sheetlets were found there.

Information is scarce on this sheetlet. I found the imaged reference on the Railway Philatelic Group website describing the sheetlet. It shows us one of the master proofs with the original design have the £1.80 fee printed at the bottom. This was removed on the final release of the sheetlet. Noted by the author that the proof was forgotten about for over twenty years. This is the fate of much of the archival material from the Format Printers Archive has become. Lost and/or forgotten. Sitting in collections or other storage unknown to the owner of the true rarity of what they have nor of the philatelic value in knowledge that they possess.

Here is a snapshot image about this sheetlet taken from the Railway Philatelist Group book update on their website.

1981 RAILWAY PRESERVATION SOCIETY OF IRELAND MASTER PROOF DOCUMENTATION



Here is the sheetlet in its final form.

1981 RAILWAY PRESERVATION SOCIETY OF IRELAND PRIVATE CARRIER STAMP SOUVENIR SHEET



These are the only Railway Preservation Society of Ireland Private Carrier stamps printed by the Format International Security Printers Ltd.

References taken from:
Christie's Final Sale Catalog of the Format Archive
Internet Research

All Content Copyright © 2016 Golowe's Collector Stamps, All Rights Reserved

Return to Format International Security Printers Reference Homepage Here.