Hello, Hope you enjoy seeing these. Showing them because they are different and if you have a few, perhaps it is worth checking the perforations

Not a big catalogue value difference but always nice to have both copies in your collection.

SG 1199 is perf 14 while there is a perf 13½ x SG 1199a.

Issued in 1989 commemorating Botanic Gardens.

Lovely stamps in my view. These show Nooroo Garden in Mount Wilson, New South Wales, which was established in 1880. Nooroo is a cold climate garden with a wide variety of European and native plants for visitors to enjoy.

Enjoy your stamps; they give us so much pleasure don't they! and oh yes, if you don't have both copies why not visit cddstamps online store where we have over 2500 Australia stamps for sale.

best wishes Michael cddstamps.com

Hello, I hope readers get to see the feedback I receive. I am always grateful for comments and the one from Ian Norvic is worth noting. Thanks Ian. I always value your guidance and advice.and am looking more closely at what I post and the hundreeds of the "self adhesives" I am studying.

Yes, I am still studying 2^nd class self adhesive Machins and while not wanting to bore you with the complexities I am reading about, and the hours it is taking to study the stamps ( very enjoyable hours I should add) I thought these two would be nice to see. First issued in 1993 as a trial and then these in 1997 with Die Cut perfs and one elliptical hole on each perforation.

SG cat is 1976 and 1977 with quite useful cat value.

Enjoy your stamps

Michael cddstamps.com

Hello, How nice to get some comments from readers. One reader pointed out that the perforations were different on the stamps I showed the other night. Yes that was correct and I did not mention that did I, so to remedy that here are two more images and a few words on what to look for when it comes to trying to identify the stamps by the perforations.

First, just a reminder that I am only looking at the 2^nd class self adhesive light blue stamps with elliptical perforations issued between 1993 – 2001.

The two perforations shown are the Enschede die-cut perforation on the bottom image (left stamp) and a Walsall die-cut perforation on the top image (right stamp). The difference is very obvious. The Enschede perforations are rounded and the Walsall perforations are square cut.

If readers have more precise details, rather than my general view, please let me know and I will share.

The challenge I have found sorting the 2^nd Class self adhesive Light Blues is the number of varieties, given the number of printers, the paper types, gums, engraving methods, printing methods (ie Lithography or Photogravure), different use and types of phosphor (for example the colour, position, width size, and colour intensity of the bands) and the perforation sizes - and on the subject of perf sizes I have found over 100 perf 14½ by 14 but none are listed in any of my readings – thoughts????

Anyway, I am trying to compile for myself a listing that will allow me to catalogue used material, and create a small portfolio of (within reason) some stamp varieties in used condition – Rather than just SG 1664, 1664a, 1665, 1620 and SG 2039 (It is a lot easier I think with Mint stamps if the stamps are in the original booklet. I may be crazy you are thinking but I think it would be nice to have for collectors. Anyway I have great sources to help me - SG Concise, Deegams and perhaps the best as far as I am concerned given my scope, Great Britain Machins ( by “The Machin Nut”)

Anyone offer any further thoughts? (Polite ones please) I have the 1^st Class to do next!

Enjoy your stamps. Best wishes Michael

cddstamps.com - where you can fill a few gaps in your Machin collection from the 1700 we have listed, with more to be listed as we get organised.

Hello, following on from the other nights post I thought perhaps this might be of interest. Two more differences for you to look for, if you have the patience and an eye for the detail, in the 2^nd class Machin NVI (No Value Indicated) stamps.

The crown on the stamp to the right has a larger distance between the edge of the crown and the right hand edge of the frame.

From my reading this is because the right hand stamp was printed from a chemically etched process and is from a 1995 issue, while the left hand stamp was printed from an improved computer engraved method and is from a 1996 issue.

The most obvious difference perhaps is that the Queen’s head image is much sharper with a higher degree of definition on the left hand stamp. I welcome comments and correction perhaps from readers with more knowledge than I have.

Anyway, perhaps like me, you enjoy and find it interesting to look for such differences.

Enjoy your stamps.. Best wishes….. Michael cddstamps.com

Hello, another piece on sorting Machins. I must have about 1000 of these and trying to decide what they are is very difficult. Are they from a sheet, Booklet, or coil for example. And what issue? 1993 - 2008 or 1998 - 2001 issues?, covering SG 1664, 1665, 1670, or 2039.

The above is just one page of 64. Some lighter shades, but that really doesn’t help. Or does it? I have sorted by perforation – 15 x 14, some 14½ and I even found a few perf 14. I won’t bore you too much but if any reader has any helpful tips and tricks to distinguish even just 1993- issues from 1998- I would be interested to hear from you. you can write to me at cddstamps@gmail.com

And, if you look at the image below you will see one way to start to differentiate some of the stamps.

The Phosphors bands show differently, for example – very bright white, duller white, greyish and yes, yellow. From 1997 onwards for example both Questa and Walsall used long wave phosphor which gives a violet response viewed under ultra violet light. I have not found any yet but in the image below you will see two stamps with Yellow flour. The others show Blue flour – actually white to the naked eye - The yellow is from a 1993- issue so I know that is SG 1664. The Blue flour is from the 1998- issue ( I think) so SG 2039.

A good catalogue does also help. Must get my Deegam CD out and get reading.

Enjoy your stamps. Best wishes Michael

cddstamps.com - where you can fill a few gaps in your Machin collection from the 1700 we have listed, with more to be listed as we get organised.

Hello, I have been sorting GB Machins this weekend and found this, something different to show you tonight and not something I pay much attention to myself. If you see a stamp with pin holes in it, then it probably is a perfin. A perfin is a stamp that has had initials or a name perforated across it to discourage theft. The name is a contraction of perforated initials or perforated insignia.

Great Britain was the first country to use perfins, beginning in 1868 These were more common I believe in the early years of the use of postage stamps but we can still find them on more recent issues, as seen on this 1993 2^nd class self-adhesive definitive issue SG 1664 (1 centre phosphor band).

What do the initials stand for? I have no idea. Perhaps a reader does.

Enjoy your stamps, best wishes Michael

cddstamps.com

Hello, I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend and finding time for stamps.

I have just finished loading over 200 lots for Bechuanaland / Botswana, cover the 1880s through to early 1960s.

The above is one of the many stamps I like. Stunning colour and it is very lightly mounted mint. SG 177 from the October 1961 definitive issue.

I guess it is not too hard a question to ask, what is the tree? Correct, the Baobab tree.

If you have any gaps in your Bechuanaland / Botswana collection please have a look at the stock I have listed click here for Bechuanaland and here for Botswana.

Enjoy your stamps -and if you have other gaps in British Commonwealth I am very happy to tell you that I now have over 24,000 listing ion the online store - had to work hard to get back because sales last week took me below 24,000. click here to see the full list of countries stocked

Best wishes...... Michael cddstamps.com

Hello, Something different tonight as I started looking through another of the many boxes accumulated over the years. These are just a few of the Revenue Stamps I have. Plenty more from Hong Kong and I think some potential value, BUT I do not have a catalogue.

So to readers, someone always knows I hope ! . What would you recommend. I am looking for something that is reasonably up to date and generally regarded as being written by an accepted authority on the subject. I am specifically looking for good reference material on Hong Kong issues. If I was to buy which would you recommend.

“British Commonwealth Revenues" a book by J.Barefoot Ltd

“British and Commonwealth Revenue Stamps” a paperback book by Martin P Nicholson