Special Delivery Machins

Royal Mail has announced two new Machin self-adhesive non-denominated definitives for Special Delivery Next Day services to be issued on October 26, 2010.

The blue and silver colors of the stamps are the ones used for the Special Delivery brand.

The design is similar to the Recorded Signed For stamps issued last year. Like them, there is a flash (that's what Royal Mail calls it) down the left side stating the service. Like the universal stamps, the weight limit replaces the usual denomination/service indicator.

Pricing in Proportion does not apply to Special Delivery services, so there is no "large" version of the stamps.

As you can see from the images, the stamps will have the Royal Mail security overprint with the "MA10" code identifying the year of printing. (It is just to the left of the Queen's forehead.) Since these are sheet stamps, there is no format code (such as MSIL with the letter S indicating booklets of six).

Although not shown on the publicity images supplied by Royal Mail, the press release states that the stamps will have the usual U-shaped slits.

The stamps pay for the Next Day service that guarantees delivery by 1pm to 99 percent of the UK. The current rates (and therefore the cost of these stamps) for the Special Delivery Next Day service with £500 compensation are £5.05 for up to 100g and £5.50 for up to 500g. Higher compensation amounts are available for additional cost.

Another service, called Special Delivery 9.00 am provides earlier delivery for higher cost. That service can be paid for by Horizon labels, regular Machins, these Machins plus additional postage (presumably), or a whole bunch of those 15 1/2p stamps you've had stored away for many years.

As usual, Ian Billings has posted information on his web site here.

--Larry

(Corrected the amount of compensation paid for by these stamps.)

Away for a While

This is a short note just to inform you that I will be away from my desk for a while, approx 6 weeks from tomorrow 24th July. I have some business to take care of in the UK so I thought why not combine it to visit family and friends and take a short holiday.

It is relatively quiet on the Machin scene, and a lot of people will be going on vacation them selves during the coming weeks, so what better time to take a break. Whilst I am away do pop in every now and again just to check. Larry may write a few words.

Ian Billings has updated his blog with news of A new 2010 first class business sheet stamp (left).

Also on his pages is news of two new Machin booklets which are due for release on 19th August this year.

If Ian is not going on vacation himself, while I am away you may want to log in to his pages over the coming weeks for Machin, Country pictorial, and other stamp related news.

Here is the URL to his home page, do not forget to add it to your favourites list, we recommend it.

Take care all, see you in a few weeks, I hope you do not miss me to much ;-)

..........Roy

Special Issue Booklets (A List)

Jim Smallwood wrote to me asking "how many Machin Special issues booklets had been issued to date." I am presuming he is referring to retail booklets - self adhesive with Machin - Special issues combined

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The first one that falls into this category shown left was the Cats & Dogs + 2 x Machins, issued way back in 2001.

For everyone's information I have prepared a list from the first booklet which will include the date of issue, the actual Machin and special issue stamp, also the printer and hidden code (where applicable)

2 x 1st flame, 13 Feb 01, Walsall 10 x Cats & Dogs
4 x 1st flame, 17 Apr 01, Questa 2 x Submarines
4 x 1st flame, 04 Sep 01, Questa 2 x Punch & Judy
4 x 1st flame, 22 Oct 01, Questa 2 x Flags & Ensigns
4 x 1st flame, 02 May 02, Questa 2 x Airliners
4 x 1st flame, 21 May 02, Walsall 2 x World Cup
4 x 1st flame, 10 Sep 02, Questa 2 x Bridges of London
4 x 1st gold, 04 Mar 03, Questa 2 x Hello
4 x 1st gold, 29 Apr 03 ,De La Rue 2 x Extreme Endeavours
4 x 1st gold, 15 Jul 03, De La Rue 2 x British Journey - Scotland
4 x 1st gold, 18 Sep 03, De La Rue 2 x Transports of Delight
4 x 1st gold, 16 Mar 04, De La Rue British Journey - N.Ireland
4 x 1st gold, 13 Apr 04, De La Rue 2 x Ocean Liners
4 x 1st gold, 15 Jun 04, De La Rue 2 x British Journey - Wales
4 x 1st gold, 13 May 08, Walsall 2 x Ice Cream
4 x 1st gold, 10 Mar 09, Walsall 2 x British Design Classics Routemaster
4 x 1st gold, 21 Apr 09, Walsall 2 x British Design Classics Mini (C)
4 x 1st gold, 21 May 09, Walsall 2 x 50 years of NAFAS (C / Missing A)
4 x 1st gold, 18 Aug 09, Walsall 2 x British Design Concorde (C)
4 x 1st gold, 17 Sep 09, Walsall 2 x British Design Mary Quant Mini Skirt (C)
4 x 1st gold, 7 Jan 10, Walsall 2 x Olympic & Paralympic Games 1 (C)
4 x 1st gold, 25 Feb 10, Walsall 2 x Olympic & Paralympic Games 2 (C / 10)
4 x 1st gold, 15 Jun 10 ,Walsall 2 x Mammals (C / 10)

Two more booklrts are due to be released this year

4 x 1st gold, 27 July 10, Walsall 2 x Olympic & Paralympic Games 3 ( C /10)
4 x 1st gold, 15 Sept 10, Walsall 2 x British Design Spitfire (C /10 )

I hope this helps you Jim and anyone else who is interested in these issues.

It is no secret here on Machin Mania that I have been a avid fan of steam locomotives (and railways). I have been since I was a little kid, or possibly even before this, as an itch in my dads jock strap :-) Anyway, long before my interest in Machins (but not stamp collecting).

This is why occasionally I divert from the Machin and write about other GB stamp issues.
I was pleased to hear that in 2010 -2011 Royal Mail will issue several stamps and Miniature sheets with a Railways theme.

They start this program on 19 August 2010 with 6 stamps entitled Great British Railways. These show locos from five companies that were collected together and formed into British Rail in 1948.

For those of you who are enthusiasts, my Ian Allan train spotting book actually had two of these locos underlined. This indicates I actually collected the numbers by having sight of the engines in question.

The first stamp is "Coronation"

Of the London Midland and Scottish Railway, as a boy I remember seeing this engine at Derby open day sometime in the 50s without the streamlining. "Derby OPEN day" was a great day out the equivalent to stampex for train enthusiasts of the day. it brings back many happy memories

Below is a sister engine, the Preserved LMS Coronation class 4-6-2 number 6229 "Duchess of Hamilton" (on show at the NRM (National Railway Museum) in York (re streamlined condition) Photograph Edward Talbot.


"Evening Star"

The last engine built, is depicted on the second stamp (above top), is now displayed at National Railway Museum. The name was thought to be a fitting end to steam, and was chosen from hundreds of names entered in a competition. A special commemorative plate was affixed below the nameplate on the smoke deflectors. The commemorative plate reads:


No. 92220 built at Swindon March 1960
The last steam locomotive for British Railways Named at Swindon on March 18 1960 by K.W.C. Grand, Esq.
Member of the British Transport Commission

above : Evening Star No. 92220 - GWR Museum, UK - photo by Adrian Brodie

As this is supposed to a Machin site, and I know from the past that Steam Railways are not every one's cup of tea, I will make this post short, however if you wish to read more details of the issue mentioned above go over to Norvic Philatelic Blog where Ian gives tons more information on this subject.

Back to Machins in my next post.

Pre Decimal Papers

Anthony Betteridge recently wrote to me and informed me he had taken up an interest in Machins again after 40 odd years in the cold.



After all this time I thought Tony deserved a mention on Machin Mania. Welcome back to the wonderful world of Machins Tony.




After 4 decades, out came his old albums and stock books of Pre Decimal Machins, which I know for certain contained full sheets, cylinder blocks and I presume booklet panes and singles. All were still in good order and in mint condition.

It is only fair to assume that after all this time he had forgotten most of what he learned in the late 60s, and he wanted to know about the different papers of the day. Mentioning especially the 10d (drab) value.

Now I am no expert on these stamps, so I consulted one of the specialist catalogues to gen up. Here is what I found out.


There are 4 different papers (not counting the high values) which you can determine with a simple test which is by placing the stamps under a UV lamp.

First issues had MCP (Milky Coated Paper)

Second issues BCP (Bluish coated paper)

Third Issues OCP (Original Coated Paper)

Fourth issue PCP (Phosphor Coated Paper)

10d stamps are known on BCP (November 69) and OCP (1970) (both from sheets cyl 1)

I hope this helps

Competition Results

We had 14 replies to the booklet question, and from these we had 12 correct entries. All of you with the correct answer, your names went into a hat and my wife picked out the winner.

I think most of you thought the question was to easy, to be honest it was not meant to be a brain teaser, just as a bit of fun, I will try to make the next one more difficult for you honest :-)

For those who did find it hard, the answer is "the pane is miscut", on the normal pane the 8p stamp & label should be on the left, the 1p stamps to the right (this is shown shown below)

The winner! Congratulations go to Brian Mason, well done Brian. Please send me the address where you would like to take delivery of the win. It is quite a nice item, with average perforations. I think it is catalogued somewhere in the region of £10.00.

Thanks to everyone who took time to enter (I will keep your names anonymous) you know who you are. I hope by not winning on this occasion it will not deter you from entering next time. I also hope that you have better luck in the future.

Food For thought

Robert Bostock sent me an email last week, the content I found most unusual. Thanks Robert for bringing this to our attention.

"While doing a bit of research on Hedgecoe and his claim to have widely influenced the Machin head, I was surprised to come across this bas-relief sculpture by Australian Leslie Bowles (born 1885), used on QEII definitives for that country as early as 1955, 12 years before the first Machin stamps.

More than a passing resemblance with some of Machin's attempts at the head. Did he therefore really need Hedgecoe's photos to help him achieve his portrait and might he not have been at least a little influenced by his Australian cousin?"

Comparing these Preliminary stamp designs with the Machin bust, I also find the likeness to Machin stamps is uncanny. Especially the last one (7½d) bottom right.

Does anyone have any more information on the bust? Was it, I wander (as Robert points out) used by Machin in conjunction with the Hedgcow portrait to influence his own work ?

There is an English connection, Bowles who died in 1954 (one year before the Australian stamps were commissioned ) studied at the South London School of Sculpture and the Royal Academy School and became an assistant to stamp designer Betram MacKennal, another expatriate Australian sculptor working in England.

For the full story and image of the cast skip over to this website.