The Virtual Machin Album

For the big international stamp show, Stamp World London 1990, Royal Mail issued a miniature sheet featuring a reproduction of the Penny Black and a genuine 20p 1840 Anniversary Machin. The background shows a classic Britannia design that was first used on the King George V high values known as “the Seahorses.”

The sheet was designed by Sedley Place and engraved by Chris Matthews of Harrison and Sons, the printer.

This sheet was sold for £1, a premium of 80p over the face value of the included 20p stamp. This revenue was used to help pay the cost of Stamp World London 1990.

The high value stamps of the reign of King George V are popularly known as “the Seahorses” because of the image of Britannia driving the chariot horses into the sea, an allegory for Britain’s naval might.

This stamp is from the 1913 Waterlow printing, the first of several printings of this design.