Portugal 2002 "Dinosaurs of Portugal"

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Issue Date	01.01.2002
ID	Michel: 36.1-39.1 (SMD: MSPost VE 50), 36.2-39.2 (Amiel: SIMA 1020), 36.3-39.3 (NewVision: Epost 2000); Scott: N/A; Stanley Gibbons: ?; Yvert et Tellier: ?; Category: pR
Design	artwork: Jose Projecto, stamps design: Mariana Santos
Stamps in set	4 self-adhesive ATM labels
Value	€0.27 : € 1.75 - Sauropod with footprints €0.27 : € 1.75 - Lourinhasaurus €0.27 : € 1.75 - Dacentrurus €0.27 : € 1.75 - Allosaurus
Emission/Type	ATM
Places of issue	all major cities of Portugal
Size (width x height)	55 mm x 30 mm
Layout	strip of 4 self-adhesive labels
Products	None
Paper	Esmalte, fluorescent
Perforation	imperforate, self-adhesive
Print Technique	Offset lithography
Printed by	Amiel and SMD vending machines
Quantity	N/A
Issuing Authority	CTT - Correios de Portugal

On January 1st of 2002 15 European countries replace their local currency with a common one - EURO (€).
This make more easier travel for citizens of these countries and make much more easier trade for corporations and private persons - all prices on every thing sales in those countries are written in EURO. The same changes were done for ATM stamps too. Sine 01.01.2002, only Euro (€) currency are written on ATM stamps of Portugal,

Since November 1999 till March 2002 the Post Authority of Portugal were issued 3-5 various sets of vending machine stamps (ATM) per year. "Dinosaurs of Portugal" stamps are one of them. Four different designs of dinosaurs and their footprints, were created by Portuguese artist Jose Projecto, then transformed to stamp-templates (self-adhesive labels) by the graphic-designer Mariana Santos. Fossils of all dinosaurs depicted on the stamps as well as their footprints were discovered in Portugal.

Description of the dinosaurs depicted on these stamps are available in the article about the ATM stamps from 1999.

Change of postal rates on dinosaur ATM stamps of Portugal between 1999 and 2002
Year of issue	Without additional label (regular mail)					"Correio Azul" (priority mail)		Vending machines used in Portugal in 2002, from left to right: AMIEL: SIMA 1020 SMD: MSPost VE 50 NewVision: E-post 2000 NEWVISION: E-Post M (Modular)
	Domestic		Spain	Europe, except Spain	Rest of the world	Domestic	International
	up to 20g.	up to 100g.	up to 20g.	up to 20g.	up to 20g.	up to 20g.	up to 20g.
1999	*50.00*	*85.00*	*95.00*	*100.00*	*140.00*	*80.00*	*350.00*
2000	*50.00$ / €0.25	*85.00$ / €0.42	*90.00$ / €0.45	*100.00$ / €0.50	*140.00$ / €0.70	*85.00$ / €0.42	*350.00$ / €1.75
2001	*50.00$ / €0.25	*85.00$ / €0.42	*95.00$ / €0.45	*105.00$ / €0.50	*140.00$ / €0.70	*80.00$ / €0.42	*350.00$ / €1.75
2002	€0.27	€0.45	€0.46	€0.54	€0.70	€0.43	€1.75

The ATM dinosaur stamps from 2002 were on sale for two months only. On March 1^st, 2002 they were replaced by the labels with EURO currency symbol, therefore the dinosaur stamps with Euro values are very difficult to find.

In 2002 the dinosaur ATM stamps were on sale in four different vending machines: AMIEL Sima 1020, SMD MSPost VE 50 and ePost NEWVISION 2000 and ePost NEWVISION M (Modular).
Three of them printed 7 predefined rates, similar to issues of 1999-2001.
The fourth vending machine - ePost NEWVISION M (Modular), has more than 30 pre-programmed rates for various weight categories. Dinosaur stamps with ePost NEWVISION M values are very rare.

• AMIEL machines printed text in bold, large font: 19mm width
• SMD machines printed text in smaller font: 16mm width
• epost NewVision 2000 machines printed text in smallest font: 13mm width.

The EURO symbol("€") printed differently by each machine. At least two ink colors were used by the machines: violet and black.
The philatelic desk sold ATM dinosaur stamps with Euro currency of AMIEL and SMD machines only, NewVision machine was not installed at the philatelic desk at that time.

Amiel SIMA 1020 text	SMD MSPost VE 50 text	Newvision Epost 2000 text

Lourinhasaurus ATM stamp of Portugal with the rate of domestic letters with weight up to 20g of 2003.

Allosaurus ATM stamp of Portugal with face value of €0.48, printed inverted. The face value is correspond to 2004 rate of domestic letters with weight up to 100g or letter to Spain with weight up to 20g.

These dinosaur stamps, with Euro currency, were replaced by "Introduction of Euro coins and banknotes" ATM labels in all vending machines. However, some dinosaur ATM stamps with face values of 2003 and even 2004.
These stamps are not listed in any stamp catalogue.
The origins of these stamps are doubtful.
It can be that the labels with dinosaur design were left in some vending machines after the date they are supposed to be replaced.
Another possibility is manipulation of the service staff, who inserted the old labels to the machine to produce some "rare" and expensive stamps for collectors.

Change of postal rates of Portugal between 2003 and 2005
Year of issue	Without additional label (regular mail)					"Correio Azul" (priority mail)
	Domestic			Spain	Europe, except Spain	Rest of the world	Domestic	International
	up to 20g.	up to 50g.	up to 100g.	up to 20g.	up to 20g.	up to 20g.	up to 20g.	up to 20g.
2003	€0.30	€0.46		€0.47	€0.55	€0.70	€0.43	€1.75
2004	€0.30	€0.45	€0.48	€0.48	€0.57	€0.72	€0.45	€1.75
2005	€0.30	€0.46	€0.49	€0.48	€0.57	€0.75	€0.45	€1.75

Products and associated philatelic items

Any FDC or additional philatelic product were produced by Portuguese Post for the dinosaur ATM stamps with the face values in Euro.

7 values sets
SMD stamps	NewVision stamps
Test values		Example of circulated covers
SMD stamp with the test values	NewVision stamp with the test values
Example of circulated covers
	The cover posted on the next day after replace the stamps from the vending machines. It was cancelled with the First-Day-of-Issue Postmarks of Euro-currency stamps	The cover posted in 2005. The dinosaur ATM stamps 1999-2002 were in circulation until 31.12.2006

References

• ATM stamps and vending machines of Portugal
  • ATEEME: home page, ATM stamps of Portugal
  • Atms Portugal
  • MICHEL Automatenmarken-Speziel (Vending Machines Special) 2013/2014, 7. Auflage (7^th Edition), ISBN: 978-3-95402-951-4
  • AFINSA (National Portuguese stamps catalogue) 2009, ISBN: 978-972-9468-15-5

Acknowledgments

• Many thanks to fellow stamp collector Mr. Vitor Vieira, who run a blog about ATM stamps of Portugal from Portugal, for his help to finding some information about these stamps and for sharing scans of some stamps and covers from his collection.
• Many thanks to fellow stamp collector Mr. Jose Lalanda Jorge from Sintra, Portugal for sharing scan of some stamps and covers from his collection.

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