What's in a name?

Looking through the April issue of the British Philatelic Bulletin, I noticed that the upcoming 11-Machin-plus-label souvenir sheet is being called the "Jeffery Matthews philatelic stamps sheet."

The description notes that "this unique sheet features all of the gummed stamps in the Jeffery Matthews colour palette."

Well, I guess by saying "gummed stamps" they get to exclude the 50p and £1, which are now only available in the self-adhesive security version. And they (fortunately!) didn't include the high values, which technically are not on sale.

The two colors used for non-denominated stamps, gold for first class and light/bright blue for second class, were not developed by Matthews.

Still, even though Matthews designed the colors (and the numerals!), it is still Arnold Machin's portrait and overall design. I think a better name would be the "Arnold Machin philatelic stamp sheet." Do you?



By the way, here is the somewhat similar souvenir sheet issued during The Stamp Show 2000. This sheet was in fact designed by Matthews, who picked the stamps from the then-current selection and designed the rest of the sheet, including the two labels.

--Larry

PS I'm off to London for the big show.

Machin News May 2010

Norvic Philatelics have now received supplies of the London 2010 Festival of Stamps Souvenir Sheet, containing 11 Machin definitives printed by Cartor.

These are all new stamps and should be catalogued as such in specialised lists.

On his blog pages Ian has posted ACTUAL images (and makes observations) of the individual stamps when he compared them to De La Rue sheet printings.

I have not studied them closely or at length, but on first impressions they are very different. The background and Queens portrait from the Cartor printings are much darker, it is also quite noticeable that the values seem to be set higher compared to the De La Rue sheet stamps.

Ian did not mention the type of paper, or if the sheet contained a phosphor. Perhaps he could pass this information on to us via a comment.



Ian has also posted news and scans of the PUC £1 facsimiles. Just one word from me describes these.

NICE!!

Read Ian's report here and keep tuned in, May is (as if we did not know) the month when the London 2010 Festival will bring to the fold more issues than we can swing a cat at.

If you have it, I am looking for news of short, and inset phosphor bands, also errors (if any), just reply to this post or send me an email.

1st Class Machin Mugs or What?

When we started this blog I informed you that we would be writing about everything that was (or is) Machin related. To date pubs, ceramics, car registration plates, airplane engines and train spotting have crept into posts on this diverse subject, even Spanish chickens have found the way in. What ever will be next?



What about Machin note books or even a Machin mug? No not us "mugs" who tend to buy everything stamp wise that Royal Mail Mail throw at us. It is another type of mug I am refering to. Read on!


These days It is not just Royal Mail who are hungry for your hard earned cash, everyone seems to think collectors have a never ending supply of readies and they are attempting to jump on the band wagon.



I can hear them saying If these collectors are stupid enough to buy bits of coloured paper, why not jump on it?


The next time you have to write notes on or about your Machin collection, or send a wants list to your local dealer, why not do it in style by adding the entries into your very own Machin note book? No joke ! Available at £4.00 + P&P



At the same time you can relax with a first class cuppa from your very own 1st class Machin mug.

At £8.99 + £2.99 postage and packing you would have to be a Machin mug to buy one.


However, if you really can not do without and seriously do want one they are obtainable from a website dealing in greetings cards with a stamp collecting and Machin theme. They have now extended their range to include both of the above.


The greetings cards are for sale at £2.00 each and include several Machin designs on the covers, which can be sent to your 1st class class friends, 1st class mother, 1st class father, and brother or sister.

A novel idea, but before I get tempted I am off to search the web again for a first class Machin toilet to flush my money down.

St George & The Dragon

It is a pity that Royal Mail did not release the George V double headed miniature sheet showing George and the Dragon a couple of weeks early, it would have made a great double celebration. George V accession and St Georges day.

But I guess this would have made the Accession day two weeks early. The old saying goes "we can not have have our cake and eat it", so just for today (in Lou of the stamps ) I have made some cakes for you :-)


The anniversary of Saint George's death in 303 AD, which falls on 23rd April (2010), is seen as England's 'National Day', though it is not currently a national holiday.

People wear traditional costumes, stupid hats, drink a lot and wave the English flag (St. George's Cross). Some even wear the a red rose to go with the red nose after getting merry on the drink.

St. George's day is celebrated across the United Kingdom, as well as many other regions and countries around the world including Germany, Spain, Portugal, Cyprus, Greece, Georgia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Russia, Slovenia, Italy, Lebanon, Malta, and Albania.


Where ever you are in the world have a great celebration!

Decimal Wildings

Adrian, who occasionally writes a few lines on this blog has updated his own blog with some interesting information and a request.

The stamps from the decimal Wilding miniature sheet and the Prestige booklet panes issued in September 2008 hold many differences for the specialist. Adrian spells out these differences in plain language, I found his piece very interesting.

I actually collect these stamps and tend to agree with Adrian they are a very nice addition to a wilding collection.

Adrian's request:


If you can help, he is looking for two of the non-stamp panes (interleaves) from the Prestige booklet, and he would love to swap them for anything you like.

Visit Adrian's blog, read his write up and see the images here.

Jumelle Press Colour Trials Continued

Both Ian Rose and Douglas Myall have replied to the last post divulging more information on the background and history of these items.

Douglas comments that these stamps are described on the Deegam CD (Appendix 13) under Trials, Proofs , Essays and Ephemera.

It was good of him to send me a link to the information

"They are believed to have been made on 10th October 1973." Douglas also mentions "that the trials consist of two different head types B2 and C1. Both heads etched into the same cylinder, B2 etched deeper than C1 to give the deeper colours.

The cylinder was used to print two colours, lilac and turquoise. Resulting in the four stamps Head B2 deep lilac, head B2 deep turquoise, head C1 pale lilac and head C1 pale turquoise."

I have uploaded the other images from the lot so you can compare them. Top light turquoise, middle light lilac and bottom dark turquoise . The dark lilac stamps are illustrated on the previous post.

Thanks go to both to Ian and Douglas for their replies.

On a second note:

Why do the compilers of catalogues and auctioneers insist on describing stamp trials as "errors" when they are obviously nothing of the kind?

Pricing

I have always maintained that a stamp is only worth what someone is prepared to pay for it.

In my initial report (and Ian's reply) you will see these items did not sell. Ian suggests they were over priced. I made a mistake when I sugested these were priced in pounds sterling. They were actualy priced in Euros (not a lot of difference when you compare the exchange rates).

The auctioneer estimated their combined value between 1.500 Euros and £1.800 Euros (E375 - E450 per block) which roughly equates to 93 - 112 Euros per stamp, this is more or less twice the value that Ian suggests.

"I do not know what they sell for these days, but my guess would be around £100 for a pair. This would make the auctioneers estimate for four blocks of 4 seem very high"

MCC 2010 Specialised Machin Catalogue

According to my contacts in the trade The Machin Collectors Club are due to release the latest MCC specialised catalogue.


The latest edition of this catalogue will be available from May 8th 2010. However if you are a member of the Machin Collectors Club you can obtain your copy either at their meeting at Dunchurch on Sunday 18th April or by post during the following week.

I would be interested to know what others think of this work, if you intend buying it could you possibly write a review for publication on this site?

For those who are interested it is priced at £39.95 (two volumes) contents are said to be updated to the last minute before going to press.

Machin Colour Trials

I am sorry that I have not had much time to post over the last week or so, other commitments have kept me rather busy.

The majority of the latest news is already online, so in all fairness you have not missed to much with my absence.

Whilst I was scratching about on the web I have come across one item which you may find interesting.

Last November David Feldman, Philatelic Auctioneers (Switzerland) put up for sale a collection of modern errors, one of which were four blocks of Machin colour trials.

These were described as:

LOT 30143 Queen Elizabeth II.

Modern Errors.

Machins 1973 4x Machin colour trials without value, blocks of 4 in deep lilac, pale lilac, pale turquoise & deep turquoise, on shiny un-gummed paper, very fine & scarce.

This lot was offered in the region of £1.500. I believe it failed to meet its reserve.

New Coils of 500 & 1000

Deegam report 87 (April 2010) is now online and as usual it has all the latest information on current Machins. Included in this report is news of two new Machins due for release on 13th May.

These are in fact in coil form, 500 & 1000, they will consist of 1st class NVI and 2nd class NVI. Unlike the previous coil stamps these will have conventional PVAl gum but will not have security slits, they will however still have the security overprint possibly with the code letter R.

Ian rose has drawn my attention to the Hampsted Casle website who informs his customers of another find.

Unexpected Walsall background changes!

In addition to the Letter above the crown, the Year is now also indicated in the background security print front of the Queen's forehead.

Seen so far: 2nd class from a booklet of 12 code T + the numerals 10. 1st class from one or more of the custom booklets, code C + the numerals 10. And lastly, 1st class with code S booklets of 6 and the numeral 10.

Popping over to Norvic Philatelics blog, Ian Billings has already confirmed these reports (and another find). Ian has laid out all the current information and images supplied via Machin dealer Alec Withell. I recommend a visit.

Welsh - Gold Machin Horizon Label?

I had to double check the date before I posted this report as I thought it may have been an April fools joke.

This months Stamp Magazine, have announced that it was De La Rue who printed the ‘Gold Machin’ postage labels, these were previously trialed at ‘Camden Town. OK this is news but what really got my attention was It has now been widely reported that these labels "will shortly return to use at Post Office Counters", but will be restricted to Post Offices in Wales."

It is suggested that "the overprint that will appear on the labels will be bilingual, giving rise to new variants.

A further complication is that some Branches in Wales produce a ‘English’ overprint. Additionally, unlike the Camden trial, their use will not be restricted to ‘Special Delivery’ mail and all classes of mail that currently receives a Postage Label will be eligible for a new ‘gold’ label."

The date of release for the labels will be possibly (First Day of Issue) 13th April but no official First Day facilities will be offered by Royal Mail.

"The distribution will be phased in, meaning that branches will receive labels on different dates – there is no instruction to use them over the existing white labels so they will appear randomly"

For a full report visit Postage Labels of the UK


In my last report I mentioned an uncut press sheet and suggested it would retail above face and cost collectors an arm and a leg. This was true.

According to the latest rumors the Press Sheet (face value £28.20) with 20 of the Miniature sheets, showing the 1st class Machin George V Double Head and a £1 brown showing both Downey and Mackennal George V heads will retail above face @ £31.00.

My shopping bag JUST GOT BIGGER!