Search This Blog

Thursday 14 July 2011

Rumours of Secret Codes

If you are a regular reader you will recall that sometime in May we had a short debate about a possible future change in the background codes.

I wrote "I was intrigued to read a note from Brian Sinnott who implied that there may be a change of code for Machins appearing in custom retail booklets in the near future. I had heard a whisper of this sometime ago, but dismissed it.

This debate is still going on today. Rumours are around that the change of code will still happen in the near future. The first to appear with a noticeable affect is reported to be on the miniature sheet of Machin definitives celebrating the centenary of the birth of Arnold Machin O.B.E, R.A. Issue date is expected to be the opening day of Stampex, 14 September. Machin birth date was September 30th 1911.


We were correct in the assumption that the sheet will consist of 10 stamps,and speculation was also correct is they may be 10 x 1st class gold. Once again thanks go to Ian Billings for the image above.

I stated that they will not have security slits but will have a security code. The code however will not be as thought (MA11 or M11L). Thoughts are, that as it is an Arnold Machin sheet there is a distinct possibility that a new special code "AM" could be used.

Your thought are welcome.

NO BETS ARE BEING TAKEN on this but I have been given odds on if I wish to lay one off :-)

1 comment:

Ian - Norvic said...

I had a phone call from a customer today who asked if I was going to Stampex.

He wanted to get the Machin Centenary MS with the special Stampex Overprint - first I'd heard of it! Nothing has been said by Royal Mail about this and I suspect it is the PTS/Stampex Ltd or one of the dealers doing the overprinting.

Anybody else heard anything?