Regional Machin stamps replaced the previous Country definitives on decimalisation.They have the same machin head as the nationals.Designed by Jeffrey Mathews,the portrait was smaller in order to incorporate the corresponding country emblem in one corner.

The post office actually call these country issues,to to philatelists they have always been called regionals.The description of the individual emblems are as follows:

Harrison printed regional stamps up until 1981, then Waddington and Questa produced lithographic versions.Walsall Security printers took over and printed the later versions in gravure. Regionals have also been issued in prestige booklets Printed by Questa and Walsall.

The Scots connection £5 booklet, Gymru Wales Booklet, a pane from the Beatrix Potter Booklet, Northern Ireland booklet, The National Trust booklet produced a pane and The Speed booklet produced a pane also. Finaly a pane was issued in the 3rd stamp show 2000 booklet, this marked the work of Jeffrey Mathews.

The Welsh regional have had the( P) in the value tablet omitted on the later issues and in June 1999 were decomisioned (along with Scotland).

Both countries now have their own country issues so no further machins will appear for these two countries unless special prestige booklet panes are printed in the future.

It is possible that the northern Ireland stamps will also be decommissioned in the near future, a set of none machin regionals is planned for February 2000. It is not clear if this is just a one off, but if Northern Ireland follow Wales and Scotland and have their own sub parliament it certainly looks like it. These stamps have now been issued along with a definitive issue for England.  Next: Double Heads Anniversary Stamps