The Virtual Machin Album

In August, 2006, Royal Mail introduced a new pricing method for postage called Pricing in Proportion (PiP). It considers both the weight and size of an item when calculating the postage cost. Inland mail is now divided into three categories: letters, large letters, and packets.

To go along with the new system, Royal Mail redesigned the non-value indicated (NVI) Machins that are most commonly used. The new stamps featured the usual Machin portrait but at a reduced size. The service indicator was enlarged and moved from the lower left to the upper left.

The stamps for letters remained the same size. The stamps for large letters were made wider than normal, turning the stamp into a horizontal format. The stamps include the word “large” at the lower left.

Six months later, Royal Mail announced that its customers were confused. Customers thought that the small stamps with the large numeral were for large letters. It is certainly an easy mistake to make, especially since commemoratives and regionals retained the small numeral and were used for letters. It seemed to make sense that all stamps with large numerals would be used on large letters.

As a result, Royal Mail annouced that the small PiP stamps would be withdrawn starting in June, 2007 and would be replaced by the standard NVI Machins. The large stamps with large numerals, for large letters, would be retained.