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 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.

---

We thought 2012 was all over - new gold Machin security stamp!

Last year, the year of the Diamond Blue 1st class stamps, we were surprised by the appearance in the spring of the 1st class book of 12 stamps containing gold stamps coded M12L/MTIL.  This was the only gold stamp with a 2012 year code - until now!

The 1st class gold coded MRIL MA12 from self-adhesive coils of 10,000 intended for bulk mailing houses has been discovered on a mailshot from Barclaycard - not a statement, but a circular.  Be sure to check your incoming post and any kiloware carefully, as codes are more difficult to see on the 1st class stamps - and they aren't often used for mailshots.

These are now available - order yours here. 

Also new for 2013
The 2nd class large booklet of 4 with MA13 code has been reported from the Midlands.
And, just a couple of days later the 2nd large MA13 from business sheets printed 03/03/13 has been reported.  
We don't have any supplies or pictures of these.   We'll add the pictures here and the links to our stock when we have it.

---

Enschede 2nd class coil MA12 MRIL commercial use

We reported in July last year that the 2nd class coil, printed by Enschede, was available in rolls of 10,000 with a 2012 year code MA12.  We've had mint examples available for some time (shop).  Now we can show the first on-cover example from a direct mailing source (rather than from a dealer or collector).

The two variations on the 4-line ink-jet wavy lines came from different mailings, the 'upper' one from March this year, and the 'lower' one from a recent mailing.

So if you support charities, take a good look at their mailings if they use stamps.  You might be the first to find the MA13 version, if it exists!

UDPATE: As you can see in the comments, it is not the MA13 version which has been found, but a new M12L version.  Thanks to the contributor we can show the picture.   This post is now closed for comments and comments may be made on a new current post.

---

New images for February's new stamps

Royal Mail have provided these images for the stamps to be issued in February - preliminary images were shown earlier.  Click on any of these to see larger versions.

There will be two values of blue Machin Faststamps, 2nd class and 2nd class Large. I didn't notice that the year code MA12 was included in the original publicity image, and the same code is shown on these two, just NW of the Queen's nose.

The coding on these indicates printing in the UK in February 2013.  The stamps in the Bureau Pack are likely to be coded 2NL13 rather than 2GB13 unless different arrangements have been made from earlier packs.  I'm not convinced that the positioning of the weight service indicator is correct.

The higher resolution images of the Jane Austen publicity images (these are still not actual stamps) haven't improved them greatly but if you click on them you can see them as two larger images:

These images of the Pond Life faststamps show no year code in the background, and the spacing of the weight limit is different to that used previously (and is probably, therefore, wrong!)

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

---

Christmas Robin Faststamps have year code MA12

Chris has sent this picture of the collectors set of Robins from Trafalgar Square.

If you zoom in, you can see that the grey printing ROYAL MAIL in the background shows MA12 just above the 'g' of the weight.   So when this is repeated next year, it will be interesting to see which offices didn't use all their 2012 allocation!  Post Office will undoubtedly say that it is for stock control but sceptics (and cynics) will say that it is so that the collector will buy them again next year.

Two more pictures, from Richard:

---

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 !

---

New 2nd class Machin stamp printings

I'm posting news as it comes now, rather than trying to provide a consolidated list of 2012 happenings at this stage.

Richard P has provided these two new images, the M12L 2nd class counter sheet and MA12 2nd Large business sheet.  The latter has a printing date of 29/03/12 so (unless Swindon are once again sending out the newest first) stocks must have been really low!

Note that the year code for the Large stamp is in the same place as MA11.

---