2743a Machin Anniversary MS Royal Mail First Day Cover

2007 marked the 40th anniversary of the issue of new Queen Elizabeth II definitives featuring Arnold Machin's iconic bas-relief sculpture that replaced the Wilding definitives. Arnold Machin's 1967 portrait of Queen Elizabeth II (sometimes referred to as the Machin head) has been reproduced over 175 billion times.

Arnold Machin created one of the most instantly recognisable images in the world with his classic sculpture of the Queen - and like many examples of great design it was simplicity that was the key to its success. Machin admired the design of the world's first postage stamp, the Penny Black and its effective use of a light image against a dark background.