Share, discuss, or query, the GB MACHIN HEAD stamps/covers!

norvic · **Posted:** Sun Dec 12, 2010 06:51:14 am

You could buy Gibbons Stamp Monthly - but the catalogue would be cheaper.

There's no way to present the list without infringing copyright - although I know Scott allows VSC to display the new US & UN numbers. Maybe I'll ask the catalogue editor. Meanwhile, send me an email, tell me which ones you want numbers for - and remember they change them, so I might give you a number which was previously allocated to a different stamp!

Seapaws · **Posted:** Sun Dec 12, 2010 07:44:10 am

I have just started to catalog and mount my Machin collection and had a real eye opener from a close friend in Great Britain that SG just changes the numbers just about any time they are in the mood sort of speak.
I think that's what all the students are mad about. Its not the cost of tuition going up at all, its these damn numbers and S.G. not giving a Tinkers Damn !!! Ok...I feel better now. Seapaws

norvic · **Posted:** Sun Dec 12, 2010 08:12:00 am

Seapaws wrote:

I have just started to catalog and mount my Machin collection and had a real eye opener from a close friend in Great Britain that SG just changes the numbers just about any time they are in the mood sort of speak.
I think that's what all the students are mad about. Its not the cost of tuition going up at all, its these damn numbers and S.G. not giving a Tinkers Damn !!! Ok...I feel better now. Seapaws

It certainly makes life difficult if a dealer arranges his price list according to Gibbons. The 2010 Concise doesn't list any number changes, but it may be that there have been changes since that was published.

derekburch · **Posted:** Sun Dec 12, 2010 08:23:15 am

Great to get responses so fast - this board is certainly active. I do feel for poor old SG (even when they have driven me crazy with their colour names) - they must stay very busy at night making a wild stab at prices in addition to trying to keep up with Post Office new isssues coming out at a rate designed to keep Royal Mail afloat ( or are they trying to solve the budget crisis for the whole country?).

Iggy · **Posted:** Sun Dec 12, 2010 08:48:01 am

Brian Bayford Stamps has a good up to date list with basic Machins listed.

His latest Autumn list is completely up to date. You can download his PDF here : http://www.bbstamps.co.uk/images/BBStamps-General.pdf

If there's any you need you can buy from him direct, or if you prefer to buy from a Stampboard member just ask :wink:

Iggy

derekburch · **Posted:** Sun Dec 12, 2010 10:02:34 am

Iggy, thank you. That is a great list, but he still uses the suffix letters so that the numbers are the same as in my 2009 Concise.

RolftheGanger · **Posted:** Sat Dec 18, 2010 08:47:32 am

Glad my post triggered an interesting exchange.
My thanks to all the interesting respondents.

My policy is to ignore patronising put-downs. I recommend that others do likewise. Deprive them of the ego-stroking they so desperately seek.

A Happy Christmas and a Good New Year to all.
RtG

George123 · **Joined:** Fri Dec 17, 2010 08:49:02 am **Posts:** 10

Derek, I fully understand the confusion about number changes (read my other posts)

I am from the US and I deal with Jet Stamps in RI. They use both SG and Scott numbers and know Deegam as well.

You will always save on the exchange rate buying within the US if your indeed in the US.... as opposed to a foreign dealer (as the dollar is getting killed). Just a thought. Also they could probably help you out with numbers etc.

I have decided to follow the Scott pages for my sanity, and even they are mixing things up, missing things etc.

There are so many serious Machin collectors you would think someone would just make one system that everyone could follow and would never change. As long as there is profit to be made and free enterprise it will never happen.

norvic · **Posted:** Thu Feb 17, 2011 22:32:34 pm

To be issued 8 March 2011, self-adhesive (non-soakable), with security slits, but no security overprint.

Feebletodix · **Posted:** Fri Feb 18, 2011 00:16:47 am

A registered cover with block of two banded photo 20p's SG X915 from March 1976.

Feebletodix · **Posted:** Fri Feb 18, 2011 00:25:00 am

A recorded cover with pair two band photo 6p's SG Ref X870 from 1974

norvic · **Posted:** Thu Mar 03, 2011 08:26:54 am

Royal Mail are trialling a new counter-based stamp printer, and one was installed at Spring Stampex in London last week.

Filled with Machin Faststamps, the Hytech Postal Vision (HPV) machine was operated at the Royal Mail counter, and dispensed 'collector' strips of 5, one of each value. But late on the opening day somebody discovered that it could also be set to dispense a strip of 6 - which would have been very useful had they switched to Birds pictorial Faststamps.

Stamps and receipt:

Although the labels look very similar to the Wincor-Nixdorf (WN) ones, the shape of the 0 is different, and the spacing of the numeric code at the foot is also different (WN on top, HPV below):

The "Branch Code" shows the year (002011), as for all event-based machines, and the machine number (22) is two digits rather than 1). Possibly because each strip is a single session (ie you cannot at present order 99 labels, the P&G maximum), the session number (002699) is 6 digits. The style of the figure 1 on the data line is most noticeably different.

The base stamp, printed by Walsall with two phosphor bands, appears to be from the same stock.

(In answer to those who have already asked, I have a few strips of 5 and expect to get some strips of 6 next week.)

norvic · **Posted:** Tue Mar 08, 2011 22:14:00 pm

Recently found, the 2nd class 2011 retail book of 12

Also reported the 1st class book of 6, 2011 version - no image available because the person who saw it on eBay didn't capture it and I can't now find it.

Coming on 22 March, the two Large Letter retail booklets:

Can you find the 'F' indicating that these are from a book of 4 ?

Flying Tiger · **Posted:** Wed Mar 09, 2011 00:07:00 am

This Machin came from Antrim, Northern Ireland.

norvic · **Posted:** Wed Mar 09, 2011 00:42:47 am

Flying Tiger wrote:

This Machin came from Antrim, Northern Ireland.

Nice one.

Horrible envelope and apparently still the old style of ink-jet postmark, but nice anyway. You can just about see the date.

plsllvn · **Posted:** Wed Mar 09, 2011 01:00:05 am

norvic wrote:

Can you find the 'F' indicating that these are from a book of 4 ?

Bottom right hand corner,next to the Queen.

Paul

norvic · **Posted:** Wed Mar 09, 2011 01:07:41 am

plsllvn wrote:

norvic wrote:

Can you find the 'F' indicating that these are from a book of 4 ?

Bottom right hand corner,next to the Queen.

Paul

Correct - previously in top right corner. And as I may have mentioned before, the year code has dropped from top centre to a couple of rows above the ge

nigelc · **Posted:** Wed Mar 09, 2011 04:19:20 am

norvic wrote:

Can you find the 'F' indicating that these are from a book of 4 ?

Yes, but it took me a while! :lol:

maturin · **Posted:** Wed Mar 09, 2011 19:43:24 pm

Norvic:

Each of the five has a different value: 1st class, 1st large, Europe, Worldwide 10g, Worldwide 20g. With a strip of six, what is the sixth value?

norvic · **Posted:** Wed Mar 09, 2011 19:46:38 pm

maturin wrote:

Norvic:

Each of the five has a different value: 1st class, 1st large, Europe, Worldwide 10g, Worldwide 20g. With a strip of six, what is the sixth value?

An additional 1st class (image later today perhaps). Whilst this is kind of irrelevant to the Machin, when it comes to the Birds issues, for which there are 6 designs, it might enable the selection of 6 x 1st, or 6 x any of the 5 values. Sets of 30 will then become 5 strips of 6 instead of 6 strips of 5 part sets.

maturin · **Posted:** Wed Mar 09, 2011 19:53:08 pm

Thank you.

norvic · **Posted:** Wed Mar 09, 2011 23:00:07 pm

Here's the strip of 6, produced on 24 September

gooner · **Posted:** Fri Mar 11, 2011 00:44:40 am

Quote:

Can you find the 'F' indicating that these are from a book of 4 ?

It's easier to spot on the 2nd class than the 1st.... interesting selection of position!

norvic · **Posted:** Wed Mar 16, 2011 22:41:29 pm

Coming up in the WWF prestige stamp booklet next Tuesday, 22 March 2011

Colours, especially the 5p, are quite different to that of the ordinary sheet stamp. The 10p is in a distinct shade: I'm not sure that a 10p of this shade has been issued before, but you need to see the real thing. If I have time I'll do comparative scans later.

norvic · **Posted:** Sat Mar 19, 2011 01:42:19 am

Arrived today, issued on 29 March

Feebletodix · **Posted:** Wed Mar 23, 2011 04:07:12 am

A lovely strip

Feebletodix

norvic · **Posted:** Wed Mar 23, 2011 04:13:09 am

Feebletodix wrote:

A lovely strip

Feebletodix

2 x 10p machine-vended coil strips. Is it fair to describe them as 2 se-tenant strips of 5 se-tenant stamps :?:

skilo54 · **Posted:** Wed Mar 23, 2011 10:49:33 am

Hi folks,

Here is something I have prepared using the free pages at www.adminware.ca as temporary storage and organizing for the future owner! A bunch of gaps to fill, but a solid start to a VFU Basic Machin Collection.

skilo54 · **Posted:** Wed Mar 23, 2011 10:49:57 am

skilo54 · **Posted:** Wed Mar 23, 2011 10:50:22 am

skilo54 · **Posted:** Wed Mar 23, 2011 10:50:52 am

skilo54 · **Posted:** Wed Mar 23, 2011 10:51:22 am

skilo54 · **Posted:** Wed Mar 23, 2011 10:52:29 am

skilo54 · **Posted:** Wed Mar 23, 2011 10:53:00 am

skilo54 · **Posted:** Wed Mar 23, 2011 10:53:27 am

skilo54 · **Posted:** Wed Mar 23, 2011 10:53:59 am

skilo54 · **Posted:** Wed Mar 23, 2011 10:54:24 am

skilo54 · **Posted:** Wed Mar 23, 2011 10:54:47 am

skilo54 · **Posted:** Wed Mar 23, 2011 10:55:08 am

skilo54 · **Posted:** Wed Mar 23, 2011 10:58:37 am

And that is where this one ends. It was fun putting it together, and I hope you like the spread! Like I said, a bunch of gaps, but get in touch with me if you are interested in it, I would definitely consider trades!

Have a Good One,

Skilo54

jugoslavija_post · **Posted:** Wed Mar 23, 2011 11:36:15 am

Looks great, Shawn!

norvic · **Posted:** Wed Mar 23, 2011 20:00:42 pm

skilo54 wrote:

Hi folks,

Here is something I have prepared using the free pages at http://www.adminware.ca as temporary storage and organizing for the future owner! A bunch of gaps to fill, but a solid start to a VFU Basic Machin Collection.

It's not easy to see, but I think you have the wrong £1 there. It looks to be the same as the one included later on the top row that starts with the 10p red. Check the catalogue for illustrations of the two different £1 blacks.

Feebletodix · **Posted:** Thu Mar 24, 2011 02:21:38 am

Hey Skilo

I have these sat around, if you want them send me a pm with your postal address.

Regards

Feebletodix

norvic · **Posted:** Thu Mar 24, 2011 02:33:41 am

Feebletodix wrote:

Hey Skilo

I have these sat around, if you want them send me a pm with your postal address.

Regards

Feebletodix

What face value is the pink one, 3rd from right, please?

The postmark appears to be the sort of ink-jet used by Direct Mailers in mass mailings, but they normally use blue 2nd or gold 1st class. That looks like 16p?

Feebletodix · **Posted:** Thu Mar 24, 2011 02:45:59 am

yes it is, should I swop it for another?

norvic · **Posted:** Thu Mar 24, 2011 02:50:23 am

It's just unusual, but only the real geek would have noticed :oops:

And an even geekier geek would want to collect it! Now if it was on cover, then count me in!

I was just that sort of thing where we discovered the first self-adhesive Machin with security features from a coil, and I have still only found two of those on cover, both 2nd class.

skilo54 · **Posted:** Thu Mar 24, 2011 03:41:29 am

-Thanks Erik! I appreciate the compliment!

-Thanks for pointing out the misplaced stamp Norvic! I will have to swap it out for the proper one, if I can find one laying around here!

-Hi Feebletodix, I appreciate you looking through some of your Machins to help fill some of those Gaps! The Basic collection I built for my son is complete, and I will most likely try to trade (or sell

) this one, so I wouldn't feel proper taking you up on your offer. I bet the next person to look after these stamps would be interested so maybe keep them aside for a possible trade with the future custodian!

Here is a copy that I have of a 16p with similar marks for comparison to yours Feebletodix. Mine is not in the best condition though!

Have a Good One,

Skilo54

norvic · **Posted:** Thu Mar 24, 2011 03:55:28 am

Thanks for that image. It confirms what I thought, now I have to wonder why!

My first thought is that it was used to an overseas address in the same sort of mailing as I previously mentioned. That would mean that the difference between inland 1st or 2nd and the appropriate international rate was 16p. Must have a quick browse of recent rates.

OK, had a quick browse of the rates: didn't need to find all the leaflets, I have the relevant bits on my website each year! There's no international rate that could have been made up with the 16p.

In 2007 the 2nd class (24p) + 16p = 40p which was the rate for a 2nd class Large Letter.
In 2008 the 1st class (36p) + 16p = 52p which was the rate for a 1st class Large letter.

These are the most likely uses, even though time-consuming and labour intensive. Certainly some direct mail would fall outside the small letter rate and need Large Letter postage.

gooner · **Posted:** Thu Mar 24, 2011 04:04:31 am

norvic wrote:

I have still only found two of those on cover, both 2nd class.

I too have only found a 2nd class to date - although I ripped it off before realising what it was ... never mind covers aren't my strong point anyway.

norvic · **Posted:** Thu Mar 24, 2011 04:14:49 am

gooner wrote:

norvic wrote:

I have still only found two of those on cover, both 2nd class.

I too have only found a 2nd class to date - although I ripped it off before realising what it was ... never mind covers aren't my strong point anyway.

Of all the Security Machins this will be the scarcest on cover, or even on dated piece. Yes, some dealers might use them when they've sold as many as they can to collectors) but on the original direct mail envelope.... priceless. (Sorry Mastercard)


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