The Machin series of postage stamps was the main definitive stamp series in the United Kingdom, used from 5 June 1967. It was the second series to figure the image of HM Queen Elizabeth II, replacing the Wilding series, designed by Dorothy Wilding (1893–1976).
The last issue was on 4 April 2022, four months before the Queen’s death on 8 September. Designed by Arnold Machin OBE, R.A., FRSS (1911–1999), they consisted simply of the sculpted profile of the Queen and a denomination and were almost always in a single color.
The Royal Mail started added barcodes to regular stamps in March 2021, with the intention that after 31 January 2023, regular stamps without a barcode will no longer be valid. The barcodes enable new services by connecting physical stamps to the digital world through the Royal Mail app.
This collection features the last Machin definitives issued and the last barcoded stamps with HM Queen Elizabeth’s profile silhouette.
