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British Commonwealth continued...

Regular Issues

Machins

Great Britain
LotNo. Symbol CatNo. Lot Description
2 og 39e image1864, Queen Victoria, 6d lilac, hair lines, imperf, Emblems watermark inverted (Scott 39e), a most attractive example, slightly toned o.g., large balanced margins, Very Fine.
SG 85a; £3,250 ($4,130).
Scott $4,500. (Image)

Get Market Data for [Great Britain 39e] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census

Estimate $1,200-1,800
CLOSED
Will close during Public Auction
3 S 110 image1884, Queen Victoria, £1 brown lilac, Imperial Crowns watermark (Scott 110), o.g., hinged, a lovely stamp in alluring color on fresh paper; "dent" in frameline at lower right a plate flaw (paper undamaged), Very Fine.
SG 185. S.G. Spec. K15t; £2,800 ($3,560). (Image)

Get Market Data for [Great Britain 110] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census

Estimate $750-1,000
SOLD for $425.00
Will close during Public Auction
4 O 110 image1884, Queen Victoria, £1 brown lilac, Imperial Crowns watermark (Scott 110), nicely centered, canceled with partial Gracechurch Street "Registered" ovals, Fine to Very Fine.
SG 185; £3,000 ($3,810).
Scott $3,500. (Image)

Get Market Data for [Great Britain 110] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census

Estimate $800-1,200
SOLD for $500.00
Will close during Public Auction
5 O 124 image1891, Queen Victoria, £1 green (Scott 124), fresh and nicely centered with a neat, "socked-on-the-nose" Lombard St c.d.s., May 13, 1896, Very Fine.
SG 212; £800 ($1,020).
Scott $925. (Image)

Get Market Data for [Great Britain 124] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census

Estimate $350-500
SOLD for $200.00
Will close during Public Auction
6 nh 128d image1911, King Edward VII, Harrison & Sons printing, 1d aniline pink, perf 14 (Scott 128d), a marvelous mint example of this rare printing, o.g., never hinged, wonderfully fresh with lovely fluorescent color, Fine to Very Fine.
SG 275. S.G. Spec. M6(8); £1,250 ($1,590).
Scott $1,000. (Image)

Get Market Data for [Great Britain 128d] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census

Estimate $350-500
SOLD for $180.00
Will close during Public Auction
7 og 175 image1913, King George V "Seahorse", Waterlow printing, 10s indigo blue (Scott 175), well centered with deep, rich color; couple very slightly nibbed perfs at the top, otherwise Very Fine.
SG 402; £1,000 ($1,270).
Scott $1,100. (Image)

Get Market Data for [Great Britain 175] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census

Estimate $250-350
SOLD for $140.00
Will close during Public Auction
8 og 209 image1929, £1 P.U.C. (Scott 209), o.g., barest trace of hinge, with rich color and sharp detail on bright paper, Fine to Very Fine.
SG 438.
Scott $750. (Image)

Get Market Data for [Great Britain 209] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census

Estimate $300-400
SOLD for $275.00
Will close during Public Auction
9 O 209 image1929, £1 P.U.C. (Scott 209).
SG 438; £600 ($760).
Scott $550. (Image)

Get Market Data for [Great Britain 209] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census

Estimate $250-350
SOLD for $190.00
Will close during Public Auction
10 nh O12 imageInland Revenue Official, 1889, Queen Victoria, 1s dull green (Scott O12), an incredible mint top sheet margin single, o.g., never hinged(!), post office fresh and exceptionally well centered with marvelous color, Very Fine to Extremely Fine.
SG O15; £1,000 for hinged ($1,270).
Scott $1,100 for hinged. (Image)

Get Market Data for [Great Britain O12] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census

Estimate $750-1,000
SOLD for $400.00
Will close during Public Auction
11 nhbl   image1997, Queen Elizabeth II, deep green (as used for 2p), light grey (as used for the 29p), flame (as used for 1st class, undenominated trials), full panes of 100, from the limited supply of these discovery sheets, o.g., never hinged, Very Fine, each with photocopies of 2017 R.P.S.L. certificates that were issued for the discovery set of sheets.


Machin trials discovered after 20 years

Sheets of three trials of the Machin head, produced in 1997, came to light in the 50th anniversary of the introduction of Arnold Machin's iconic portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.

The Machin definitives were first printed in lithography in 1980 as Royal Mail expanded its range of suppliers. However, by the mid-1990s it had decided that all the standard definitives should be printed in gravure. At the time The House of Questa, based in south London, did not have gravure capability.

As the company wished to participate in all future tenders for Royal Mail stamps, whether printed by litho or gravure, in gummed or self-adhesive versions in sheets or stamp booklets, it decided to make a major investment in a gravure press and an automated booklet maker. To achieve the best, Questa partnered with a number of highly qualified and renowned organisations to deliver the skills, processes and technology required to ensure it would be ready for production in less than 18 months.

Courvoisier, based in Switzerland, was at that time arguably the finest gravure stamp printer in Europe. The company agreed to assist Questa with technical advice and cylinder making. As part of this process Royal Mail gave permission for a print trial at Courvoisier using the Machin head: the original material to enable the trial to take place was supplied by Questa. Part of the thinking at the time was that Courvoisier might undertake the production of the cylinders needed for final stamp printing on behalf of Questa, but this did not materialise.

The undenominated trials were produced in October 1997 in sheets of 100 (from larger sheets of 200 guillotined in two) with the Courvoisier imprint along the vertical margins. They exist in three colours: deep green (as used for the 2p), light grey (as used at the time for the 29p), and flame (as used for 1st class). Courvoisier had printed the then current Kenya definitives, these being of the same overall size as the Machin definitives. As a consequence, the trials were printed on coated paper without phosphor bands, and have perforation 15 x 14. However, the stamp image is slightly smaller than that used on Machin definitives.

Barry Robinson, then Design Director of Royal Mail, visited Courvoisier to see the preparations. It is believed the trial sheets were printed on one of the small gravure printing presses at Courvoisier, some being printed during the visit.

The gravure press and the automated booklet line were produced by ATN in France. The new machinery would not fit within Questa's original base in Camberwell: the move to Byfleet was part of the development.

Courvoisier was founded in 1880 and started printing stamps in 1937. It was noted for the high quality of its photogravure work, but sadly it ran into financial difficulties and ceased trading in 2001. (Image) (Image2) (Image3) (Image4) (Image5) (Image6)

image image image image

Estimate $5,000-7,500
CLOSED
Will close during Public Auction

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