Machin Study Group
Meeting of February 4, 2014
Members present: Peter B.; Dan B.; Norma B.; Reay C.; Jim C.; David G.; Don H.; Peter J.; Rhonda K.; John L.; Jorge M.; Garfield P.; Vijay V.; Peter W.
Guest: Jim C.
David G. welcomed the group and called the meeting to order. Jim C. was welcomed as a guest. Rhonda took notes as secretary for the evening.
Vijay and Jim C. provided coffee and cookies
Jorge told of his continuing soaking and sorting of a mammoth quantity of Machins. He has discovered that the phosphor bands show really well when the stamps are wet.
Don tells us that he has let his Machins slide in the last month as he is working on Canadian R.P.O.’s.
Vijay suffered a nasty injury to his hand and has not been able to do much stamp work.. He is working on a new collection of cylinder blocks. He has also discovered a new Prestige Book and will report back in March with details.
Rhonda reports that she recently purchased a substantial Machin collection that will provide lots of opportunity for ongoing work and expansion.
John L. reports that he is busy sorting Machins into stockbooks. He brought two newly filled books for the group to examine.
Jim C. reports that he downloaded and printed the entire Robin Harris specialist album. It turned out to be more than he expected and his collection has increased from 5 to 7 volumes.
Peter B. showed a small presentation of “cut corners” from stationery that were pasted onto new envelopes and postally used. He reported that Michael Peach had recently written an article on the subject. He also showed a GB stamp publication with an article on Machin forgeries (these are currently available from Glen Stevens, an Australian dealer). Peter also showed the beginnings of a sub collection of Machin Postal History with combinations of Machins being used to make up the current rate.
Reay C. is still working on the 11½p stamps.
Garfield is working on a small PowerPoint presentation showing the various phosphor bands and some phosphor plate numbers on cylinder blocks. Target date for presentation is March meeting.
David G. has decided to remount his entire Machin holding on new pages. The 8p stamp alone consumed 7 sheets.
The Georgian Bay Stamp Club has shown some interest in forming a Machin group and spoke to Rhonda at the UNIPEX Stamp Show. They want someone to visit them to help them. The group agreed that they should visit us first. Vijay will get the contact name and email and we will include them in future distributions of information.
The main event for the evening was the 2nd annual Machin Auction. Thirty one lots of Machin related material was offered for sale by the auctioneer, David G. Twenty seven of the lots sold with $129.00 being the final proceeds. It was agreed that we should hold another auction before the end of this collecting season.
The March meeting will feature the following:
- Discussion of the 12p for the reference collection project
- PowerPoint of phosphor bands.
- Auction of Machin material
Next meeting April 1, 2014