New Catalogue Machin Security Definitive Stamps

We are pleased to announce that the new Norvic Checklist of Machin Security Definitive Stamps is now available free of charge to all collectors and dealers.

Designed to fit the gap between the Stanley Gibbons GB Concise Catalogue and the extreme detail of some other lists, this identifies all the values with all the source and year codes, cross-referenced to SG numbers and Royal Mail product codes.  Source booklet numbers are also included to assist in precise identification.

Table showing 2nd class counter sheet listing

Dates of issue or earliest known dates (EKD) of appearance are shown.  Over the summer the list has been checked by a number of customers and dealers, and many corrections made, but more information is waiting to be discovered, especially on dates.  Checking stamps on ordinary mail may yet reveal that stamps were actually in post offices or other retail outlets earlier than previously thought so the list is always subject to change.  But it is totally up to date with the latest discovery, the 2p M14L (see below).

Some collectors (and dealers) record these stamps in greater detail than we do, for instance according to the size of the gap in the security slits, according to the shape of the perforation, or the direction of printing.  This doesn't claim to be a complete list of Security Machins according to those criteria, but it does list all the basic stamps - and a few extras.

The Norvic numbers are used in our webshop, and we hope that this will help customers to find what they are looking for an fill the gaps.  

To download a copy of the checklist go to Dropbox.

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M12L high value Machin definitive stamps WERE printed on 25/01/12

The 2011 new tariff stamps included 76p, £1.10 and £1.65 printed side-by-side on a single 3-value cylinder, with a 68p printed in three columns on a single-value cylinder.  (The stamps are shown on our website.)

Further printings took place through the year including 10/01/12 all with the M11L year code.

Later in the year, it became obvious that Royal Mail would not be able to change postage rates again at the end of March 2012, and that the announcement of new rates and implementation of the change would be delayed. A further printing of the much used 76p (airmail letters outside Europe 10g and worldwide postcards) was necessary.

This printing took place on 25/01/12 but despite the fact that the grid showed this to be a 3-value printing (as above), the £1.10 and £1.65 values were apparently not placed on sale at post office branches, and they were never on the date/cylinder list provided to dealers by Royal Mail Tallents House.

However we have now been sent a scan of the two values from that printing.  Sheets from this printing are not, as far as we know, in the hands of any collectors or dealers**, although it has been suggested that they may have been obtainable from Royal Mail's online shop.  However, as the values ceased to be available there with effect from the introduction of the new tariff when they were replaced by the £1.28 and £1.90 values, I find this hard to believe. 

These sheet numbers (007319-) are higher than the ones we have in stock for the 76p (0039977) so a considerable number of sheets were printed.

It made economic sense to continue to use the D1 cylinders even if a new iridescent M12L cylinder was needed, even if it meant some stamps would never be sold.  (Indeed if what we now know was correct then, that the year code depends on when the contract was placed, which would explain why the 10/01/12 printing had the M11L code.)

But if these stamps from this printing were made available to anybody, then they should have been made available to everybody.  If they were sold from Royal Mail Direct (in Edinburgh) then they should have been available from the Philatelic Service (in Edinburgh).  After all, the Philatelic Service stands to profit from sale of stamps which won't be used, so it makes much more sense for Royal Mail to sell them to collectors.  The gap between the left hand and the right hand seems to be one into which any number of stamp printings could fall.

If anybody does hear of the £1.10 and £1.65 M12L stamps existing with collectors or dealers we would be delighted to know more, and we would protect our sources as always.  Do let us know.

**And note: we do not have any of these; and to the people who read about them here and then go to Richard P in Norwich as their usual supplier, he doesn't have any either!

Following the comment regarding scans of the iridescent code on the above, I'm adding the 76p image which we know came from the same date's printing.  The iridescent cylinder is one cylinder across all three columns so they must all be M12L.

(To wrap up the story so far, eventually an extra single-value printing of the 76p from cylinder D2 was made on 30/03/12.)

A new printing of the 76p Machin stamp has been found.

When new stamps were issued for the rate changes in April 2011, the 76p, £1.10 and £1.65 were printed together across the web, the position indicated in the grid-block at the lower left of the sheets:

 
These were, of course, the M11L versions.  Originally printed on 10/01/11 and 11/01/11, further printings were made on 12/05 and 31/08/11, and on 10/01/12 still with the M11L year code.  All values exist with these dates.

With the 2012 postal tariffs not yet fixed a further printing, with year code M12L, was printed on 25/01/12.  The 76p was soon found and the appearance of the higher values (£1.10 and £1.65) with the new year code was eagerly awaited - but they have not been found.  But the increase in rates was delayed from the normal end of March to the end of April 2012, and a further printing seems to have been necessary (there being no country definitives at this rate).  [BUT SEE 2 APRIL 2013 BLOGPOST]

The final printing was on 30/03/12 from a new D2 cylinder and was a single-value printing! This was not announced by Royal Mail - indeed their list of printing dates shows this as being from cylinder D1 - and supplies are likely to be in very limited supply.

UPDATE 27 September:  We understand that the new printing was ahead of the new tariff for surface mail, which was to have been 76p; but that was increased to 77p so these were not needed. The surprise is, therefore, that ANY have been found at post office branches. 

Just to clarify, we have no stock of these cylinder blocks or grid positions.  We are keen to acquire them for customers so if you have a PO branch that delays returning withdrawn obsolete stock, do check them out.  The only reason to print these was because there was a need at POs so many have probably been used on packets or overseas letters.

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2012 Machin Security stamps in circulation

A week after Stampex, and all Faststamp FDCs are done and off to the handstamp centres, almost all emailing up to date, so it's time for a blog update, and there's a lot of news.

The new postage rates have not yet been announced, and Royal Mail have said that the new Large Letter Diamond Jubilee stamps (sheet, business sheet and booklet) will be issued on the same (as yet unannounced) day as the new tariff stamps - Machins and Country definitives.  As already reported and corrected, there will not be a new 50p definitive.  The Large Letter Jubilee stamp will look something like this:

2012 Security stamps

The 2nd class retail book of 12 (MTIL/M12L) stamp has already been reported, and now there are some surprise 2012 versions of last year's new tariff stamps.  The 68p is shown with a better picture of the 2nd class - with irridescent layer shifted slightly right. (Thanks to Chris H for the 68p report.)

We have a small quantity of both of these which are being allocated to existing customers first and will be added to our online shop when we have more supplies, together with the other values as they are available.   The 68p M12L stamp was reprinted on 25/01/12 and as its life is short (only until the rates change) you should look out for it and the others at post offices.
Thanks to Richard P for the images!


Date watchers have been mightily confused by Royal Mail's policy on Year Codes!

Recently discovered reprints are the £1 dated 12/01/12 and the 76p dated 10/01/12.  Both these are  M11L, despite being printed in 2012.  The 76p has also been founded dated (like the 68p) 25/01/12 with a M12L code.  (Note the £1.10 and £1.65 will also exist M11L from  10/01/12 and M12L 25/01/12 if previous printing layout is followed.)  It's odd that the £1 is reprinted again so soon as the last known printing was only 30/08/11.

Other new dates; the 1st class 2011 is reported with 20/10/11 and the 2p, 5p and 20p self-adhesive (which still haven't made it to all post offices) exist with:
31/08/11
01/09/11
24/01/12
25/01/12

Back in January we reported a shortage of stamps at post offices and the early use of Roald Dahl commemoratives instead.  With the postage rate change not yet announced, and an heavy programme of stamp issues in the summer, the three printers on Royal Mail's books are going to be busy in the next few weeks!

April: Tariff change, Machin and country definitives (DLR & Cartor)
31 May: Diamond Jubilee set and PSB (retail book by Walsall unaffected as all 1st class)
19 June: Charles Dickens set and MS
27 July: Olympic Games welcome
27 August: Paralympic Games welcome
27 Sept: Olympic and Paralympic Memories
16 Oct: World of Dinosaurs
30 Oct: Space Science
8 Nov: Christmas set and MS

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Machin M11L code continues in 2012 with Dahl PSB

Just when we thought we would see a new year code early in January in the Roald Dahl Prestige Stamp Book we find that they have the M11L code for 2011!


The conventionally gummed PSB pane has 2p, 10p & 68p stamps in, with the 68p having security features. The image shows all the stamps with security slits but that would only happen if they were self-adhesive.

 

So your 2011 Machin collection isn't finished yet!  The good thing from all points of view is that each pane provides 4 of these stamps with little postage left over. (Thanks to Richard P for the picture)

See Comments below about printing process and printer for this pane.

New printings of higher value Machins at last?

We have heard that the first of the high values to be reprinted since the original issue in 2009 may soon appear.  The first is expected to be the £1 ruby, with the security code M11L:

Update:

The 2011 £1 stamp with year code M11L is now available with printing date 30/08/11.  This will be kept for existing customers and will be available in our shop as soon as we have time to scan etc.

Other new printings are:

1st class gold 24/08/11

68p 26/08/11

76p 31/08/11

1st class Large - a new MA10 printing has appeared, with a printing date of 17/09/10. (Our previous date was 25/04/10)
We have limited numbers of date blocks for these, and date and cylinder blocks for the £1.  Even if you are an existing customer, please let us know if you would like these blocks.



Thanks to Richard P for the picture.

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First UK Aerial Post - Machin pane

We now have the miniature sheet and prestige book panes for this issue, originally mentioned here.  As expected the stamps have conventional gum, the 76p and 1st class stamps have a security overprint but the 5p stamps do not.  The phosphor bands are very opaque making the security overprint difficult to see where the bands are.  As expected the year code is M11L and the source code is MPIL.

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2010 self-adhesive 1st class coil - we now have these in stock, but almost all are allocated to existing customers.  Due to a bereavement our office is closed and distribution of these - indeed all business matters - are delayed and will be fitted in as best we can.   These will probably be distributed with the stamps from the 9 September Aerial Post pane shown above - and the Machin Centenary stamp or MS which is issued on 14 September.
E-mails will be answered when we can.  Thank you for your patience.

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New Machin source code this year?

Royal Mail have announced an issue to mark the centenary of the birth of Arnold Machin, sculptor who produced the iconic design of our current definitives (based on a photograph by John Hedgecoe). 

As announced:
Marking the centenary of the birth of Arnold Machin  .... a souvenir sheet of 10 definitive stamps... will be issued on the opening day of Stampex, 14 September 2011. The stamps are not new issues, they will have full security features except the security slits and will have conventional gum.

So these will not be self-adhesive, but coventionally gummed, so they are a new stamp for collectors because the year code should be M11L or MA11.  We doubt that Royal Mail will pass up the opportunity to introduce a new source code, however we can only guess at what that might be! We do not know which values will be included in the sheet - a face value of £4.60 suggests 10 x 1st class, but that is by no means certain!

More information will be published here as it is made available.

Almost a week of silence

The blog has been quiet because at last all the 2011 Security Machin stamps are in stock, and I have spent several days preparing customer orders, all of which are different!

Some people want 1, others want 2 or 3 of each; some people have already found some of the variations but not those from, for example, business sheets.

Of course one should never say that the collection is 'complete'.  What is complete for this year are the 2011 versions of the 2nd & 1st class basic and Large Letter stamps from counter sheets, business sheets, and all the booklets.  In this round we have also finished the 2010 versions of these. 

But the arrival of the 2010 Recorded Signed For stamps reminds us that the valued stamps from 50p to £5 have not yet appeared with a 2010/MA10 or 2011/M11L code, and the Special Delivery NVIs only exist with MA10 so far.


So it is quite possible that 2010 or 2011 versions of the 50p & £1 workhorses will appear, and if usage of the Special Delivery stamps has been better than anticipated they may need a reprint as well before the end of this year.

And then there is innovation.  There have been suggestions that forthcoming mixed retail booklets may have an innovation in the security overprint, possibly to indicate from which edition they come. So will we see 'THOMAS' or 'OLYMPIC' in the overprint?  Remember the original purpose of the source code was to assist Royal Mail Production should there be any operational problems when the stamps were used.

Innovation such as that described would provide a more precise identification of the source of the stamps.  But one might wonder if the move would be to target the pockets of collectors?  If there is such a change, then in order to pitch the stamps to collectors Royal Mail would have to reveal the 'secret code'.  When I spoke to the Head of Special Stamps at London 2010 she was adamant that information about when each of the new versions became available could not to be revealed because it was part of the security process.   We have an interesting 7 months ahead of us for the rest of 2011.

Machins from Wm Morris PSB: a mix, but colours right

We now have images of the actual Machin definitives from the Wm Morris prestige stamp book.

Unlike the stamps in the publicity image (shown below), the colours are a reasonable match to the originals.

The 5p & 10p are without the security overprint, but the 50p shows the M11L and MPIL year and source codes.

There are 8 tabs attaching the stamps to the matrix - as on the second version of the King George V London Festival of Stamps psb (8 May 2010), and the security slits are type 2a 2.

New Machin - or not? Unconfirmed MA11 1st Large Business.

1st class Large '11' from business sheets with an 03.11.10 printing date have been reported.

Knowledgeable people who are normally at the forefront with new finds are treating this as unconfirmed until there is evidence in the form of an image.  The date would be right for a 2011/MA11 version but so far all the reports can be tracked back to one printed mention, which could be an error.

If anybody who has this 1st Large Letter Business Sheet can confirm with an image, please write so that we can get the finding confirmed and image displayed.

More Security Machins for 2011

We now have images of the latest Machin definitives to be found

2nd class Large from Counter Sheets and  1st class from retail books of 12
 


The story so far, and approximate dates of issue/discovery (links to earlier reports):

11 January - 1st class from mixed booklets (Thunderbirds) - M11L - MCIL
- - January - 1st class from Business Sheets - M11L - MBIL
- - January - 2nd class from Business Sheets - M11L - MBIL
- - January - 2nd class from Counter Sheets - M11L - MAIL
- - February - 2nd class Large Counter Sheet - MA10 - MAIL
- - February - 1st class from Counter Sheets - M11L - MAIL
- - February - 1st class Large Counter Sheet - MA11 - MAIL
22 March - 2nd class Large retail booklet - MA11 - MFIL
22 March - 1st class Large retail booklet - MA11 - MFIL
- - March - 2nd class retail booklet of 12 - M11L - MTIL
- - March - 1st class retail booklet of 6 - M11L - MSIL
- - March - 2nd class Large Business Sheets - MA10 - MBIL
- - April - 2nd class Large Counter Sheet - MA11 - MAIL
- - April - 1st class retail booklet of 12 - M11L - MTIL
- - April - 2nd class Large Business Sheets - MA11 - MBIL
- - March/April - Recorded Signed For pair - MA10 - MAIL

Now, by my reckoning, that only leaves the 1st class Large from Business Sheets to be found - and it's only April!

Valued stamps
The new tariff rate stamps have M11L and MAIL security codes - 68p, 76p, £1.10 & £1.65.  The low value definitives (1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p) have no security overprint.


The William Morris prestige stamp book will have 5p, 10p and 50p self-adhesive Machins, so we expect MA11 or M11L with MPIL source code somewhere.

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Machin Security stamps - wrapping up 2010

Now life is getting complex and confusing.  No sooner have we had a clutch of 2011 stamps, the 2nd class Large stamp from Business Sheets of 2010 has appeared:

We hope to have these before the end of the month: we will keep them reserved for existing customers, and others will be added to our online shop.

The M11L 2nd class (small) from booklets of 12 will be in our online shop later today.  Again, we have reserved copies for existing customers.

Machin 2011 booklets, new discoveries

Ahead of the scheduled release of the Large Letter retail booklets, we have news from One Stop Stamp Shop of the 2nd class book of 12 and the 1st class book of 6.

Thanks to Rob for the image of the 2nd class MTIL which he has, the 1st class (MSIL) he has only seen on eBay (I couldn't find it when searching today).

 

The 1st class booklet of 6 image has been found.  This is wrongly listed on eBay as having been issued 19 August 2010.  True it has no printer's imprint and the small 'p' in the advert, but it is a sub-version of the one issued that date which was definitely MA10.  These were probably printed and packed in November, like the counter sheets.  (New image from Richard Parsons - thanks again!)

 

Please let us know if you find any new versions on your mail or in your post offices or other outlets.  It seems that this year the distribution is much earlier than last year, and - if distribution is on a first-in-first-out basis - old stocks should be out there already.  Leave a comment!

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More unannounced Security Machins for 2011

The list of 2011-coded Machin Security Stamps is growing, with two now from business sheets and three from counter sheets.  As yet our stocks of these have not been delivered, but as soon as we have them we will add them to the shop.  Regular customers will have the new stamps put aside for them as arranged.  The 2011 code on the Large stamp takes some finding, especially if you are looking for M11L, because this has MA11 on - as we wrongly predicted last year! - above the ge of Large.

(This is a new image of the 2nd class previously reported). 

Retail Booklet - British Heart Foundation 24 February 2011

The 50th Anniversary of the BHF will be marked by the issue of a retail book containing 4 x 1st class Machin stamps and 2 x last year's 1st class Medical Breakthroughs.  The Machins have security codes MCIL and M11L for 2011 even though the packing date on the outer wrapper is 02/12/10; the barcode is 5014721 112305.

Cylinder booklet

Close-up of Cylinder Numbers, almost hidden in the background printing.  Just visible above the 'Oth' is the number for the gold base cylinder, followed by the gold overlay.  The phosphor cylinder may be next, or it may be a space - certainly the gap between the two golds and the yellow is larger than one would expect for a single cylinder number.  To the right of the yellow are magenta, cyan, black and grey.

 

This is not regarded as a new stamp issue by Royal Mail so there are no First Day Covers.  Special postmarks are shown on our retail booklets webpage.

Machin M11L Security Machin - Business Sheets appear, and Counter Sheets

The first unannounced 2011 Machin NVI security stamps have appeared.  

The 2nd class and 1st class (both small) stamps in Business Sheets are now in circulation with printing dates of 11/11/2010 (2nd class) and 16/11/2010 (1st class).

 

(Thanks again to Richard P for providing pictures.)

Note that the MBIL is in the same place as before, and the M11L is - as with the booklet reported earlier - moved to row 2.  The security slits are undivided (ie original type) on both the 2nd and 1st class. 

These have now been added to our online store as items 2911B.1 and 2912B.1.

Following our trip to the York Stamp & Coin Fair on Saturday we can confirm that the following have been reported.  Confirmation, pictures and stocks awaited!

1st class Counter Sheet (2912.1) - not yet confirmed

2nd class Counter Sheet (2911.1) - confirmed

Please let us know when you find these used in your mail or kiloware.  We are looking for Earliest Known Date of usage.  Use the comment button below, thanks.

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Machin and Country definitive changes in 2011

Royal Mail have announced major changes to the production of definitive stamps during 2011.

The low value Machin stamps - 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p & 20p - will change from sheets of 200 with water-activated gum to sheets of 25* self-adhesive.  (*I suspect this means counter sheets of 25 but philatelic sheets of 50 with a gutter.).  These will have security slits but no iridescent security overprint.   The smaller sheets, which are more convenient for post office use, will be introduced operationally as needed, and there will be no official first day of issue, but the first day of philatelic availability will be 8 March 2011.  Normally gummed sheets will continue to be on sale from the Philatelic Bureau at Tallents House until further notice.

The new Country Definitives for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, to be issued at the end of March, will also be printed in sheets of 25 but will have conventional water-activated gum.  Values are expected to be 76p & £1.10.  Apparently the low usage of these does not make security features an economic proposition.  The new printings will be in litho by Cartor, changing from De La Rue gravure printings.

The Machin definitives required for the April tariff change will be self-adhesive with iridescent overprint in sheets of 25.  These should have the M11L year code and source code MAIL.  Values are expected to be 68p, 76p, £1.10 & £1.65.  All Machin printings are expected to be by De La Rue in gravure.

No date of issue for tariff change stamps has yet been announced.

Machin M11L Security Machin - 1st class mixed content booklet

As promised, and thanks to Richard's skills with his scanner, we can now show the first 2011 Machin security code. 

The Thunderbirds mixed booklet has M11L at top left, and MCIL at top right.  Like all booklets of 6 these should see early and widespread use and should be found on mail and in kiloware by the end of January.

2011 Security Machins have M11L year code

You'll have to take my word for it until Richard sends me an image from his scanner, which is cleverer than mine (mine will only focus on the glass).

The Thunderbirds/Gerry Anderson mixed content retail booklet has the Year Code M11L - and not where the MA10 was this year.   The top left corner has

OYAL on the first line, and

ALM11LR on the second line

Where MA10 was this year, in front of the Queen's forehead, has reverted to MAIL, and MCIL remains in the top right corner.  The packing date is 04/11/10 and the barcode 5 014721 127798.

SO the hunt is on - start looking out for retail booklets, business sheets and others for M11L