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UK Machin stamps are postage stamps designed by Arnold Machin, and issued in 1967. The motif used is the sculpted profile of Queen Elizabeth II. This is perhaps the most famous postage stamp series ever.
When we’re talking about UK stamps, there is always a great chance to mention Penny Black, Two Pence Blue and Penny Red. There are numerous reasons for that, and maybe the most important are that these were the first stamps ever issued, and they are, among other things, responsible for our hobby today - philately.
Queen Elizabeth II – Pre decimal Machin Stamp
UK – 1967/06/05
4 d (British penny)
But today I’m mentioning them again because they used motif that became popular on later UK stamps – the bust of the queen or king. Of course, the motif on these 3 stamps was the bust of Queen Victoria, current ruler of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
Queen Elizabeth II – Pre decimal Machin Stamp
UK – 1967/06/05
1 s (British shilling)
This practice in the UK stayed until today, and we have numerous stamps with rulers bust issued so far. Also, new stamps are being added each year.
This practice had been used also during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. She was the Queen of the United Kingdom (and other Commonwealth realms) from 1952 until her death in 2022.
So, 70 years at the throne and the practice of issuing stamps with the ruler’s bust gave a result, and that was that we nowadays have numerous stamps featuring Queen Elizabeth II.
“Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation ceremony was broadcast for the first time on television from Westminster Abbey on 2 June 1953, allowing the general public to gain insight into what once was a more private affair. Her reign was marked by vast changes in both the monarchy and the United Kingdom’s power, despite the Queen taking a constitutional approach to national and Commonwealth matters and as such many rare Queen Elizabeth II stamps have been produced. The Error 1963 3d Red Cross stamp missing the red cross being one of the most valuable and rarest to find.” - Stanley Gibbons
Queen Elizabeth II – Pre decimal Machin Stamp
UK – 1967/06/05
1'9 s (British shilling)
It’s interesting that the Queen Elizabeth II appeared for first time on the postage stamp in 1932. It was a Newfoundland issue depicting the 6-year-old Princess Elizabeth.
Queen Elizabeth II – Pre decimal Machin Stamp
UK – 1967/08/08
3 d (British penny)
The first stamps issued after she became the queen were the Wilding series. The original design of these series had been issued from 1952 to 1954, and the design was used for 15 years, until 1967.
In 1967, the Wilding series was replaced by The Machin series.
"In December 1952, the Royal Mail introduced the world to the reign of Queen Elizabeth II with a series of inaugural stamps that featured a breathtaking portrait of the young monarch, meticulously crafted by renowned artist Dorothy Wilding. These stamps, the initial of 18 definitive values, represent a pivotal moment in British philatelic history, all bearing the enduring image of the Queen." - Harrington and Byrne
This series had been in used since June 5, 1967 until April 4, 2022. As you could expect, the designer behind this design is called Machin, Arnold Machin. Almost all of the stamps were produced in the ingle colour.
Queen Elizabeth II – Pre decimal Machin Stamp
UK – 1967/08/08
9 d (British penny)
During the years there have been over 130 different Machin stamp designs issued with more than “five thousand varieties of colour, value, gum, phosphor banding, iridescent overprints, perforations, printing methods (Photogravure, Intaglio (Engraved), Typography, Electro-Mechanical Engraving (EME Gravure), Embossing) etc., known.” - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machin_series
Queen Elizabeth II – Pre decimal Machin Stamp
UK – 1967/08/08
1'6 s (British shilling)
The Queen herself loved this design so much, she turned off design change offers during the years, and Machin stamps were printed until 2022.
All stamps you could see in the today’s article are Pre decimal Machin stamp, which were produced from 1967 to 1970.
Today we’ve seen the six Machin stamps dating back to 1967. I hope you’ve liked the story behind this design. Stay tuned, because more articles in this series will be published.
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