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.

---

Surprise new 1st class coil stamp now distributed by Royal Mail.

The 2013 printing of the 1st class red self-adhesive coil first seen on mailings from Royal Mail's share registrar and reported here has now been made available mint, along with a new version of the 2012 2nd class coil.  Both are printed by Walsall Security Print, and both are numbered on the reverse.  

The original 2nd class coil was printed by Enschede, coded MA12, and numbered.  Then a Walsall printing coded M12L was discovered, which had no numbering on the reverse. On our initial supplies of the 1st class, the iridescent printing is inset at the left.

The 2nd class coil, showing unnumbered and numbered strips of 10.  We have two unnumbered strips remaining in stock.   The 1st class coil and strips are also listed in our shop.

Royal Mail have distributed these because of the new printer, as 'non-visible changes'.  This seems to be a new policy as previously stamps distributed as a result of a printer change have been 'visible changes' in counter sheets (where the cylinder number indicates the printer but the individual stamps are no different).  When Business Sheet printing moved to a new printer, the sheets were not identified by Royal Mail as different and were not available as a separate stock item.

Thanks to all the readers who emailed, phoned, and left blog comments about this surprise distribution.  I wanted to see them for myself before writing anything which might then have to be edited.

---

Surprise new 2nd class coil stamp discovered !

It's the start of 2014 and we thought we knew about all of the stamps were issued - or discovered - in 2013, and they included some surprise 2012 printings.  

In July last we reported the fact that the 2012 2nd class coil (which had been available mint for a while) had now been found used on a bulk mailing.

But now a new version of the 2nd class MRIL has been discovered in kiloware.

UPDATE 28 JAN 14
We understand that this and the 1st class red were printed by Walsall Security Printers in the second half of 2012.  (The 1st class distributed by Royal Mail Tallents House were MA12, from Enschede.)

This clearly shows M12L - MRIL.  We will be interested to hear of any further findings, especially on whole cover, or enough to show the source, so that we can all look out for them!

UPDATE 6 February 2014
Thanks to John for sending this cover from Christian Aid.  You can't see the iridescent overprint, but John assures me that it is the new M12L MRIL

UPDATE 13 February 2014
Another example has been sent, from Queen Elizabeth's Foundation for Disabled People.   Thanks to 'Boweevil' for this.

UPDATE 14 April 2014
Closer to home, a further example has now been received from the British Heart Foundation, with the same postmark as the Christian Aid one.  The return address is Melksham SN12 6WF

UPDATE 21 June 2014
The Centrepoint charity is also using this new stamp, with the same postmark as the QEF one.  Centrepoint's mailing house has used other 2nd class coils - and also M11L business sheet and 2nd Large MA12 business sheet.

UPDATE February 2015
Latest mailshots from CentrePoint are using pre-security coils with ordinary gum.

---

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.)

Machin stamps from Doctor Who prestige stamp book

We can now show the Machin definitives from the Dr Who Prestige Stamp books to be released on 26 March.  These are all new stamps - gummed, with M12L MPIL security codes.  Thanks to Richard P for these images.

The format of the PSB is unusual - see original Doctor Who entry.

London Underground Retail Booklet of 6 stamps

On our website we show the publicity picture for the London Underground mixed retail booklet.

The background to the LU stamps is Harry Beck's London Underground map on the left, and the newer map on the right, with the cylinder numbers shown vertically at the right.  

As we know we can't always rely on the pre-issue images - but as I received a pack containing no cylinder numbers at all, I still don't know whether the image is accurate or not.  We can report that the year code is M12L and the source code MCIL.

Here are pictures of today's arrivals, which indicate that they were packed on 27 November:

Changes to Machin Definitive Stamps from 3 January 2013 - update

The new Royal Mail red colour to be used for 1st class stamps in 2013 is not as red as we expected - certainly not as red as the booklet covers!  Although these are not issued until 2013 the year codes are M12L and MA12 (Large stamps).

The new stamps use cylinders D1 and the stamps are in guttered sheets of 50 with two panes of 25.  Dates of printing known so far are

19/09/12 and 20/09/12 for the small 1st red, and (updated 15 Jan)
24/09/12 for the 1st class Large.

 

LOW VALUES
The 1p - 20p stamps have been printed with an iridescent overprint for the first time.  The cylinder numbers used are D2 for the colour, and D1 for the phosphor and iridescent overprint.  The sheets are of 25 (5x5) as before.  In this new printing all the stamps appear to be printed in all 12 grid positions on the cylinder.

Printing dates seen (and there may be others) are:
1p              17/09/12
2p & 5p     12/09/12
10p & 20p 13/09/12

HIGH VALUES

The 50p and £1 stamps are also in sheets of 25, with 12 grid positions for each.  Cylinder numbers are D1 x3.  Colours in these pictures are darker than the stamps appear to me (the 50p shown here looks very blue).  The £1 is very close to the colour of the engraved £5.
Printing dates are 18/09/12 for both values.

BOOKLETS
The booklets are very similar to the previous versions with security codes MSIL for the book of 6, MTIL for the book of 12, and MFIL for the book of 4 Large.


Booklet of 4 x 1st Large - cylinders W2 W1 W1

Booklet of 12 x 1st - cylinders W5 W2(p) W1(i) - correction

Booklet of 6 x 1st - no cylinder booklets received yet.

12.12.12 Richard has found some cylinder booklets showing red cylinder W6 (cylinders for phosphor and iridescent not yet confirmed).  Note that the cylinder numbers on these booklets is obscured by the front cover, being printed further to the left than on the other two booklets.

Wrappers:

BUSINESS SHEETS and COILS - not yet received

UPDATE:  for those who have asked, here is a comparison between the original 1st class flame and the new Royal Mail red>

OLD FLAME - NEW RED

---

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.

---

2012 Machins nearly complete - 2nd Large booklet of 4.

The 2nd class Large letter stamps from booklets of 4 with MA12 year code has been spotted on eBay.  

This shouldn't be scarce as so many stamps were purchased in April before postage rates increased and stocks were seriously depleted.

Thanks to our reader for the tip-off.  We'll let customers know when this is in stock.

---

The 2012 Machin collection is nearly complete

The 2nd class Large 2012 stamp from counter sheets has now been released - and has security code MA12 (like the Enschede coil).  The small 2nd class stamp has code M12L.

These are in stock and will be reserved for existing customers.  The printing date is 29/02/12.  We'll show an image as soon as we have one. Thanks to Richard P for the image.

---

Machin 2nd class coil by Enschede - new 2012 code!

Machin coils of 10,000 have been a problem since Royal Mail refuse to split them even though we know and they know that they could sell singles and strips with no problem, to thousands of collectors all over the world.

Dealers bought the original 2009 coded 1st and 2nd class which have been available at a reasonable price.  The 1st class 2010 was also obtained, but the price was considerably higher.

Then the 2nd class 2010 was found on 'junk' mailings from a number of mailing houses.  This is known as the Sunday Times Wine Club stamp as it was first found on a mailshot from the club.  Prices achieved on eBay have been amazing, but settled down as more came to market.

Reliable information from Royal Mail said that both 1st & 2nd class were printed with 2011 codes, but none have so far been reported.

Earlier this year we learned that a new 2nd class coil was to be printed by Enschede, and thanks to dealer Alec Withell we can now show images of the stamp and the coil.  Oddly, whilst other 2012 stamps have appeared with the M12L code, this one is coded MA12!

Of course now we wait to hear which direct mailshots are using these - or the 2011 version in 2nd or 1st class !

---

Another update - Machins round-up

This is another summary of snippets that I have been sent over the last couple of months. Some of these might have warranted a full blog entry had time been available, but it wasn't, hence the round-up now.


Printing dates.
I don't follow these as avidly as some, but will report them as reported to me:

2nd M12L counter sheet - 13/02/12 [CH]
2p counter sheet - 24/01/12 [CH]

1st Gold booklet M12L MTIL

'packs have been found dated 15/12/11, 20/12/11 and 22/12/11 - sounds like a lot of stamps!' [IR]

Also found an upward shift of the iridescent layer and short phosphor bands at the foot on the same stamps - thanks to MD for the pictures:

Missing letters

The missing 'A' on the NAFAS Flowers booklet 1st class gold is well known and seems only to have occurred on that booklet,  but LS has sent a picture of the 2nd class Large with a missing 'M' behind the Queen's head:

This is from a 2nd class Business Sheet with no year code - 2009.  And when I checked my stock I found that they were all like that!  SO not a variety, but an interesting variation, because there seems to be space there for the whole letter 'M' - and even if there was not, the rest of the stamp shows part letters.

Are there any more little differences waiting to be discovered?  Let us know if you find any.

UPDATE: Robert reports that the same omission occurs on the 1st class Business Sheet.

---