Identification
How to Identify a Machin Definitive
A Machin is the long-running British definitive showing Queen Elizabeth II in profile, a sculpted head facing left, on a plain coloured background with the value, and no country name. Recognising one is easy. Identifying the exact Machin is the hard part, because the same design exists in countless versions distinguished by value, colour, phosphor bands, paper, gum and printer, which only specialists can tell apart.
At a glance
Recognising a Machin
The Machin head is one of the most familiar images in the world, and recognising it is straightforward. It shows Queen Elizabeth II in profile, facing left, as a sculpted relief, on a plain coloured background with the denomination and no country name.
If a modern British definitive shows that profile rather than a pictorial scene, it is a Machin. Its name comes from the sculptor who designed the head.
The hard part: identifying the exact Machin
One portrait, many versions
A specialist task
Behind that single, unchanging portrait lies an enormous range of variation, and identifying precisely which Machin you have is a specialist task. Collectors distinguish them by the value and colour, the phosphor bands (their number and position), the paper and gum, the printer and process, and the perforation and head size.
Two Machins that look identical can be quite different stamps, and worth different amounts. Our guide to Machin stamp values explains why this matters, and why most Machins are common while a few are valuable.
Recognising versus identifying
Two different tasks
It is worth separating the two tasks. Recognising a Machin needs only the profile and the plain background. Identifying the exact variety needs technical examination of phosphor, paper, gum and printing, which is where the field becomes a specialism. For a value, it is the exact variety that counts, so anything you think may be scarce should be checked by someone who knows the field. Our guide to spotting a valuable stamp gives the wider principles.
Frequently asked questions
Recognise it by the Queen Elizabeth II profile, facing left, on a plain coloured background with the value and no country name. Identifying the exact Machin needs technical examination of phosphor, paper, gum and printing.
The long-running British definitive showing a sculpted profile of Queen Elizabeth II, introduced in 1967 and named after the sculptor who designed the head.
Because the same design exists in countless versions distinguished by value, colour, phosphor, paper, gum and printer, differences that are invisible to the untrained eye.
Most are common and worth little, while a few specific printings and genuine errors are valuable. The exact variety, not the design, decides it. See our Machin stamp values guide.
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Founder and stamp dealerLast updated June 2026