SHOW MENU

Pre-Decimal Machins

Introduction

DOWNLOADS

Exhibit provided by
Tony Walker
First issued in 1967, the Machin series is the longest running issue in British philatelic history. This display looks at the first 54 months of the Machins in the £sd currency before decimalisation in 1971, and consists of the presentation-mounted sheets from the renowned Tony Walker collection of pre-decimal Machins, giving a strong overview of the subject with many rare items.

There is of course considerable crossover with the material in the 50th Anniversary Display, but not complete - there is some material written up specially for that display that is not included in this.

Maurice Buxton
May 2018



(link)

Frame 1

PRELIMINARY MATERIAL

Arnold Machin and the Development of the Design
  1. Early Biography
  2. Garmelow Manor
  3. Garmelow Manor
  4. Studio
  5. Patricia Machin
  6. Coinage Head
  7. Preliminary Designs
  8. Original Private Sketch by Arnold Machin
  9. Plaster Cast April 1966
  10. Plaster Cast September 1966
  11. Plaster Cast October 1966
  12. Plaster Cast December 1966
  13. Plaster Cast November 1967
  14. Heads and Essays
  15. The Penultimate Essay
  16. The Final Essay
 (link)

Frame 2

PRELIMINARY MATERIAL (cont)

Arnold Machin and the Development of the Design (cont)
  1. Pre-Issue Publicity
  2. All the Pre-Decimal Values
  3. Change of Colour
  4. Phosphor Bands
  5. Machin Head Types
  6. NPM Postcard - Blue
  7. NPM Postcard - Green
  8. NPM Postcard - Crimson
Andrew Restall Essays
  1. The Design Competition
  2. Original Artwork by Andrew Restall
  3. Early Sketches
  4. Early Sketches
  5. Photographic Essays
  6. Original Preliminary Artwork
  7. Original Preliminary Artwork
  8. Original Preliminary Artwork
(link)

Frame 3

PRELIMINARY MATERIAL (cont)

Andrew Restall Essays (cont)
  1. Original Preliminary Artwork
  2. Original Preliminary Artwork
  3. Original Preliminary Artwork
  4. Original Preliminary Artwork
  5. Essay and Die Proof
Other Preparatory Material
  1. De La Rue Phosphor Band Trials - December 1968
  2. Pre-printing Quality Check Photograph - Green
  3. See sheet 39
  4. Pre-printing Quality Check Photograph - Violet
  5. Pre-printing Quality Check Photograph - Ultramarine
  6. Pre-printing Quality Check Photograph - Magenta
1969 Tokyo UPU Congress Folder
  1. Cover
  2. Pages
  3. See sheet 45
  4. Pages
  5. See sheet 47
 (link)

Frame 4

PRELIMINARY MATERIAL (cont)

1969 Tokyo UPU Congress Folder (cont)
  1. Pages
  2. See sheet 49
  3. Pages
  4. See sheet 51
  5. Pages
  6. See sheet 53
  7. Pages
  8. See sheet 55
  9. Pages
  10. See sheet 57
  11. Pages
  12. See sheet 59
  13. Pages
  14. See sheet 61
  15. Pages
  16. See sheet 63
(link)

Frame 5

PRELIMINARY MATERIAL (cont)

1969 Tokyo UPU Congress Folder (cont)
  1. Pages
  2. See sheet 65
  3. Pages
  4. See sheet 67
  5. Pages
  6. See sheet 69
  7. Pages
  8. See sheet 71
Other Presentation Folders
  1. Harrison & Sons Publicity Folder
  2. See sheet 73
  3. Postmaster-General's Complimentary Brochure
  4. See sheet 75
  5. Postmaster-General's Complimentary Brochure
  6. See sheet 77
  7. Postmaster-General's Complimentary Brochure
  8. See sheet 79
 (link)

Frame 6

SHEET STAMPS - LOW VALUES

Post Office Posters
  1. 5th June 1967 - 4d, 1s, 1s 9d
  2. 8th August 1967 - 3d, 9d, 1s 6d
  3. 5th February 1968 - ½d, 1d, 2d, 6d
  4. 1st July 1968 - 5d, 7d, 8d, 10d
½d orange
  1. Cylinder 2 Gum Arabic
  2. Cylinder 2 PVA
  3. Cylinder 3
1d olive
  1. Cylinder 2
  2. Cylinder 4
  3. Cylinder 6
  4. Phosphor omitted
  5. Shades
2d brown
  1. Cylinder 1 Value Type I
  2. Cylinder 5 Value Type II
  3. Cylinder 6 Value Type II
3d violet
  1. Cylinder 1 centre band Gum Arabic perf A
(link)

Frame 7

SHEET STAMPS - LOW VALUES (cont)

3d violet (cont)
  1. Cylinder 1 centre band Gum Arabic perf F(L)*
  2. Cylinder 1 centre band PVA
  3. Imperforate
  4. Cylinder 3 centre band
  5. Cylinder 3 two bands
  6. Cylinder 3 two bands (uncoated paper)
  7. Cylinder 4 centre band
  8. Cylinder 4 two bands
  9. Cylinder 4 two bands
4d sepia
  1. Cylinder 4 two bands Gum Arabic
  2. Cylinder 4 two bands Gum Arabic
  3. Cylinder 4 two bands PVA
  4. Cylinder 4 centre band
  5. Cylinder 4 centre band (shades)
  6. Cylinder 8 two bands
  7. Cylinder 8 two bands (phosphor omitted)
 (link)

Frame 8

SHEET STAMPS - LOW VALUES (cont)

4d sepia (cont)
  1. Cylinder 10 two bands
  2. Cylinder 12 two bands
  3. Cylinder 12 centre band
  4. Cylinder 12 centre band (deep shade)
  5. Cylinder 13 two bands
  6. Cylinder 14 two bands PVA
  7. Cylinder 14 two bands Gum Arabic
  8. Cylinder 14 two bands PVA (shades)
  9. Cylinder 14 centre band
  10. Cylinder 15 two bands
  11. Cylinder 15 centre band
  12. Cylinder 15 centre band (phosphor omitted)
4d vermilion
  1. Cylinder 4
  2. Cylinders 4 and 10 (phosphor omitted)
  3. Cylinder 10
  4. Cylinders 10 and 13
(link)

Frame 9

SHEET STAMPS - LOW VALUES (cont)

4d vermilion (cont)
  1. Cylinder 13
  2. Cylinder 15
  3. Cylinders 15 and 16
  4. Cylinder 16
  5. Cylinder 17
5d royal blue
  1. Cylinder 1
  2. Cylinder 7 (phosphor omitted)
  3. Cylinders 7 and 10
  4. Cylinder 11
  5. Cylinder 13
  6. Cylinder 15
  7. Cylinder 15 (omitted varnish wash)
  8. Cylinder 15 (PCP + two bands)
6d purple
  1. Cylinder 2
  2. Cylinder 3 (shades)
  3. Cylinders 3 and 4
 (link)

Frame 10

SHEET STAMPS - LOW VALUES (cont)

6d purple (cont)
  1. Cylinder 5
7d emerald green
  1. Cylinder 3
  2. Cylinder 4
8d vermilion
  1. Cylinder 2
8d turquoise blue
  1. Cylinder 3
9d myrtle green
  1. Cylinder 2 Gum Arabic perf F(L)*
  2. Cylinder 2 Gum Arabic perf A
  3. Cylinder 2 PVA perf A
10d drab
  1. Cylinder 1
1s light violet
  1. Cylinder 3
  2. Cylinder 11 Gum Arabic
  3. Cylinder 11 PVA
  4. Cylinder 11 (dry print)
1s 6d blue and deep blue
  1. Cylinder 2A/2B
  2. Cylinder 3A/2B Gum Arabic
  3. Cylinders 3A/2B PVA and 3A/1B
(link)

Frame 11

SHEET STAMPS - LOW VALUES (cont)

1s 6d blue and deep blue (cont)
  1. Phosphorised paper trials
  2. Cylinder 5A/2B (all-over phosphor and phosphor omitted)
  3. Colour shift
  4. Greenish-blue colour omitted
  5. Prussian blue colour omitted
  6. Dry print
1s 9d orange and black
  1. Cylinder 1A/1B Gum Arabic
  2. Cylinder 1A/1B PVA
  3. Quality Control Trials
  4. See sheet 169
 (link)

Frame 12

SHEET STAMPS - HIGH VALUES

General Material
  1. Post Office Poster
  2. Instruction to Postmasters
  3. Sheet Layout
  4. Recess Head Plate Proof
  5. Andrew Restall Essay
  6. Pre-issue Publicity Photograph
  7. Presentation Pack (English)
  8. Presentation Pack (German)
  9. US Distributors Sample Sheet
2s 6d brown
  1. Transfer Roller Press Trial
  2. Sheet 2
  3. Sheet 3
  4. Sheet 6
5s crimson
  1. Transfer Roller Press Trial
  2. Sheet 2
  3. Sheet 3
(link)

Frame 13

SHEET STAMPS - HIGH VALUES (cont)

10s ultramarine
  1. Transfer Roller Press Trial
  2. Sheet 1
  3. Marginal Blue Screening (and 2s 6d Mottled Gum)
£1 black
  1. Transfer Roller Press Trial
  2. Sheet 3 (original)
  3. Sheet 3 (10x10 format)
  4. Sheet 3 (differentiating printings)
  5. Sheet 4
  6. Sheet 2 (10x10 format)
  7. Printing Flaw
 (link)

Frame 14

TECHNICAL FEATURES

Perforation and Guillotining
  1. Perforation Types
  2. Vertical Comb
  3. Vertical Comb: Comb Jump
  4. Vertical Comb: Encroachments
  5. Vertical Comb: Encroachments
  6. Vertical Comb: Double Encroachment
  7. Vertical Comb: Blind Perfs
  8. Horizonal Comb
  9. Horizonal Comb: Encroachments
  10. Horizonal Comb: Encroachments
  11. Horizonal Comb: Encroachments
  12. Horizonal Comb: Encroachments
  13. Horizonal Comb: Encroachments
  14. Horizonal Comb: Encroachments
  15. Horizonal Comb: Blind Perfs
  16. Horizonal Comb: Blind Perfs
(link)

Frame 15

TECHNICAL FEATURES (cont)

Perforation and Guillotining (cont)
  1. Guillotine Misalignment (with Phosphor Error)
  2. Guillotine Misalignment
  3. Perforation Anomaly
  4. Imperforate
  5. Part Imperforate
Printing Anomalies
  1. Underinking and Overinking
  2. Underinking
  3. Underinking and Dry Prints
  4. Dry Print (1)
  5. Dry Print (2)
  6. Subtle Dry Print
  7. Doctor Blade Flaws
  8. Doctor Blade Flaws
  9. Doctor Blade Flaws
  10. Doctor Blade Flaws
  11. Doctor Blade Flaws
 (link)

Frame 16

TECHNICAL FEATURES (cont)

Printing Anomalies (cont)
  1. Doctor Blade Flaws
  2. Doctor Blade Flaws
  3. Doctor Blade Flaws
  4. Doctor Blade Flaws
  5. Ink Offset on Gummed Side
Phosphor Varieties
  1. Phosphor Cylinder Numbers
  2. Misplaced Phosphor Bands
  3. Phosphor Omitted
  4. Phosphor Omitted
  5. Phosphor/Non-Phosphor se-tenant
Paper Varieties
  1. Paper Repair
  2. Paper Creases
  3. Paper Folds
  4. Paper Folds
  5. Paper Folds
  6. Paper Folds
(link)

Frame 17

TECHNICAL FEATURES (cont)

Paper Varieties (cont)
  1. Paper Folds
  2. Paper Folds
  3. Printing Flaw (material stuck to plate)
  4. Uncoated Paper
  5. Ungummed Paper
 (link)

Frame 18

BOOKLETS

Post Office Posters
  1. 'Own a Pocket Post Office'
  2. New Stamp Books 16th September 1968
2s Booklets
  1. Pre-Issue Dummy Booklets for Staff Training (orange-yellow cover)
  2. Orange-yellow cover, 1d + 3d se-tenant
  3. Pre-Issue Dummy Booklets for Staff Training (grey cover)
  4. School Specimens
  5. Sep 1968: centre band 4d + labels pane, two bands 4d pane
  6. Sep 1968: centre band both panes
  7. Jan 1969: centre band 4d + labels pane, two bands 4d pane
  8. Mar 1969/Dec 1970: 4d vermilion panes
  9. Marginal Cylinder Numbers
  10. Sheet Layout and Guillotine
  11. Extra Panes Error
4s 6d Booklets
  1. May 1968: Plain Covers
  2. May 1968: Guillotine Malfunction
  3. Sep/Nov 1968: 'Ship' Covers with GPO Cypher
(link)

Frame 19

BOOKLETS (cont)

4s 6d Booklets (cont)
  1. Nov 1968: Part Imperforate Pane
  2. Jan 1969: 4d Vermilion Panes
  3. Jan 1969: Part Imperforate 1d Pane
  4. Nov 1969: Imperforate 1d Pane
  5. Aug/Oct 1970: 'Ship' Covers with Crown
5s Booklets
  1. Dec 1968/Aug 1969: 'Homes' Covers with GPO Cypher
  2. Oct 1969/Dec 1970: 'Homes' Covers with Crown
  3. Dec 1969: Part Imperforate Pane
  4. 'Philympia' Cover
  5. 'Philympia' Cover: Stitching Trials
6s Booklets
  1. Sep 1967/Jan 1968: Plain Covers
  2. Feb/May 1968: Plain Covers (deep shade stamps)
  3. Apr 1968: Part Imperforate Pane
  4. May 1968: Panes with PVA Gum
  5. Jun/Aug 1968: 'Birds' Covers with GPO Cypher (Two Bands Stamps)
  6. Sep 1968/Jan 1969: 'Birds' Covers (Centre Band Stamps)
 (link)

Frame 20

BOOKLETS (cont)

6s Booklets (cont)
  1. Feb/Sep 1969: 'Birds' Covers with 4d Vermilion Panes
  2. Feb/Sep 1969: 'Birds' Covers with Mixed GA/PVA Panes
  3. Feb/Sep 1969: 'Birds' Covers with Mixed GA/PVA Panes
  4. Nov 1969/Oct 1970: 'Birds' Covers with Crown
10s Booklets
  1. May/Aug 1968: 'Explorers' Purple Cover
  2. Sep 1968: 'Explorers' Green Cover
  3. School Specimen
  4. Booklet Cylinders F4/N5
Booklet Cylinders
  1. 1d Olive F1
  2. 1d Olive F3
  3. 3d Violet K2
  4. 4d Sepia N1 Gum Arabic two bands
  5. 4d Sepia N1 PVA two bands
  6. 4d Sepia N1 PVA centre band
  7. 4d Vermilion N1 PVA
  8. 4d Vermilion N1 Gum Arabic
(link)

Frame 21

BOOKLETS (cont)

Booklet Cylinders (cont)
  1. 4d Sepia N2 two bands
  2. 4d Sepia N2 centre band
  3. 4d Vermilion N2
  4. 4d Vermilion N7
  5. 5d Royal Blue R2
  6. 5d Royal Blue R3
Booklet Pane Layout and Paper Varieties
  1. Imperforate Booklet Pane
  2. Interpane Extension Hole
  3. Interpane Extension Hole
  4. Booklet Sheet Layout and Tête-Bêche Stamps
  5. Tête-Bêche Booklet Sheet Multiple
  6. Imperforate Tête-Bêche Booklet Sheet Multiple
  7. Advertiser's Voucher Copies
  8. Paper Folds
  9. 4d Vermilion Panes on Gum Arabic Paper
Booklet Pane Phosphor Varieties
  1. Phosphor Screens in Booklets
 (link)

Frame 22

BOOKLETS (cont)

Booklet Pane Phosphor Varieties (cont)
  1. Mixed Phosphor Screens in Booklets
  2. Mixed Phosphor Screens: 3d Panes
  3. Mixed Phosphor Screens: 4d Sepia Panes
  4. Mixed Phosphor Screens: 4d Vermilion Panes, Gum Arabic paper
  5. Mixed Phosphor Screens: 4d Vermilion Panes, PVA paper
  6. Mixed Phosphor Screens: 4d Vermilion Panes, obsolete Gum Arabic paper
  7. Phosphor Omitted Errors: 1d Panes
  8. Phosphor Omitted Errors: 4d Sepia Panes
  9. Phosphor Omitted Errors: 5d Panes
  10. Phosphor Omitted Errors: 1dx4 + 4dx2 Panes
'Stamps for Cooks' Booklet
  1. Post Office Poster
  2. Preliminary Artwork and Mock-up
  3. Dummy Stamps April 1969
  4. Internal Perforated Panes from Two Mock-Up Booklets
  5. Mock-Up Panes from Stapled Original
  6. Internal Panes from Stitched Mock-Up Booklets
(link)

Frame 23

BOOKLETS (cont)

'Stamps for Cooks' Booklet (cont)
  1. Specimen Overprinted Booklets
  2. Phosphor Band Errors: Multi-Value Stitched Panes
  3. Phosphor Band Errors: Stitched Booklet
 (link)

Frame 24

COILS
  1. 1d Coils
  2. 1d Coils X and Z Vertical Format
  3. 1d Coil X: The Twelve Coil Leaders
  4. See sheet 371
  5. 1d Coil Z: The Twelve Coil Leaders
  6. See sheet 373
  7. 1d Coil X: Imperforate Error
  8. 2d Coils V Vertical and T Horizontal Formats
  9. 3d Coil AC Vertical Format
  10. 3d Coil AD Vertical Format
  11. 3d Coil U Vertical Format
  12. 3d Coil S Horizontal Format
  13. 3d Coil AD: The Twelve Coil Leaders
  14. See sheet 381
  15. 4d Coil sepia/vermilion H Horizontal Format
  16. 4d Coil sepia/vermilion A Vertical Format
(link)

Frame 25

COILS (cont)
  1. 5d Coils AE Vertical and AF Horizontal Formats
  2. 6d Coil J Vertical Format
  3. Horizontal Multivalue Coil: Composite Alignment Roughs
  4. Multivalue Coils GS and GL Horizontal Format
  5. Coil Paper Joins: Manufacturers' Join Before Printing
  6. Coil Paper Joins: Printers' Join After Printing
  7. Coil Paper Joins: Printers' Join After Printing
  8. Fault in Paper Manufacture
  9. Phosphor Omitted Errors
  10. Phosphor Omitted Errors
  11. Dummy Stamps
 (link)

Frame 26

TOWARDS DECIMALISATION

Stamp Design Seminar 1970
  1. Presentation Booklet Cover
  2. Speakers
  3. Pages
  4. See sheet 403
  5. Pages
  6. See sheet 405
  7. Pages
  8. See sheet 407
  9. Pages
  10. See sheet 409
  11. Pages
  12. See sheet 411
Cambridge Colour Trials
  1. Summary of Research By Exhibitor
  2. Examples
  3. Examples
  4. Examples