The Wild World of British Machin Stamps

The "Machin" set of Great Britain definitive stamps began in 1967 and new stamps in the series are still being printed and used. They feature the head of Queen Elizabeth II. Early stamps in the series are pre-decimal; the later issues are of course decimal stamps.

The stamps are fondly referred to as "Machins" or "Machin head stamps" because the sculptor of the bust of Queen Elizabeth II that's used in the design of all of the stamps was a gentleman named Arnold Machin.

According to some experts, there are well over 1,000 different varieties of stamps in this long-running series. They can be collected on many different levels - the philatelist can collect just the major denomination and color types, or he or she can go far beyond that. Printing methods, phosphor tagging, perforation changes, and changes in the size of the denomination numeral are all additional variables in collecting Machins. Other varieties include larger size Machin stamps, which generally are high denomination stamps.

In addition to stamps that solely show the Queen's head, there are regional issues - Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man - that feature the Queen's head and a small country symbol in the top lefthand corner. For example, the Welsh regional Machin stamp has a small Welsh dragon in the corner.

Another variation on the Machin stamps was the Anniversary Issue of 1990. These stamps feature portraits of Queen Elizabeth II and Queen Victoria.

As I mentioned earlier, a stamp collector can make his Machin collection as simple - or as complicated - as he or she likes. The most detailed, specialized Machin stamp catalog is the Complete Deegam Machin Handbook, published in two volumes. Much more than a mere "handbook," this massive work is the definitive authority on these stamps and, as such, is a must-have for any serious Machin collector.

Because of their colorful nature, but moreso because of all the different and sometimes intricate varieties, Machins can be a wild series of stamps to collect.

British Empire & Early British Commonwealth Stamps Skyrocket in Value

British Empire stamps and early British Commonwealth stamps are setting a notable positive trend in stamp values. While there are some exceptions, overall the value of these stamps is rising steadily. In some cases, values are steeply increasing.

Take a look at your stamp catalogs (if they're recent editions) and if you have a record of earlier values, you'll see what I mean when you compare them. Increases of 25% to 300% - and even more - over previous values from just a few years ago are not uncommon.

This recent trend in higher stamp values appears to hold true for stamps from all periods, not just those from the Queen Victoria and Kind Edward VII periods. In fact, stamps as recent as those issued during the reigns of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II (in the 1950s) are also rising in value. And it's true for mint (unused) stamps and also postally used stamps.

Moral of the story? Buy now, before prices go up again.