Sorting Machins

Gosh , Larry, that last (informative) post is one hard act to follow. So I have come up with this for today.

Machin Questionnaire

Occasionally (in the past) we have had a quiz or prize draw. Just to add a bit of spice and something different I think it is time for another. Lets see how clever you are.


According to the web site icons.org.uk there are 18 different ways to sort and separate used Machins. I can not think of 18 ways myself. So here is your chance to show me (us) what you think you know.

What are these 18 ways? I will start you you off with three. Phosphor Bars, perforations, and Printing method.

A ( nice) prize for who ever gets these missing answers to me first. This competition will be open for 7 days from today. I will add the answers to the bottom of this page and announce the winner and the mystery prize next week

Email me here with the subject line "Machin quiz"

Thanks to Scott, he mentions "that there are possibly more than 18 now that we have the new security self adhesive slit Machins. So without more of ado the prize will go to the person who can name the most"

Good Luck


Roy

Regional Machin Symbols - Part 3

For those of you who have been holding your breath since the last part was published, you can breathe now. Here are links to part 1, part 2 and part 2a.

Northern Ireland

The Harrison photogravure regional Machins for Northern Ireland issued from 1971 to 1980 are represented by the 3p shown above. Its primary identifying characteristic is the seven pearls (small round dots) on each side of the crown. Since there were no variations to the symbol on the photogravure issues from 1971 through 1980, there is no type number.



The first lithographed Northern Ireland regionals appeared in 1981, printed by Questa. These had the first type of symbol on the lithographed stamps, the one copied from the presentation pack artwork. The 26p of this type, issued in 1982, is shown with the enlarged symbol. The most notable change is that this version has nine pearls on each side of the crown. This symbol is called Type I by the three specialized catalogs (Deegam, Connoisseur, and Machin Collectors Club).




Three years later, the revised Matthews version started appearing. The 22p with this symbol is shown, with an enlargement. This revised symbol has much stronger lines; look at the top line of the crown as an example. It has a white line that extends diagonally from the thumb to the lower left part of the hand. Like the previous lithographed version, it has nine pearls on each side of the crown. This is the first version of this new symbol, and the specialized catalogs call it Type IIa.



Some time after that, the printer introduced some flaws into the Matthews symbol. The most visible change is that the three outermost pearls on the left are joined together. This third version is shown above. The specialized catalogs call it Type IIb.

Here’s where it gets confusing. Scott and Gibbons don’t differentiate between the first lithographed version and the earlier photogravure version. Both versions that have separate pearls on the left side are called Type I. The third version, with the joined pearls, is called Type II.

The list below includes both classifications, the one used by the specialized catalogs and the one used by Scott and Gibbons.

Using the specialized classification, two stamps with the same value and color appeared with both the Type I (first version) and Type IIb (third version) symbols. These are the 26p red and the 28p violet. These can easily be identified by the fact that the Type I stamps are perf 13 1/ 2 x 14 and the Type IIb stamps are perf 15 x 14.

Three stamps with the same value and color appears with both the Type IIa (second version) and Type IIb (third version) symbols, and these are the ones that can be challenging to identify. As shown in the list below, the 13p chestnum, 17p grey-blue and 31p lilac are the three affected.




The two symbols on the 17p are shown above side-by-side. There is another way to identify these varieties as well – the background on the earlier version of the 17p (on the left) shows a crosshatch pattern known as a screen, whereas the later version (on the right) has a solid background. The two backgrounds are visible above. The two 13p’s have the same distinction; the earlier one is screened and the later one solid. However, both 31p’s have a screened background.

They key value of this group is the 17p with the second symbol, Type IIb in the specialized catalogs and Type II in Scott/Gibbons. This is generally the most expensive of the four scarce regionals discussed in this article.




All the varieties of the other two values are easy to find. The two 31p values can also be identified by the location of the change from dark to light background. Above is an overlapped image of the two varieties; type IIa is on the top and IIb on the bottom.



After 1986, all Northern Ireland regionals printed by Questa have the Type IIb symbol and are perforated 15 x 14. Walsall printed Northern Ireland regionals from 1997 to 2001 (37p shown), when Northern Ireland Machin regionals were discontinued. All Walsall issues have the Type IIb symbol.

Below is the list of Northern Ireland regional Machins that have more than one type of symbol on the same denomination/color combination. Paper, gum and phosphor varieties are not included.

"Spec Catalog Type" is the type used by Deegam, Connoisseur and MCC. "Scott/SG Type" is the type used by Scott and Stanley Gibbons.

All regionals listed were printed by The House of Questa.

13p Chestnut

Issue: 10/23/84
Spec Catalog Type: IIa
Scott/SG Type: I
Perf: 15 x 14
Background: Screened

Issue: 11/4/86
Spec Catalog Type: IIb
Scott/SG Type: II
Perf: 15 x 14
Background: Solid

17p Grey-blue

Issue: 10/23/84
Spec Catalog Type: IIa
Scott/SG Type: I
Perf: 15 x 14
Background: Screened

Issue: 9/10/86
Spec Catalog Type: IIb
Scott/SG Type: II
Perf: 15 x 14
Background: Solid

26p Red

Issue: 2/24/82
Spec Catalog Type: I
Scott/SG Type: I
Perf: 13.5 x 14
Background: Solid

Issue: 1/27/87
Spec Catalog Type: IIb
Scott/SG Type: II
Perf: 15 x 14
Background: Solid

28p Violet

Issue: 4/27/83
Spec Catalog Type: I
Scott/SG Type: I
Perf: 13.5 x 14
Background: Screened, Gradated

Issue: 1/27/87
Spec Catalog Type: IIb
Scott/SG Type: II
Perf: 15 x 14
Background: Screened, Gradated

31p Lilac

Issue: 10/23/84
Spec Catalog Type: IIa
Scott/SG Type: I
Perf: 15 x 14
Background: Screened, Gradated

Issue: 4/14/87
Spec Catalog Type: IIb
Scott/SG Type: II
Perf: 15 x 14
Background: Screened, Gradated

--Larry

Stampers Booklets 1994

I was going through some booklets yesterday and came across these (below) which I had tucked away for that rainy day, although I had not forgotten they existed, I had forgotten I actually had them in my collection.

They were sent to me a few years back by my pal in Scotland (Jack Hesketh).

So what are they? A nice set of four "Stampers Booklets" containing panes of Machins 10 x 1st-class flame NV. They were first issued as a set on 20th Sep 1994.

All four booklets were printed by Walsall Security Printers Ltd and originally sold at £2.50p per book.

The panes contained stamps overprinted with 2 x A - yellow phosphor bars (short wave).


Known to specialist booklet collectors as as "Stampers, Padlock books or if you want to be pedantic Type 7 (5) books. Each had the same barcode 100197.



Number 1 "Padlock"






Number 2 "Keep in touch"

Number 3 "Happy Birthday "

Number 4 "What’s happenin?"


Many thanks Jack. Without checking I have no idea what todays catalogue value is but they have now been mounted and take pride of place. I might add , they look terrific when mounted.

Prestige Booklets

Last year when Royal Mail gave out details of the 2009 program, it was mentioned that no less than 4 Prestige booklets were to released.

Two have been issued in 2009 to date: the first was Design Classics PB on the 23th January retail cost on day of issue £7.40p: PB Number two "Darwin" came just after on 12th February costing £7.55p.

We were informed that a third was in the pipeline: This was to be named Treasures of the Archives, the release date wrongly given at the time was "May 2009".

Updated or new information has come my way that this treasure of the Archive is still the theme of a Prestige Book now to be issued 18th August 2009. The book will be produced by Walsall in Litho.

A forth, which will be a follow on to the Prestige Booklets in the forces uniforms series will be known as number three in this uniform series and will be issued on 17th September 2009.

The first in the series covered Army uniforms, the second Air Force uniforms and this latest depicts uniforms of the Royal Navy.

This booklet will also be produced by Walsall in litho.

Faststamps Forgery

Riddle of the week: What is the difference between stamp collecting and the quick scam?

The answer is nothing, they can be one of the same.

There is always someone out there that wants to make a fast buck at the expense of other peoples ignorance. More and more scams are appearing, cutting or repairing perforations, changing postmarks or cancels not to mention the actual printing of the stamps them selves.

I found this information on the net and thought that I should pass it on to other Machin collectors, non of us that read this blog will get burned.

First day covers which are clearly forgeries, showing the set of the Post and Go Machins have started to appear on eBay. The session number (7066 Bristol ) in which the stamps were obtained is thought to be much to high for stamps issued on the first day. They are also cancelled Glasgow.


I will not go into to much detail as the The Faststamps website will explain all.