Lest You Forget

Not a Machin Post, but I do occasionally (to add a bit of spice) veer from the subject if I think it will be of interest collectors.

Some Machin enthusiasts also collect County Pictorial Definitives. If this is true in your case, here is some information that may have passed you by.

Thanks to Douglas Myall, who has reminded me via his Deegam Report (71) that due to the rate increase on 2nd April 07, new values of Country stamps 48p & 78P in existing designs will be printed in gravure by De La Rue.

This leaves us with a potential sleeper in the form of the 72p Northern Ireland definitive.

Please read on.

To mark the 90th. Anniversary of the end of World War 1 (2008), the Royal Mail issued a miniature sheet for Remembrance Day on 9 November 2006, sheets will also be issued 2007 & 2008.

The first sheet in this series commemorates the 90th Anniversary of the Battle of the Somme in 1916.

The sheet features a new special ' Poppy' stamp, with a remembrance commemorative design, together with 4 x 72p country definitives from England, Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland.

This miniature sheet is the only source for the Northen Ireland 72p value printed in gravure, all previous printings were in Litho.

If you collect these stamps ( be it singles or se-tenant pairs) make sure that you have this on your wants list, It (the 72p gravure) will be listed in even the basic of catalogues.

The miniature sheet was printed by De La Rue ( S.G. No. MS 2685 )

Thanks Douglas for the reminder, what would we do without you? Your observations do not miss a trick.

Just another smilers sheet

There is also a Smilers Sheet entitled ' We Will Remember Them' consisting of 20 x 1st. class poppy stamps, printed by Cartor Security Printers in litho, this will also be different to the poppy stamp on the miniature sheet.

Again if you collect special issues and If you want completeness , get that piggy bank open.

NB:The labels on the generic sheet next to the stamps show four war Memorials.