Let's Talk About Machins

I can offer a little help, but maybe not much. Your questions are specialist stuff.

1) 7p deep reddish brown - this is the stamp also described as brick red: https://www.adminware.ca/machin/m007r.htm (the earlier 7p brown from 1974 doesn't exist with the narrow value.) It appears to only exist with narrow value and one centre band, and one head type - so everything's pointing to that experimental coating. Sorry, I don't know what it means, but it sounds like a trial was done on some sheets, and experts have identified the difference.

2) coated and uncoated paper - pass. Sorry!

3) (lost) gum in used stamps - how can gum types be identified? There may be visual clues but I would think that to be sure, on a used/soaked stamp, you would have to do some sort of chemical analysis on the gum residue. I wouldn't rely on anything else, personally - but I think it may as well be disregarded for used stamps. Soaking effectively ruins the gum and I don't see any purpose in trying to identify what it once had.

Hope this is modestly helpful!

Thank you. About the gum I also thought like that, just wanted to know if I am wrong.
About the uncoated paper it just would be useful to see an example, maybe under oblique light.

The 7P: yes, probably it's about the experimental coating, which is mentioned also for other stamps. But I have no source for any experimental coating, so if anybody knows, this would be very interesting!

The Deegam Machin Handbook has an entry for the 7p cylinder 8 variety. The listing description is "AOP + CB", meaning all-over phosphor with center band. The listing doesn't call it an experimental coating, however, it may be talked about in the front matter. It is given a value code of 7 indicating 250-500 GBP.

Robert

Does anyone know why SG defines Type 367 (normal) and 367a (narrow font) and then lists a Type I / II for the 3p, 10p, 26p? The 367a and Type II refer to narrow values. Adminware's web site lists a wide/narrow 4p but SG uses the comment that Type I / II is only mentioned if there is no other difference.

With some of the wide figures, there can be thick elements and thin elements. Here's an excerpt from Deegam for the 4p:

Robert

Thank you Robert.
Yes, indeed I also think now, that the experimental coating is meant in that way that, in addition to the center band, there is also phosphor in the paper itself (PCP), so this doubling is perhaps "experimental". I will have a look at those 7P stamps.

The 7p cylinder 8 AOP+CB stamps came from sheets. They will have torn perforations on all 4 sides. If one or more sides is cut, then it's from a booklet or coil. Also, of course, if it doesn't have a center band, then it can't be a cylinder 8 stamp either. Hope this helps winnow out the stamps that are not cylinder 8 stamps.

Robert

Trainwreck,

I see the two aspects - thin/wide value tablet (overall width) and then stroke width of numbers.

T367 and T367a per SG is clearly the overall value width. Adminware site combines seems to combine both types in one general category. of "narrow value". I guess I need to look at my samples again.

What I have been doing is taking my Robin Harris pages purchased from adminware site and associating each stamp location to the SG number. Of course, my SG concise is not as specialized so have to add extra varieties (head type, some paper/phosphor types, screened values, EME). This exercise has been very educational.

This is a screen value.

Different catalogues will have different levels of detail of course. At its basic level, there are two types - wide and narrow, but within them there will be multiple varieties.

The values were narrowed across the range in 1983, when postage rates started hiting things like 20½p, which were just too big for the space available. From then on, all new issues were narrow and still are. Everything before then was wide.

During the cross-over period some stamps stamps remained in production and so the following values were re-drawn and therefore exist with both:

2p green
3p shocking pink
4p turquoise
10p orange
26p post office red (including regionals)
75p black

do not what happen, not receive any email about this thread, so was surfing on other sites.

coated/uncoated Machins are all coated, except very few, are rough, matt apparence, hey do not ask to me, my collection dont reach papers...yet

Adminware/SG/Connoisseur, you are wasting you time, use a Deegam.

Started with the Adminware level 1, basic album, unfortunately he mixed the narraw values 10 or 26, etc. Do not see those two stamps never, I#180;m collecting machins only 20+ years.

Screened values are very often on predecimal, some stamps are screened on the borders too.

About narrow values you soon would notice, are more than 6 values like Harris said.

booklet/coil?

The CTTT perforations would seem to indicate a booklet pane. Possible from the Stamps For Cooks £1 booklet which contained panes of 15 stamps of 5d denomination.

Sometimes the panes are perfectly cut and sometimes they are not.

What an excellent thread. So informative to read - thank you!