No prestige Machins and Birthday book design errors

The 2016 Prestige Book finally arrived yesterday. Delayed from June due to an error in the Presentation Pack. I cannot quickly see why that meant we didn't get the prestige booklets but never mind.

As it happens it contains no Machins. That has got me wondering whether this is the first prestige book not to have any Machins? Something I shall have to consider.

The definitive pane has the very attractive small Poppy 1st Class stamp, the newer style English, Scottish and Welsh flags and the familiar Northern Ireland fields. Whilst the English and Scottish flags are quite well-represented, the Welsh dragon really does not seem to have coped as well with the rippling and perspective effect. You also do have to wonder why no effort seems to have been put in to come up with something other than fields for Northern Ireland! 

I have often suggested that scenes from around Britain could be a good future definitive theme and if flags presented problems for the Northern Ireland issue then they should think of something else that would be suitable for all four nations.

I shouldn't worry too much as few people other than collectors will see this particular production anyway. Whilst the booklet, as the preceding two have been, is very well written and illustrated indeed, my interest in the prestige booklets is rapidly diminishing now. That is not just the lack of Machins but for many years it has been mostly just one pane that I have wanted and the chances of any of these being used in a postal sense, always slim, have become almost negligible. When they were promoted in Post Offices and you could fairly easily tear off a few stamps for use on an envelope then it was worth checking your mail for that scarce used copy of a left or right band variant or one from a different printer perhaps. Nowadays you could spend a year and find none. Or probably even longer.

Because I feel that there may not be long to go before we finally see the conclusion of the Machin series I shall not stop now and, for the sake of completeness, I'll keep collecting the prestige books and hope that they don't get too expensive. (Of course, there have been the annoying 'Special Edition' prestige books but I am hoping that these continue not to have different printers or anything that might make the definitive content unique. Now that would be really annoying!

On the topic of booklets that have stamps we might see on mail, here are a couple that you can reasonably expect to be used as intended and not just bought and filed away. The Concrete & Clay booklets have been with us for a while now and work well, 

The second book, ostensibly celebrating H M The Queen's birthday a second time, has four O16R REIGC amethyst 1st Class as has the other Concrete & Clay book with some nice landscapes.

The birthday book is a little strange, though. A sort of half-hearted effort has been made, by the seems of it, to mount the two photographs on some wall, presumably in Buckingham Palace but all that results is quite a confusing jumble of lines that stop and start. It really does not work and is not the sort of design that I would have expected to have survived through to print. 

It was the same with the first birthday book of 4+2 but I didn't notice at the time. They have taken the four stamps from the 90th Birthday prestige book and included them in these panes. Unfortunately, the prestige sheet was one large image and so various bits of background were included in individual photos selected as stamps. In the Concrete & Cay books, however, someone has attempted to put a background  in which simple doesn't work. For most issues they leave the background plain or presented in a way that enhances and does not interfere with the stamps. Notably, for Morecombe & Wise a while ago they were able to extend the photos really successfully, presumably by working with some original stamp design artwork. Someone should have had words with the designers on this occasion. Bit late now.

The landscape issue is pretty enough and a more suitable background is used.

All the Machins have the now standard 'security backing paper'.

Stamps you'll see on envelopes and labels you can buy in museums.

The 1st amethyst in a slightly deeper shade from HM The Queen's 90th Birthday Concrete and Clay booklet by Walsall. Apparently, it also has much brighter fluor. I must buy a lamp one day as I am clearly missing out on all the additional differences there. It would also have helped me considerably in the 1980s. Remember All Over Phosphor, Phosphor Coated Paper, PCP2 and variations on these themes? I tried to distinguish by holding stamps at various angles to see which were shiniest, not to much avail. That's when I finished up subscribing to a dealer's standing order and just trusted whatever he sent, carefully writing AOP or PCP1, 2 (or even 3 I believe) below the Hawid mount on the page!

The 1st amethyst also has the security backing paper by the way.

A 2nd blue from the books of 12 by Walsall with the M16L MTIL code that is new to the lists. This also has security backing paper. 

A new printing of the Scottish 2nd Centre Band Saltire by Cartor now has a grey Queens's head instead of silver.

From the Great War: 1916 booklet pane come the four National stamps that are similar to those in the Football Heroes booklet from 2013. These have what are termed vignetted phosphor bands instead of the solid type of 2013. These all have a duller fluor than the earlier issue. All from Cartor.

Post And Go collectors will have had another expensive month or two with four strips from the World Stamp Show in New York and a mere nine Battle Of Jutland overprints. I am so glad that I gave up on these. As a collection I am not even that sure they look particularly attractive. One possibility might be to have just one label for each issue, type or change instead of the standard strip of six or whatever is dished out by the machines. The idea of getting each value with a different image is bad enough when that leads to thirty six labels having to be purchased but should the system progress to having a wider range of denominations added then life will become impossible and all but the very rich will have to have something other than everything.

I get lots of parcels each week in connection with my Corgi Toy catalogue project and occasionally these feature the new NCR type label with an amount and service printed on an olive or blue Machin background. These I do find interesting but, strangely, are not regarded as worthy of our consideration by many, if any, of those who might supply us with regular issues. In my view these are far more like 'stamps' than these endless streams of labels issued almost entirely for sale to collectors and exhibition or military museum visitors.

Unless you are an avid collector of military memorabilia or have a specialist collection on the theme of Exhibition or Museum Issues I am pleading with you more general Machin collectors simply to say 'Enough is enough' and cancel those standing orders for strips of six of this or strips of six of that henceforth. Draw a line in the album. By all means get one example from each new issue that you believe has come from a machine with some reasonably likely postal purpose but the cessation of guaranteed demand for the overprints, in particular, might dissuade the Powers That Be from continuing with them other than for very limited interests of a non-philatelic nature. Maybe you can start collecting the NCR types instead and, who knows, they might even prove rather more representative of Britain's stamp future in the collections we pass on to our grandchildren.

HM Queen Elizabeth II at 90

There is a mass of items being produced as HM The Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her 90th birthday. The 'Long to reign over us' 1st amethyst appears again in two forms; from Walsall in the Concrete & Clay booklet with O16R REIGC code and from International Security Printers,(which I take as Cartor) in the Prestige booklet. In the latter case the stamps are gummed and have no security slits. The 1st amethysts have the code O16R REIGP which is easily read for a change!

In addition the Prestige book features two 1st red stamps, code O16R MPIL and 1st regionals from each of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. You do have to wonder how much longer Northern Ireland will have to put up with an aerial photograph of some fields when the other three nations get lions and dragons.

The label is a most disappointing 90 on a supposedly gold coloured background with the 'long to reign' text running across the background of the gold.

Now there is another version of the Prestige book. It would have cost you £60 if you're one of the 1,926 to whom is was issued. I expect all but a handful will have gone to dealers so will now be traded before long at even higher prices. For the extra £44.88, or whatever you finish up having to pay if you want one, you'll get a different cover and the pane of nine will have gold foil on the label. Phew, there's not actually any new stamp! Although, I daresay that the printing process for the special edition may result in distinguishable stamps in the pane. That remains to be seen but I shall not be rushing to get these. Nor, I hope, will the people who send me new issues and changes as that will be an expensive and unwanted package at the end of this month.

There will also be a second Concrete & Clay booklet with Prince William and young George grinning at us in June with what I reckon will be the same 1st amethysts.

The Bulletin says on p259 of the May issue that there will be a Limited Issue Retail Booklet (which doesn't sound quite right anyway) but I cannot see what they mean anywhere. Maybe someone knows and can advise and I will add a note here for you. My guess is that they are referring to the second retail booklet in June which won't be a limited edition, they were just confusing themselves with the Prestige booklet with does have a limited edition.

I am still waiting to discover what Royal Mail will be offering us in June for the 60th Machin Anniversary! Surely dealers must know. They are being very quiet. As, of course, they should be. Unless, that is, there is nothing to write home or here about.

The one they didn't tell us about

Here's the 'missing' and very much unheralded 1st Class amethyst from Counter Sheets.

The background text features the word (REI)GN at the top of the security slit on the right. That is hardly a 'code' because it is how we usually spell the word 'reign' but it is the simplest way to identify where an individual stamp originated as the others will have the different codes or spelling shown in a recent article.

I think this particular stamp has to be one of the least publicised 'normal' issues of all time. I can vaguely appreciate why Royal Mail took the decision not to issue details in advance generally to the public but I am still surprised that this sheet stamp was excluded from all the official lists that I have encountered, Nor did it get included in the Philatelic Bureau's new issue or even their 'definitive changes' distributions.

So I have a suspicion that quite a few collectors may miss this if they simply rely on Philatelic Bureau or Royal Mail publications.At the moment, they'll either have to visit their local Post Office or buy one from a dealer. I can't imagine that situation will remain the case and eventually the sheet stamp will appear in Royal Mail stock listings but by then some will just think it is something they already have.

Visiting a local Post Office is not a bad idea anyway. One reason is that you just pay the face value of the stamp, of course, but I tend to buy one of each of whatever definitives they have in stock from time to time and then compare them to previous purchases. More often than not there's nothing different but just occasionally I will find an interesting shade or variation that makes it worthwhile. I can usually use the duplicates as I post a lot of parcels but you may prefer to keep to the lower denominations. Because they get reprinted more frequently they are more likely to have something different anyway.

The Royal Mail Stamp Shop. Not exactly First Class.

Having realised (OK, been told!) that there is, indeed a sheet issue of the 1st Class amethyst definitive, I thought I really ought to get one. So where do you go if you want a stamp? Apart from the supermarket (they tend only to have books) and let's say your car uses vast amounts of fuel or is one of the VWs, Audis, Seats or Skodas that had the software to deceive emissions test devices fitted and you are very worried that you may damage little children. Yes, well done! You go to the Royal Mail web site.

They have an online Shop. It isn't very good, though. I failed to find any 1st Class amethyst sheet stamps. They have the booklets and miniature sheets but not the 'normal' stamps.

I see that they still have the old and horrible PIP designs for what they cheerfully call Everyday Stamps!! That illustration has been there for years. They also have several cups of tea dotted around the place - not something a true collector would risk so close to mint items!

The site may be useful for business things and for finding people's post codes and rates for parcels to Outer Mongolia but not, I'm afraid, of much help to collectors. What surprises me is that Royal Mail haven't put The Philatelic Bulletin online. It would be comparatively easy to do and could be restricted to subscribers if they really wanted to. At least then, however, we could access information and buy items consistently and without getting hot and bothered enough to write ruddy articles about it.

Clearly I shall have to drive into town and buy a stamp. It has just occurred to me that I didn't even get a copy on what I had thought was a pretty comprehensive supply request list with Edinburgh. Very odd.

Correction: Amethyst Source Codes

I have to thank Ian Billings of Norvic fame for pointing out that not only has there been a sheet stamp issued but also there are source codes on the amethyst stamps.

I had had a good look at all the examples I'd received on the day each arrived but have to admit to missing the spelling of REIGN six lines up on the right. It isn't helped by being just where the slits are stamped!

So, I haven't yet found a sheet stamp but here are the three different codes to look for:

The Rugby Concrete & Clay book has (REI)GC

The book of six has (REI)GS

The miniature sheet has (REI)GM

Long To Reign Over Us

A nice surprise today from Royal Mail! A new amethyst shade 1st Class Machin definitive to mark HM Queen Elizabeth II becoming the longest reigning British monarch after 63 years and several hundred days.

A book of six stamps with the phrase in the title as an iridescent print in the background and the code O15R. The code does seem a little pointless, being the same as on the miniature sheet stamp below but never mind.

There is also a miniature sheet comprising three 1st Class and two £1.52 stamps, none of which I suspect we will find on our post! With four emblem stamps illustrating the changes over the years there is a gummed Machin which, whilst also printed in gravure as the booklet stamps, looks distinctly furry to me at its left edge.

This stamp is supposed to be the same size as the booklet ones and it may just be an optical illusion but the rectangle part looks smaller, with a wider border between it and the perforations.

These will be around for a while I imagine as standard stock for books of 6. There may also be some other examples appearing in time but, as of today, these are the only two examples and there has not been a sheet definitive issued nor a book of 12.

The Philatelic Bulletin has these as printed by ISP, good old International Security Printers. I am assuming that is Walsall fro the booklet but i really wouldn't like to say who did the sheet. It's not that brilliant.