Online Groups, Blogs and Websites

I thought today ( for a nice change) I would promote a few websites, Blogs and online groups that deal in, mention or discuss Machins.

Web sites

First on my list, A man named Denis Stevens who has a great website, with lots of images and up do date information on the Machin.

Denis, has been very good to me and other website designers (who have asked permission) in the fact that he allows me (us) to use some of his graphics which show the phosphor band alignments.

Nearly every Machin produced from day one to date is accurately described on this site, and I find it as an invaluable reference. http://www.machin-stamps.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk
is the URL, pay him a visit and add the site to your favourites. Denis is also the process of constructing a new web site which will be able to accept on-line payments.

Another web site I enjoy Reading is http://www.petersstamps.com There is a complete illustrated catalogue of all British stamps issued since 1924, comprehensive price lists and a page where you can find an exchange partner or freely publish your own stamp exchange offers. There are links to other stamp sites and to the world's official Philatelic Bureau's.

Larry Rosenblum is a Machin specialist and provides a wealth of knowledge, News, information, links, and fun for collectors of Great Britain stamps and related material. This is also the home of the Great Britain Collectors Club. Another great site to add to your favourites.


Machins Down Under the main body of the The Machin Interest Group of the Philatelic Society of Canberra comprises a group of devoted collectors who have acquired the Machin bug and wish to spread it around. My there are a lot of Ozzies into Machins! Pay them a visit.

A name I keep mentioning is that Michael Dodd who is the owner of CDD Stamps of Sydney Australia. Michael's website & Blog offer free gifts, competitions and a wealth of philatelic information. He is also a director and member of the Internet Philatelic Dealers Association. Oh yes, he also sells stamps at prices collectors can afford.

Groups

One online group of which I belong, is a set of GB collectors which consists of 300+ members. http://groups.msn.com/StampsofGreatBritain/homepage.msnw . If you like a good debate I recommend you visit and join in the action, they promote competitions and various activities. Worth a visit just to have a good read.

All Nations Stamp Club is another. This group have members from all over the world and
the activity and discussions are on the same lines as the group above.

Blogs

Number one on my list, although this blog does not go into much detail about Machins, it does give some very interesting information on stamps/ collecting/ and philatelic news in general. The name of the owner is Don Schilling

Michael would not forgive me if I did not mention his, another great blog which I read everday. Where do I find the time to visit all these sites I ask my self?.

Well I think that's enough for one day, but if you still have 5 minutes to spare after this session, do not forget to click on to my website....nearly forgot that one.......GB Machins.co.uk

Coloured pieces of paper, I do not think so

Where do I start?

Some one once said to me "Machins ! Boring ! Just coloured pieces of paper"

Not quite I replied.

Machins now hold the record, for the number of different stamps by denomination and colour. Even on a fairly simplified basis, a straightforward collection of the different Machins from the halfpenny to £5 is a truly mind-boggling sight, now running to well over 390 stamps.

Colours

Several denominations have appeared at various times in at least two or three different colours; the pre decimal 8d was the first issued in red and then turquoise. Decimal 18p first appeared in deep violet in 1981, then re-emerged in deep olive-grey in 1984 and latterly was released in bright green in 1991. The 20p has been dull purple (1976), turquoise -green (1988) and brownish-black (1989) while the 5p has been pale violet (1971), claret (1986) or dull red-brown (1988). Again this By contrast, the 1p stamp is listed in the catalogues as crimson, but the range of shades is quite remarkable.

NVI (non value indicated) stamps have followed the same route, with 1st, and 2nd class stamps having been issued in several colours and shades, not to mention the magnificent Millennium issue.

When you take into consideration the subtle minutiae caused by six different printers (Harrison, Questa, Waddington, Walsall, Enschede and now De La Rue), the different perforations (including the addition of elliptical perfs at the sides).

PVA, Gum Arabic, PVAD gum or added to the more recent self adhesives. Phosphor bands of various widths, colours and radiation, variations of bands or tags, phosphor or ordinary paper, different widths of varnish under the bands, the intricacies of PCP1, PCP2, ACP or FCP coated papers and yellow blue fluor, some have an afterglow, you can begin to appreciate that there’s more to the Machin than meets the eye.

Add to this the the differences created by the direction of the ink applied during the printing processes in photogravure, then we can mention lithography and most recently intaglio printings used for the current high values. Not to be overlooked are the large-format Machins which were in use in 1977-87 mainly as parcel high-values.

Originally photogravure, these were revived recently for a prestige booklet of first class stamps printed in letterpress or albino embossing as well as the more usual processes.

Just three versions of the ½p Machin, add another 150 ½ps to these

Single value Coils and the mixed value strips which used to appear in vending machines and later were much favoured by the Reader’s Digest, add another dimension to the study, while booklets and booklet panes are a vast specialised subject, a lifetime’s study in their own right.

At the beginning of the Machin period booklets were still stitched, but later came the Swedish style booklets, then ‘window’ and barcode booklets, and finally the range of prestige booklets with their mixed panes yielding numerous ‘one-off’ varieties and se-tenant combinations as well as permutations of phosphor banding.

At first the Non Value Indicator (NVI) stamps only occurred in booklets, complicated enough by the fact that the contract was shared between Harrison, Questa and Walsall, not to mention cut perforations on several sides with several values and formations.

Just to add a bit more spice and variety NVI,s have now been released in sheets. Then there was the short-lived experiment with the ‘landscape’ format self-adhesive stamps, confined to the Tyne-Tees television area* , followed by self-adhesive stamps in the upright ‘portrait’ format.

*These have now been re released as part of the pricing in Proportion PIP policy with the word Large in the left bottom corner.

There are subtleties such as the pointed and blunt bust types and the Jeffery Matthews reworking of the numerals of value. Then there are the myriad plate flaws, constant varieties and retouches, not to mention imperforated and partially perforated stamps, missing phosphors and other errors which add spice to any collection.

Do not think that we have finished yet, we haven’t even considered the regional or ‘country’versions which since 1971 have notched up a formidable array of stamps from Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and (till 1973) the Isle of Man.

Anyone still doubting that Machin definitive stamps are just coloured pieces of paper, now reaching their 4th decade (I can attest as a specialised collector that these are the most complex stamps of all time). Should consult one of the Machin specialised catalogues.

Gibbons is now on the ninth edition, volume 4 which, now runs to almost 900 pages. The Deegam Handbook goes even deeper with two volumes of information, and regular monthly updates by way of supplements and the The Deegam Report.

Even the so-called Millennium first class definitive, introduced in the year 2000, yields several distinct types so far. Just another mini collection to some, but this takes some completing believe me.

NVI Airmail stamps with side chevrons World Wide and Europe can be added to your list, do not forget to look for short bands top or bottom.

With new prestige booklets issued twice per year, a price rise and new values every April and not forgetting the 40th Anniversary due in June 2007. I feel the Machin series clearly has a lot of life in it still, with the constant appearance of new varieties from the De La Rue Byfleet plant and now Dunstable printings we can expect the list of new issues to keep the serious specialist on his or her toes for a long time to come.

I hope you have found this article interesting and that it helps you in your quest to gain a better understanding of this highly specialised philatelic subject.