Let's Talk About Machins

The Gibraltar stamps are Machins.

Debatable. It's often overlooked that Arnold Machin didn't just design the effigy of the Queen, but designed the whole stamp. It was somewhat revolutionary in having no text whatsoever, just the value in the corner. This was a first in Britian.

So for me, a Machin stamp has to be the stamp which Machin designed - like the 2p one on the previous page. I don't count variant designs, although I collect them anyway if they include that same effigy.

is there a mount guide for machins'(hawid, prinz, lighthouse etc.) I've tried to look but cant seem to find one.

I think 21 x 24 is the standard Hawid size for (small) UK definitives.

A guide to mount sizes is found on www.stampsmarter.com .

Peter

On Page 21 of this thread, Trainwreck (Robert) was kind enough to help explain some of the differences of the Machin 2p, type c varieties. As listed in Scott, we have four different options. I think I have them correct, as shown below. (These were NOT scanned at the same time, but were scanned consecutively with the same background. I hope the colors ring true.)

MH27, Photo. Perf 15x14, dark green.


MH28, Photo. Perf 15x14, light green. Note the cut perfs at top and bottom for this coil stamp.


MH31, Litho. Perf 15x14, dark green.


MH31A, Litho. Perf 14, dark green. Note the straight-edge on the left side, showing from a booklet pane. This looked a little rough to me, but the explanation now helps me to identify correctly.


What do you think? ID's ok?

Bravo! Partime,
just what I needed, saved for reference, (providing they are not corrected)

Thank you for the info Geoff and Peter


Ray

Peter4522 sorry for the basic question is the size in the drop down box for the height of the stamp or for the height of the mount (size of stamp plus some space)

21mm x 24mm is the size of the stamp, and the mounts give the stamp size on the packet.

So, for Machins you will need mounts which are labelled 21 x 24 - the mounts are larger than this, but that's the size of the stamp they are designed to hold.

Thanks again for the help. Learning a lot from this forum, and the people are helpful and friendly,

I am trying to fill my intermediate machin catalogue and I am at the 5d stewart blue page and according to it, the only difference should be in the head but the colors should all be the same. Maybe in the specialized I would find what I am looking for but I scanned those and I see at least 3 really distinctive ones. Some are not the same color and they don't all have the same head density. The scan is really not that good but none of those stamps are exactly the same.

Identifying colours, from stamps that have been used, is frought with problems. You have no idea of their journey, how they were used, how they were soaked etc. You should really only used fresh mint stamps.
Can you explain the bust difference please?
I only mount using the beginner's level (Steiner)

There are 2 kind of head. One with the base of the bust flat (head A) and the other with the base of the bust round (head B). So this is normal to see color and contrast difference then right?

Ah right, I was aware of that.

Providing the design, and the tagging are identical, then yes.
A rusty memory has me recalling even with mint Machins, colour variances are normal, I am not a specialist, also consider some Machins were printed by different companies, this will give a colour variance.

PS: Also consider the black of a postmark, can vary how the colour of the stamp is perceived by the eye.

Beginner Level: (Level 1)