This is a list of all the major variations of the Machin series of postage stamps in the United Kingdom. The complete list of all variations is vast and outside the scope of this encyclopedia.
Note: the colours and the colour descriptions are to be used to give an idea only, as each catalogue and website will name the colours differently.
The first Machins were issued in 1967 and were in use until the UK changed to a decimal currency in 1971. These Machins came in two sizes, with the four higher value stamps being the largest.
| ½d | Orange brown | 5 Feb 1968[1] | 29 Feb 1972[2] | ||
| 1d | Olive | ||||
| 2d | Lake brown | ||||
| 3d | Violet | 8 Aug 1967[3] | |||
| 4d | Sepia | 5 Jun 1967[4] | 2nd Class basic rate from 16 September 1968 to 14 February 1971.[5] | ||
| 4d | Bright vermillion | 6 Jan 1969[6] | |||
| 5d | Blue | 1 Jul 1968[7] | 1st Class basic rate from 16 September 1968 to 14 February 1971. | ||
| 6d | Purple | 5 Feb 1968 | |||
| 7d | Emerald | 1 July 1968 | The 7d, 8d and 9d stamps had the value indicator behind the bust.[8] | ||
| 8d | Vermillion | ||||
| 8d | Light turquoise blue | 6 Jan 1969 | |||
| 9d | Dark green | 8 Aug 1967 | |||
| 10d | Drab | 1 Jul 1968 | The background of the 10d and 1/- stamps had a gradient. | ||
| 1/- | Pale violet | 5 Jun 1967 | |||
| 1/6 | Blue and deep blue | 8 Aug 1967 | |||
| 1/9 | Orange and black | 5 Jun 1967 | |||
| 2/6 | Peat brown | 5 Mar 1969[9] | 29 Feb 1972 | ||
| 5/- | Raspberry red | ||||
| 10/- | Sapphire blue | ||||
| £1 | Blue/black | 31 Jul 2023[10] | Upon demonetisation, the £1 blue/black will be the oldest-circulating Machin stamp, at 54 years and 148 days. |
Machins continued being issued after Britain's change to decimalisation, and were produced until the end of the queen's reign. During the 1970s and 1980s, Royal Mail issued 12 Machins in a larger format. Other major variations include:
Elliptical perforation: In 1993 Royal Mail started issuing Machins with two large elliptical perforations, one on either side, as a security feature. Some Machins have both standard and elliptical perfs, but those issued after 1993 only have the ellipticals.
EME Images: In 1997 a new profile of the Queen was used on Machins. EME (or electro-mechanically engraved) images are created by computer and therefore offer better detail in the image.
Regional issues: These Machins were issued with a heraldic symbol in the top left-hand corner. These represent the Isle of Man with the Three Legs of Man symbol; Northern Ireland with the Red Hand of Ulster symbol; Scotland with the Lion of Scotland symbol and Wales with the Welsh Dragon symbol.
| Value and colour | Date 1st issue | Elliptical | image | Regional issue | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| p turquoise | 15 Feb 1971 | ||||||
| 1p crimson | 15 Feb 1971 | 8 Jun 1993 | 1 Apr 1997 | ||||
| p charcoal grey | 15 Feb 1971 | ||||||
| 2p deep grey-green | 15 Feb 1971 | 11 Apr 1995 | 27 May 1997 | ||||
| p pale magenta | 15 Feb 1971 | 7 Jul 1971 | |||||
| p rose madder | 14 Jan 1981 | ||||||
| 3p ultramarine | 15 Feb 1971 | 7 Jul 1971 | |||||
| 3p rose red | 22 Oct 1980 | ||||||
| 3p shocking pink | 10 Oct 1989 | ||||||
| p grey green | 15 Feb 1971 | 23 Jan 1974 | |||||
| p purple-brown | 30 Mar 1983 | ||||||
| 4p rust brown | 15 Feb 1971 | ||||||
| 4p turquoise | 30 Jan 1980 | ||||||
| 4p cobalt blue | 26 Jan 1988 | 14 Dec 1993 | 27 May 1997 | ||||
| p blue-grey | 24 Oct 1973 | ||||||
| p steel blue | 6 Nov 1974 | 6 Nov 1974 | |||||
| 5p grey-violet | 15 Feb 1971 | 7 Jul 1971 | |||||
| 5p greyish rose | 27 Jan 1982 | ||||||
| 5p ash pink (red-brown) | 26 Jul 1988 | 8 Jun 1993 | 27 May 1997 | ||||
| p deep violet | 24 Oct 1973 | 23 Jan 1974 | |||||
| 6p pastel green | 15 Feb 1971 | ||||||
| 6p lime green | 10 Sep 1991 | 27 Apr 1993 | 1 Apr 1997 | ||||
| p cerulean blue | 4 Sep 1974 | 14 Jan 1976 | |||||
| 7p reddish brown | 15 Jan 1975 | 18 Jan 1978 | |||||
| 7p brick red | 29 Oct 1985 | ||||||
| 7p light grey | 20 Apr 1999 | ||||||
| 7p shocking pink | 1 Apr 2004 | ||||||
| p pale chestnut | 15 Feb 1971 | 7 Jul 1971 | |||||
| 8p blood red | 24 Oct 1973 | 23 Jan 1974 | |||||
| 8p old gold | 25 Apr 2000 | ||||||
| p apple green | 24 Sep 1975 | 14 Jan 1976 | |||||
| 9p orange & black | 15 Feb 1971 | ||||||
| 9p bluish violet | 25 Feb 1976 | 18 Jan 1978 | |||||
| 9p orange | 5 Apr 2005 | 1 Apr 2008 | |||||
| p deep lilac | 25 Feb 1976 | ||||||
| 10p terracotta & orange-brown | 11 Aug 1971 | ||||||
| 10p grey-orange | 25 Feb 1976 | 20 Oct 1976 | |||||
| 10p light tan | 4 Sep 1990 | 8 Jun 1993 | 27 May 1997 | ||||
| p light yellow | 25 Feb 1976 | ||||||
| p greyish blue | 26 Apr 1978 | 18 Jan 1978 | |||||
| 11p pastel red | 25 Feb 1976 | 20 Oct 1976 | |||||
| p rust brown | 15 Aug 1979 | ||||||
| p mushroom | 14 Jan 1981 | 8 Apr 1981 | |||||
| 12p yellow-green | 30 Jan 1980 | 23 Jul 1980 | |||||
| 12p emerald green | 29 Oct 1985 | 7 Jan 1986 | |||||
| 12p dark turquoise | 1 Aug 2006 | ||||||
| p pastel green | 27 Jan 1982 | 24 Feb 1982 | |||||
| 13p grey green | 15 Aug 1979 | ||||||
| 13p light brown | 28 Aug 1984 | 23 Oct 1984 | |||||
| p red brown | 30 Jan 1980 | 23 Jul 1980 | |||||
| 14p greyish blue | 14 Jan 1981 | 8 Apr 1981 | |||||
| 14p dark blue | 23 Aug 1988 | 8 Nov 1988 | |||||
| 14p salmon pink | 1 Aug 2006 | ||||||
| 15p ultramarine | 15 Aug 1979 | 23 Jul 1980 | |||||
| 15p light blue | 26 Sep 1989 | 28 Nov 1989 | |||||
| 15p shocking pink | 1 Apr 2008 | 1 Apr 2008 | |||||
| p light violet | 14 Jan 1981 | 24 Feb 1982 | |||||
| 16p light mushroom | 30 Mar 1983 | 27 Apr 1983 | |||||
| 16p pink | 27 Mar 2007 | ||||||
| p light brown | 27 Jan 1982 | ||||||
| 17p pastel green | 30 Jan 1980 | ||||||
| 17p greyish blue | 30 Mar 1983 | 23 Oct 1984 | |||||
| 17p dark blue | 4 Sep 1990 | 4 Dec 1990 | |||||
| 17p olive green | 31 Mar 2009 | ||||||
| p chestnut brown | 30 Jan 1980 | ||||||
| 18p bluish violet | 14 Jan 1981 | 8 Apr 1981 | |||||
| 18p grey green | 28 Aug 1984 | 6 Jan 1987 | |||||
| 18p light green | 10 Sep 1991 | 3 Dec 1991 | |||||
| 19p flame | 23 Aug 1988 | 8 Nov 1988 | |||||
| 19p olive green | 26 Oct 1993 | 20 Apr 1999 | 7 Dec 1993 | ||||
| p pale olive grey | 27 Jan 1982 | 24 Feb 1982 | |||||
| 20p purple-grey | 25 Feb 1976 | ||||||
| 20p sea green | 23 Aug 1988 | 7 Dec 1993 | |||||
| 20p black | 26 Sep 1989 | 28 Nov 1989 | |||||
| 20p light green | 25 Jun 1996 | 29 Apr 1997 | 23 Jul 1996 [11] [12] | ||||
| p ultramarine | 30 Mar 1983 | 27 Apr 1983 | |||||
| 22p deep blue | 22 Oct 1980 | 8 Apr 1981 | |||||
| 22p moss green | 28 Aug 1984 | 23 Oct 1984 | |||||
| 22p flame | 4 Sep 1990 | 4 Dec 1990 | |||||
| 22p stone | 31 Mar 2009 | ||||||
| 23p pastel red | 30 Mar 1983 | ||||||
| 23p light green | 23 Aug 1988 | 8 Nov 1988 | |||||
| 24p violet | 28 Aug 1984 | ||||||
| 24p terracotta | 26 Sep 1989 | 28 Nov 1989 | |||||
| 24p rust | 10 Sep 1991 | 3 Dec 1991 | |||||
| 25p lilac | 14 Jan 1981 | ||||||
| 25p salmon pink | 26 Oct 1993 | 7 Dec 1993 | |||||
| 26p post office red | 27 Jan 1982 | 24 Feb 1982 | |||||
| 26p stone | 4 Sep 1990 | 4 Dec 1990 | |||||
| 26p rust | 25 Jun 1996 | 23 Sep 1997 | 23 Jul 1996 [13] [14] | ||||
| 26p gold | 21 Apr 1997 | 21 Apr 1997 | |||||
| 27p rust | 23 Aug 1988 | ||||||
| 27p mauve | 4 Sep 1990 | ||||||
| 28p bluish violet | 30 Mar 1983 | 27 Apr 1983 | |||||
| 28p sand | 23 Aug 1988 | ||||||
| 28p slate blue | 10 Sep 1991 | 3 Dec 1991 | |||||
| 29p yellow-brown | 27 Jan 1982 | ||||||
| 29p purple | 26 Sep 1989 | ||||||
| 29p light grey | 26 Oct 1993 | ||||||
| 30p sage green | 26 Sep 1989 | 27 Jul 1993 | 1997 | 7 Dec 1993 | |||
| 31p deep lilac | 30 Mar 1983 | 23 Oct 1984 | |||||
| 31p ultramarine | 4 Sep 1990 | ||||||
| 31p purple | 25 Jun 1996 | 26 Aug 1997 | |||||
| 32p dark turquoise | 23 Aug 1988 | 8 Nov 1988 | |||||
| 33p emerald green | 4 Sep 1990 | ||||||
| 33p slate blue | 25 Apr 2000 | ||||||
| 34p yellow brown | 28 Aug 1984 | ||||||
| 34p slate blue | 26 Sep 1989 | 28 Nov 1989 | |||||
| 34p purple | 10 Sep 1991 | ||||||
| 34p lime green | 6 May 2003 | 6 May 2003 | |||||
| 35p dark brown | 23 Aug 1988 | 1 Apr 2004 | |||||
| 35p old gold | 10 Sep 1991 | 17 Aug 1993 | |||||
| 35p lime green | 5 Apr 2005 | 5 Apr 2005 | |||||
| 36p ultramarine | 26 Oct 1993 | ||||||
| 37p red | 26 Sep 1989 | 4 Dec 1990 | |||||
| 37p amethyst | 25 Jun 1996 | 26 Aug 1997 | 23 Jul 1996 [15] [16] | ||||
| 37p charcoal black | 4 Jul 2002 | 4 Jul 2002 | |||||
| 37p olive green | 28 Mar 2006 | 28 Mar 2006 | |||||
| 38p red | 26 Oct 1993 | ||||||
| 38p ultramarine | 20 Apr 1999 | 20 Apr 1999 | 8 Jun 1999 | ||||
| 39p amethyst | 10 Sep 1991 | 3 Dec 1991 | |||||
| 39p shocking pink | 25 Jun 1996 | 1997 | |||||
| 39p light grey | 1 Apr 2004 | ||||||
| 40p grey blue | 25 Apr 2000 | 25 Apr 2000 | 25 Apr 2000 | ||||
| 40p dark turquoise | 1 Apr 2004 | 1 Apr 2004 | |||||
| 41p stone | 26 Oct 1993 | 7 Dec 1993 | |||||
| 41p red | 25 Apr 2000 | 25 Apr 2000 | |||||
| 42p sage green | 4 Jul 2002 | 4 Jul 2002 | |||||
| 43p dark brown | 25 Jun 1996 | 1 Apr 1997 | |||||
| 43p emerald green | 1 Apr 2004 | 1 Apr 2004 | |||||
| 44p stone | 20 Apr 1999 | 20 Apr 1999 | |||||
| 44p ultramarine | 28 Mar 2006 | 28 Mar 2006 | |||||
| 45p amethyst | 25 Apr 2000 | 25 Apr 2000 | |||||
| 46p old gold | 5 Apr 2005 | 5 Apr 2005 | |||||
| 47p sea green | 4 Jul 2002 | 4 Jul 2002 | |||||
| 48p amethyst | 27 Mar 2007 | 27 Mar 2007 | |||||
| 49p rust | 28 Mar 2006 | 28 Mar 2006 | |||||
| 50p ochre | 2 Feb 1977 | ||||||
| 50p sand | 13 Mar 1990 | 14 Dec 1993 | 1 Apr 1997 | ||||
| 50p light grey | 27 Mar 2007 | 27 Mar 2007 | |||||
| 50p slate grey | 3 Jan 2013 | ||||||
| 54p rust | 27 Mar 2007 | 27 Mar 2007 | |||||
| 56p sage green | 1 Apr 2008 | 1 Apr 2008 | |||||
| 60p slate blue | 9 Aug 1994 | ||||||
| 60p emerald green | |||||||
| 62p red | 31 Mar 2009 | ||||||
| 63p emerald green | 25 Jun 1996 | 26 Aug 1997 | 23 Jul 1996 [17] | ||||
| 64p sea green | 20 Apr 1999 | 20 Apr 1999 | 8 Jun 1999 | ||||
| 65p dark turquoise | 25 Apr 2000 | 25 Apr 2000 | 25 Apr 2000 | ||||
| 68p stone | 4 Jul 2002 | 4 Jul 2002 | |||||
| 72p red | 28 Mar 2006 | 28 Mar 2006 | |||||
| 75p India black | 30 Jan 1980 | ||||||
| 78p emerald green | 27 Mar 2007 | 27 Mar 2007 | |||||
| 81p turquoise | 1 Apr 2008 | 1 Apr 2008 | |||||
| 81p holly green | 26 Mar 2014 | ||||||
| 87p orange | 25 Apr 2012 | ||||||
| 88p shocking pink | 30 Mar 2010 | ||||||
| 88p amber yellow | 27 Mar 2013 | ||||||
| 90p ultramarine | 31 Mar 2009 | ||||||
| 97p mauve | 31 Mar 2009 | ||||||
| 97p purple heather | 26 Mar 2014 | ||||||
| £1 mauve | 22 Aug 1995 | 1 Apr 1997 | |||||
| £1 ruby | 5 Jun 2007 | 5 Jun 2007 | |||||
| £1 wood brown | 3 Jan 2013 | ||||||
| £1.05 gooseberry green | 22 Mar 2016 | ||||||
| £1.10 lime green | 29 Mar 2011 | ||||||
| £1.17 sunrise red | 21 Mar 2017 | ||||||
| £1.25 holly green | 20 Mar 2018 | ||||||
| £1.28 emerald green | 25 Apr 2012 | ||||||
| £1.33 amber yellow | 24 Mar 2015 | ||||||
| £1.35 orchid mauve | 19 Mar 2019 | ||||||
| £1.40 dark pine green | 12 Mar 2017 | ||||||
| £1.42 garnet red | 17 Mar 2020 | ||||||
| £1.45 dove grey | 26 Mar 2014 | ||||||
| £1.46 dark turquoise | 30 Mar 2010 | ||||||
| £1.47 dove grey | 26 Mar 2014 | ||||||
| £1.50 brownish red | 9 Mar 1999 | ||||||
| £1.52 orchid mauve | 24 Mar 2015 | ||||||
| £1.55 marine turquoise | 20 Mar 2018 | ||||||
| £1.57 tarragon pine green | 21 Mar 2017 | ||||||
| £1.60 amber yellow | 21 Mar 2017 | ||||||
| £1.63 sunset red | 13 Mar 2020 | ||||||
| £1.65 sage green | 29 Mar 2011 | ||||||
| £1.68 tarragon green | 17 Mar 2020 | ||||||
| £1.70 marine turquoise | 23 Dec 2020 | ||||||
| £1.88 sapphire blue | 27 Mar 2013 | ||||||
| £1.90 amethyst | 25 Apr 2012 | ||||||
| £2 slate blue | 9 Mar 1999 | ||||||
| £2.15 marine turquoise | 26 Mar 2014 | ||||||
| £2.25 plum purple | 24 Mar 2015 | ||||||
| £2.27 harvest gold | 21 Mar 2017 | ||||||
| £2.30 gooseberry green | 19 Mar 2019 | ||||||
| £2.42 purple heather | 17 Mar 2020 | ||||||
| £2.45 spruce green | 24 Mar 2015 | ||||||
| £2.55 garnet red | 21 Mar 2017 | ||||||
| £2.65 purple heather | 20 Mar 2018 | ||||||
| £2.80 spruce green | 19 Mar 2019 | ||||||
| £2.97 rose pink | 17 Mar 2020 | ||||||
| £3 dull purple | 9 Mar 1999 | ||||||
| £3 purple | 3 Jul 2003 | ||||||
| £3.15 aqua green | 24 Mar 2015 | ||||||
| £3.25 aqua green | 23 Dec 2020 | ||||||
| £3.30 rose pink | 24 Mar 2015 | ||||||
| £3.45 dark pine green | 19 Mar 2019 | ||||||
| £3.60 bright orange | 19 Mar 2020 | ||||||
| £3.66 harvest gold | 17 Mar 2020 | ||||||
| £3.82 holly green | 17 Mar 2020 | ||||||
| £4.20 plum purple | 23 Dec 2020 | ||||||
| £5 brown | 9 Mar 1999 | ||||||
| £5 grey blue | 1 Jul 2003 | ||||||
| Value and colour | Date 1st issue | |
|---|---|---|
| 10p cerise | Jun 17 1970 | |
| 20p olive green | Jun 17 1970 | |
| 50p deep ultramarine | Jun 17 1970 | |
| £1 bluish black | Jun 17 1970 | |
| £1 olive & greenish yellow | Feb 2 1977 | |
| £1.30 buff & blue-green | Aug 3 1983 | |
| £1.33 mauve & blue-black | Aug 28 1984 | |
| £1.41 buff & blue-green | Sep 17 1985 | |
| £1.50 blue-black & lilac | Sep 2 1986 | |
| £1.60 blue-black & buff | Sep 15 1987 | |
| £2 purple-brown and pale green | Feb 2 1977 | |
| £5 royal blue & pale pink | Feb 2 1977 |
NVI (or non-value indicator) Machins first appeared in 1989 in an attempt to negate the need to keep issuing new stamps after each postal rate change. They are marked 1st and 2nd for the two classes of post in the United Kingdom. The E NVI stamp represented the standard letter rate to Europe.
| Value and colour | Date 1st issue | Elliptical perf. | EME image | Regional issue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st black | Aug 22 1989 | ||||
| 1st flame | Aug 7 1990 | Apr 6 1993 | Apr 29 1997 | Feb 15 2000 | |
| 1st gold | Apr 21 1997 | Apr 21 1997 | |||
| 1st Millennium white | Jan 6 2000 | Jan 6 2000 | |||
| 1st gold (large value) | Aug 1 2006 | Aug 1 2006 | |||
| 2nd light blue | Aug 22 1989 | Apr 6 1993 | Apr 29 1997 | ||
| 2nd dark blue | Aug 7 1990 | ||||
| 2nd light blue (large value) | Aug 1 2006 | Aug 1 2006 | |||
| E dark blue | Jan 19 1999 | Jan 19 1999 |
| Value and colour | Date 1st issue | Elliptical perf. | EME image | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st gold (large value) | Aug 1 2006 | Aug 1 2006 | ||
| 2nd light blue (large value) | Aug 1 2006 | Aug 1 2006 |
| Value and colour | Date 1st issue | |
|---|---|---|
| 1st embossed | Feb 16 1999 | |
| 1st engraved | Feb 16 1999 | |
| 1st typographed | Feb 16 1999 |
In 1990, the Royal Mail issued five stamps to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Penny Black. They featured the Machin image of Queen Elizabeth II overlaying the image of Queen Victoria from the Penny Black. An NVI issue was released in 2000.
| Value and colour | Date 1st issue | |
|---|---|---|
| 15p light blue | Jan 10 1990 | |
| 20p black & cream | Jan 10 1990 | |
| 20p black | Apr 17 1990 | |
| 29p purple | Jan 10 1990 | |
| 34p slate blue | Jan 10 1990 | |
| 37p red | Jan 10 1990 | |
| 1st black | Feb 15 2000 |
| Value & Colour | Date 1st Issue | |
|---|---|---|
| Airmail Europe up to 20g | 30 Mar 2003 | |
| Airmail Europe up to 40g | 27 Mar 2003 | |
| Airmail Worldwide up to 20g | 30 Mar 2003 | |
| Airmail Worldwide up to 40g | 27 Mar 2003 | |
| Airmail Postcard | 1 Apr 2004 |
Since about 2009, virtually all Machins have been issued only as self-adhesive stamps. The primary exceptions have been stamps issued as part of Prestige Stamp Booklets or in souvenir sheets.
Machin stamps with Data Matrix barcodes were introduced in two stages, on 1 February 2022 (non-value indicators), and 4 April 2022 (other values). All barcoded stamps are self-adhesive.
Existing definitive stamps issued from 15 February 1971 to 31 January 2022 remain valid until 31 January 2023: since 31 March 2022, they can be indefinitely exchanged for the barcoded series.[18]
The 2022 issue was the last release in the Machin series prior to the death of Elizabeth II. On 8 February 2023, the design for the new definitive series, to be released on 4 April 2023 and featuring a portrait of Charles III by Martin Jennings, was revealed.[19]
| 2nd | Light blue | 23 March 2021 |
| 1st | Plum purple | 1 February 2022 | ||
| 2nd | Holly green | |||
| Large | 1st | Marine turquoise | ||
| 2nd | Dark pine green | |||
| Low Value | 1p | Sapphire blue on white | 4 April 2022 | |
| 2p | Dark green on white | |||
| 5p | Purple heather on white | |||
| 10p | Aqua green on white | |||
| 20p | Light green on white | |||
| 50p | Slate grey on white | |||
| £1 | Wood brown on white | |||
| High Value | £2 | Bright blue on white | 4 April 2022 | |
| £3 | Purple on white | |||
| £5 | Spruce green on white | |||
| International | £1.85 | Wood brown | 4 April 2022 | |
| £2.55 | Sapphire blue | |||
| £3.25 | Purple | |||
| £4.20 | Light green |