michael78651

14 Feb 2013
09:06:30pm

re: The newest bright Red Machin Stamp

Oh boy! Here come a whole lot of new catalog numbers!

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cdj1122

re: The newest bright Red Machin Stamp

" ....Oh boy! Here come a whole lot of new catalog numbers ! ..."

Yes, Michael, that is likely and it should be interesting to see how Gibbons and Scott shoehorn a new 1st NVI into a logical place in their somewhat illogical systems.

For those who specialize in the series that now consists of about459 easily identifiable color/value varieties and with a sharp eye that number can exceed 8oo stamps with discernible differences the catalog of choice is the Complete Deegam Machin Handbook.
Doug Myall had a Great advantage 40 years ago in that he was present at the beginning of the Machin Era, which continues unabated with the introduction of new standard colors for NVI stamps, combined with a lot of experience dealing with the previous "Wilding" definitives.
As the Machin series developed and matured it must have been obvious to him that both Scott's and Stanley Gibbons systems were making a mish-mash of their numbering systems. As values were added and certain values were re-printed, creating varieties of paper, color, gum, printers and sources, the standard catalogs added numbers, altered numbers, changed numbers, modified some issue' numbers with letters that made figuring out what stamp went where in the pecking order interesting, and led to continual updating. Most collectors were just as confused as the catalog editors.
So Doug created his own very logical system of numbering Machins that allowed similar issues to be grouped together by value and color with the added advantage that once a stamp is issued a number, that should never change, and new variations could be added in place or inserted between previous similar issues without changing whole strings of previously determined numbers.

It works like this.
Imagine that a 21p stamp was issued by Royal Mail. It gets the standard Deegam number of DG 21.1.1.
(Note: There are no 21p Machin stamps so I chose that value for illustration purposes.)
Six months later two almost identical stamps are printed and manufactured by a different printer, one with one kind of gum and one with a different kind of gum. They are listed as DG 21.2.1 and DG 21.3.1 and so without changing the 22p and other higher value stamp's numbers and so on, we can easily see where these beauties fit.

Then some alert collector spots one of the stamps that is identical to DG21.1.1 except for it having a single left band. After verifying its main characteristics Doug can assign it the number DG 21.1.2 so that we now have;
DG21.1.1,-------- Still the same number
DG21.1.2,---------The new variation fits in here
DG21.2.1,-------- Still the same number
and,
DG21.3.1---------- Still the same number
Notice that the first, second and third variation all have kept their original designation.

Imagine further that several years pass by and other variations in printing method, phosphor bands, gum, paper type, and even a different colo are produced or discovered.
The new stamps are given appropriate numbers according to the hierarchy established by Doug when they started and completely explained in the Complete Machin Handbook so that the section covering the 21p stamps now looks like this;
.
DG21.1.1 -------- Still the same number
DG21.1.2
DG21.1.3
DG21.2.1 -------- Still the same number
DG21.2.2
DG21.3.1 -------- Still the same number
DG21.3.2
DG21.3.3
DG21.4.1 -------- the new color
.
Now in truth, there have been a few adjustments mostly to correct typos and some unavoidable corrections, (Three or four in 45 years, imagine that !) but very few and easy to accommodate without any major overhaul of the rest of the 21p section. And definitely a correction of something in the 21p group will not affect the higher listed values.
If a new stamp is issued that has as its main characteristics that show it is a further variation of DG21.3.3 it can be assigned DG21.3.4 or if it is only a very minor alteration of DG21.3.3 it can be given the number DG21.3.3a and any collector who has taken the time to follow the system knows just from looking at the number where that stamp ought to be placed.
Meanwhile, during the forty-five years since the first Machins were produced Gibbons has re-ordered its numbers several times and created a kind of havoc among collectors that even to this day there are times where in certain cases, I am not sure which number is assigned to which stamp, unless I have bought the latest Gibbons guide and checked through the long list of corrections issued by them for typos or changes. Scott, finally had to hire an American Machin expert, Richard Muller, to completely overhaul its standard numbering system and they created the prefix "MH" for all Machin stamps.

One major advantage also is that this allows for three levels of collecting from the simplified to the more complex, one for each grade of collector, to tempt them from the starting level 1 to the specialized level 3 and even 3a. Accompanying all this there are, of course, the Deegam Profiles, one for every listed stamp at any level which in a shorthand notation allows the collector to identify each stamp that s/he mounts.

Currently the first class NVI Machin definitives have about 54 major different stamps that can be found and seen with nothing more than a 3x glass at most.
The Deegam numbering allows a new issue to fit into the sequence without any shifting of the rest of the numbers, which as they were produced were assigned the numbers N1.1.1 through N54.1.1, so this bright red beauty will be N55.1.1 or so.

Now the new red 1st class NVI will be issued with several different codes in the background overprint so there will actually be, as suspected, a slew of numbers, for instance N55.1.1; N55.1.2; N55.1.3 and if the differences are more striking N55.2.1 and even N55.3.1 and so on.
But the point remains, none of the established numbers either before or after the new insertion will need to be changed.
The great thing is that I can speculate pretty accurately what the new number will be and thus where it fits in this system, but have little or no idea what numbers or letters Scott will assign the red NVIs or where it will best fit in the existing sequence. And Gibbons, despite its great reputation and detail often gives me a headache just thinking about their numbers and sub categories.

The floor is now open to questions or comments.

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cdj1122

re: The newest bright Red Machin Stamp

Doug posts updates that can be downloaded to your files or printed out on paper several times a year for those who are Handbook owners.
He has the handbook on a disc which can be traded in very year or two for an updated disc for a small fee which then includes what was posted in the Updates to whatever date is then current.
Were everything on the disc printed in loose-leaf format it would be well over 1,500 pages, but by the miracle of modern technology and a lot of hard tedious work it is all on one single "Adobe friendly" disc.
If you are interested I can send you the address and further info.

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lisagrant87

re: The newest bright Red Machin Stamp

Charlie,
I would love more info as well. Thank you in advance!
Lisa

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Poodle_Mum

re: The newest bright Red Machin Stamp

Charlie - as you know I'm not a Machin lover - for the specific reason of two many colour variations. However, I've got to say, this is the most beautiful Machin I've ever seen. I love the fact you pointed out the S and 13.

Kelly

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