Sleeping Beauty

It seems that due to the 40th anniversary of the Machin there is an upward interest in the 4d Pre decimal Sepia. This was the first stamp to be issued 0n 05 June 1967 with the new Arnold Machin effigy of the Queens head.

Let me explain, I recently had an email from a well known dealer asking me if I had any of these particular stamps in stock that were for sale. The request was for stamps in cylinder block form with angled margins if possible.

All cylinders were requested but in particular stamps with Gum Arabic were at the top of his list.

As I am one of those people with a curious nature, I wrote back to him asking if he knew something I did not :-) , his reply is reproduced below.

"It seems that due to the 40th anniversary of the Machin, it is expected that a new found interest has developed for this stamp, bringing with it a new market demand. Prices for all issues of this stamp are expected to rise above the norm, which by the way has been settled to a degree since 1993.

Cylinders to look out for are 4, and 8, ( gum Arabic) these with angled margins are fetching in the region of £8 - £10 per block.

Cylinder 14 with 2 bands and Gum Arabic is listed in specialised catalogues as a rarity as it now commands a price of £10,000 for the no dot block." ( WOW!)

For your information here is a a Complete List ( dot & no dot blocks)

4d Sepia 2 band GA ( first issue as above)

Reprints

4d Sepia 2 Band PVA Gum
cyl 4,10, 12, 13, 14, and 15 cat prices are from £2.50 - £ 55

4d Sepia Centre Band PVA Gum
cyl 12, 13, 14, and 15 cat prices range from £3 - £45

If these stamps are on the rise, also watch out for the 1/- value 2 band ( pale violet) cylinder 3 and 1/9d value 2 band (Bright orange & black) cylinder 1A. Both with Gum Arabic.

Both of these stamps were issued on the same day.

Two variations of the Arnold Machin Special Issue

What else do we have for you today? Another double dose of information to go with the Regional posting below.

As it is Easter weekend I may not get the chance to post anything for a few days so some new close ups of the stamps that will be incorporated in Arnold Machin miniature sheet may be a good idea.

These as I have already explained in an earlier post, so to catch up you will need to fast track backwards and read it if you want the full low down.
This sheet will comprise of the new ruby and the old violet £1 definitive sitting se-tenant vertically above each other. The new Ruby colour was devised by Jeffery Matthews, who is the originator of the Jeffery Matthews colour palette.

These two £1 values will be flanked on the miniature sheet by the two 1st Class Special Issues, one 1st class commemorating an early 4d Machin (right) from1967.

A 1st class stamp showing a portrait of Arnold himself on the other .


The Variation News

This is not publicised anywhere else that I know of, so this news will be quite fresh, I have found out that this Arnold Machin Portrait stamp will differ to that which will accompany the Generic Sheet of 20 in the fact that the Generic sheet will be printed by Cartor ( A subsidiary of Walsall) in litho and the ( min sheet) by De La Rue will be printed in gravure.

If you collect special issues you will have to buy both in order to keep your collection up to date.

The present £1 violet definitive is to be withdrawn from post offices on the date of issue of the replacement £1 ruby red, so the Ruby stamps will also be available in Counter sheets of 200.
The printers are expected to be De La Rue who print the current Machins in sheet form and it is expected that they will be printed from the same cylinder as the former £1 value.

Do please inform you stamp collecting comrades of this blog, ( and Michaels) as it was through him I decided to start it. Since its humble beginnings in November I have had some great comments.

One person suggests "I re-name it to that of Machin news, as it is the most informative site on the web that deals with Machin definitives, its counterparts and as a bonus always has the very latest news available".

Thanks for that, it is nice to know my work is appreciated.

Happy Easter to all

Regional Machins

One subject I have not touched upon on this blog to date is that of Regional Machins, which is in reality the only closed chapter ( excluding Pre decimals and Anniversary double heads).

Although there were a lot of issues over the period whilst these were on sale, and this section is now closed, it is perhaps one of which could be completed by potential collectors without the worry of having to keep up with new issues.

This is still a vast specialised subject and hundreds of pages have been written about them, this post will only touch the surface, but will give the layman some idea of the stamps and what they represent. If you wish to learn more, I will no doubt be describing various aspects of this issue in the future, but in the mean time you will have to read one of the specialised catalogues that are recommended in earlier posts.

What is a Regional Machin?

Regional Machin stamps replaced the previous Country Definitives on decimalisation. They have the same Machin head as the nationals. The stamps were designed by Jeffrey Mathews, the machin portrait was in fact smaller, reduced in size in order to incorporate the corresponding country emblem in one corner.

The post office actually call these country issues, but to to philatelists they have always been called Regionals. The description of the individual emblems are as follows:

Isle of Man

The Legs of Man and the Celtic Ring.

Northern Ireland

The Hand of Ulster and Crown

Scotland

The Lion of Scotland

Wales

The Dragon of Wales

Harrison & Sons printed regional stamps in sheets of 200 up until 1981, then Waddington and Questa produced lithographic sheet versions. Walsall Security printers took over the contract and printed the later sheets in gravure.

Regionals have also been issued in se-tenant panes in prestige booklets, printed by Questa and Walsall. If you notice ( the wales 20p stamp above) with the latest printings, the stamps conform to the national Definitives and have security ellipses incorporated into the perforations

Prestige Panes

Panes can be found in The Scots connection £5 booklet, Gymru Wales Booklet, a pane from the Beatrix Potter Booklet, Several panes from the Northern Ireland booklet. The National Trust booklet produced a pane and The Speed booklet produced a pane also.

Finally a pane was issued in a Prestige booklet during the Stamp Show 2000, this marked the work of Jeffery Mathews.

The Welsh regional have had the ( P) in the value tablet omitted on the later issues and in June 1999 were the first to be decommissioned (along with stamps of Scotland).

Northern Ireland followed suit at a later date and now all these regional countries have their own pictorial country issues, so no further Machins will appear for these countries unless special prestige booklet panes are printed in the future.

Another Missing Pound Sign

Another High value with a missing Value tablet !

Its true, but not along the same lines as the £2.00 genuine error from De La Rue ( see my previous posts)

The Arnold Machin Generic Sheet to be issued for the 40th Anniversary of The Machin will have the pre decimal labels ½d - 10/- defaced by an arc. The reproduction of the £1 stamp will have no value tablet.

I think it is pretty obvious to all that these labels will be imperforated, so why deface them? The pre decimal labels can not be used for postage so this is not the reason.

Talk about there being no trust in the philatelic community, as if anyone would cut out these pre decimal labels out and sell them as imperforated originals, or use them for postage in the case of the £1. Well I guess (my only reasoning for this) Royal Mail must thinkTHERE ARE unscrupulous people out there that may try.

Doctor Blade Flaws

INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY
Bargain of the decade

Today I am going to offer some brilliant ( unique errors) for sale.

A second picture of the complete panes will be shown below.

On offer are:

Four 10p booklets Gibbons cat number FA2 inscribed March 1976.

These booklets show a nice horizontal doctor blade flaw in the form of a green line in the same colour that is used to print the 6p stamps. This flaw occurs as the result of either a dirty doctor blade or more realistically a bit if grit deposited itself on the blade from the 6p cylinder during the printing process.

You will notice the ½p stamps are overprinted with the green line in different positions.

Pictures: From left to right

1/ The flaw cuts across the top of the perforations and the stamps also a feint line in the top of the margin

2/ Again Two lines one on the margin and one a bit lower down which affects the stamps just below the perforations

3/ The two lines are dropped by a few mm and the bottom line cuts directly across the top ½p stamps below the perforations

4/ Which is a great example shows just one horizontal flaw across the centre of the stamps.



These booklets are on offer @ £100GBP for the 4, to the first person that contacts me (Postage & Packing will be free, if you wish to pay via PayPal however I do ask that you add £5.00 to the cost this will cover their charges. email me gbstamps@lineone.net

Remember for you protection, I am a member of (The IPDA) Internet Philatelic Dealers Association, These are genuine errors and can not be obtained from any other source.

http://www.ipdaonline.org

A close up scan(s) of the flaw can be requesed if required, only interested parties apply (no time wasters please)

This offer is on first come first served basis. If you are not completely delighted with the purchase I will give a full refund provided they are returned within 2 weeks of delivery.