7 -
Mr Footman added that for the convenience of customers and to minimise the need to queue, a new advance order service for ordering mint stamps will be introduced. Orders will be accepted at all post offices from April 14 to 19, same as for placing advance orders for serviced first day covers. No handling fee is required. There is no limit on the order quantity, but it must be in multiples of five sets and the minimum is five sets. Orders will be available for customers' collection at the post office where they placed the order as from May 20.
A beautifully designed presentation pack containing the four stamps will be available for sale at $20 each at all post offices as from April 27, 1997.
A restriction of five sheets of stamps of each denomination (viz. 250 sets of stamps) and two presentation packs per customer queuing will be imposed on the first day of issue. Thereafter on subsequent days and where customer queuing persists, the same restriction will continue to be imposed, until stock is exhausted. From the second day onwards, stamp sheets with edges will only be available at the 19 philatelic offices. These edges will be removed in the sale through normal counter.
On the first day of issue, hand-back service will be provided at all post offices to official and privately-made covers bearing indication of the first day of issue on April 27, 1997. A special postmark will also be introduced. Specimen of the special postmark is enclosed. The GPO-1 hand stamp will also be available for hand-back service at the following 19 philatelic offices:
Airport Post Office Aberdeen Post Office Cheung Chau Post Office Cheung Sha Wan Post Office General Post Office
Granville Road Post Office Harcourt Road Post Office Hennessy Road Post Office Kowloon Central Post Office Kowloon City Post Office
Mong Kok Post Office Peak Post Office
Sha Tin Central Post Office
Shau Kei Wan Post Office
Tai Po Post Office
Tuen Mun Central Post Office
Tsim Sha Tsui Post Office
Tsuen Wan Post Office
Yuen Long Post Office
All post offices will be opened on April 27 and the opening hours will be from 8 am to 4 pm. However, counter services provided will be restricted to sale of the new stamps and acceptance of registered mail only.
Mr Footman also reminded the public that stamps bearing the Queen's head or Royal Cypher will not be valid for the payment of postage after June 30, 1997. They can however be exchanged for an equivalent value of the definitive stamps from July 3 - 31, 1997. Details will be announced closer the time.
End
Page 10Page 11