Let's Talk About Machins

The crimson for the 1p has now been replaced by this blue colour. It was one of the original colours used after decimalisation. Officially, it was changed 30 years ago, but the change, mostly, was in the official name.

They now sell the stamps as base values (those up to GBP 1), high values (GBP 2, 3, and 5), and tariff values. The latter retain solid colours. The basic stamps and high values have 'inverted' designs.

Most tariff values are higher than the GBP 2 and 3 'high values.'

I noticed the 1p change too. It was red right back to the Penny Red, then changed to blue for a while (the 1953 Wildings), but found its way back to red(-ish) again with the decimal Machins 51 years ago. Red seemed to be its default colour - not sure why its been abandoned.

Machins have gone through more than more color palette change over time. I wonder if some of it was not to be confused with "1" and "2" NVI.

The change in 1951 was due to UPU regulations on the colour for postage stamps used on international mail. The reddish colour was required for another stamp. That required a change in the colour used for the 1d.

I have not found any information on the reason for the change in colours. The colour for the 1p, also, is that for the £ 2.55.
Maybe the crimson was unsuitable for the reversed printing.

They changed the 2nd NVI from bright blue to emerald. This was close to the 2p (myrtle green) and 20p (light green) stamp colour.
The 2nd Large is now grey-green.

The 1st NVI changed from Royal Mail Red (2) to deep violet. The crimson does not come close to that colour.
Also, the sapphire blue of the 1p is the same colour as the £ 2.55 tariff stamp. And there are other colours used for more than one stamp.
The £1 and £ 1.85 are wood brown.
The £3 and £ 3.25 are purple.


The 1st Large is now greenish blue.

The last Machins?
Issued Sept. 1, from the Transformers Prestige Stamp Booklet.

Robert

I do expect that an issue showing King Charles III has been in preparation. I doubt they have been printed yet. I also expect they would be subject to approval by the new king. So, if any tariff increase is due in the next few months, or further prestige stamp books will be issued before spring, Those will have been prepared and any further prestige stamp book to be issued this year, likely, has been printed already. There, likely, will be new Machins.

I, also, would not rule out Royal Mail will use the Machin stamp for a remembrance issue.

With the 1991 Harrison printers of the 1p crimson, Royal Mail essentially changed the color. This was the last 1p printings by Harrison. Deegam notes the new color as dark maroon and the color difference is obvious and assigns a unique number DG 10.19. However, the crimson and dark maroon (SG continues as crimson) varied during production.

I am trying to understand if there is a way to determine this printing without just relying on color. It cannot find a unique aspect (like ACP, value type, print direction, etc) that uniquely can state this is from the two sources in 1991.




Top row - PCP - old ink
Middle group - ACP - possible either
Bottom group - elliptical in new formula

The second right stamp is somewhat close to the known dark maroon.

Images from Deegam used under Fair Use copyright.



This thread is under World Classic Stamps Mint and Used rather than Modern.

Al,

except for the issue (DG 10.19) you show a listing for, the stamps were printed on non-fluorescent paper and have yellow or blue phosphor bars not used before. So, this should be the only one that causes a problem. The earlier issue was DG 10.13.

DG 10.19.2 is unique as it has sideways right printing and is the only ACP booklet stamp. The non-sheet stamps listed on 10.13 are coil stamps with sideways left printing that have cut perforations on opposite sides. Booklet stamps never have that. So, you can use the TCTC-system and DOP to distinguish these.

The original sheet stamps listed under 10.13.1 have the type 1 head.

So, the confusion should be limited to 10.13.7 and 10.19.1. Since both these sheet stamps were printed from cylinder 17 on the same paper and in the same upright direction, the colour will be the only distinction.

Royal Mail never considered the Jeffery Matthews 'Dark maroon' a change from the 'Crimson.' The difference, purely, is the ink mix.

Thanks, Royal Mail said that but in reality it was a meaningful difference.

First and second rows did not have bars. The bottom row are both 2B-Y. My interest was the color for reference since they were in new formula,

My concern was that some of the pre-ink formulation changes may resemble the new formulation due to print variation. I say the new formulation is a little more blue and darker but never been good a colors. Used 1p stamps tend to get lighter NOT darker.

I need to obtain a reference copy and will include a space on my custom pages.

There is one nice feature of PDFs - you can add comments. I use Acrobat reader or other reader like Foxit to add catalog numbers to PDF albums pages. But, I also use this to mark up other PDFs to record information to supplement my work. I have been working off and on on custom Machin pages. If one says SG is not detailed enough the next question is where do you stop? I used Adminware's Intermediate pages as a starting list and expand. Deegam number is far more specialized and do not agree with the numbering without tweaking. The specialist pages are far too complex for me but also has information on printers, screens. sources, etc.

I keep notes on the PDF pages for Deegam value types, SG numbers, printers, etc. I locked myself to 2019 version since all subsequent Adminware pages are just adding security issues - not many corrections I reported for earlier issues.

Of course, this is all for personal use and not shared with anyone.

Hi angore, great pages with superb detail. One slight quibble, on the 4p page shouldn't the number under the first Waddington litho be X996?
Regards
DavidR

I did not create the pages but I did add some of notations and use it like a reference.

You are correct. X862 is the gravure version.

Great to see your collection angore - and it's fascinating to learn about all these details - a little intimidating, maybe. Eventually I'm going to dig out the pile of Machins I have and start to figure some of this out.

Fantastic thread - I've spent the evening reading all of it. I've recently been sorting my Machins by SG number. I have a £2 eliptical perf with 3 phosphor bands that I can't find a reference for. Would anyone be abe to check this (I only have a 2003 SG GB consise catalogue and I believe this came out in 2003).

Thank you.