Royal Mail to demonetize all non-Barcode 1st & 2nd Machins

Just a warning for others - I tried to go to the linked website and my anti-virus software flagged it as a malicious site with potential dangerous software.

I expect everyone who buys these stamps owns a scanner/mobile phone etc. It's a joke. I certainly won't be collecting these. End of another era sadly. "we are doomed Mr Mannering".

The following is from the official R.M. website.

Following a successful national trial we will now be adding unique barcodes to all our regular ‘everyday’ Definitive and Christmas stamps. Each barcoded stamp will have a digital twin and the two will be connected by the Royal Mail App. The unique barcodes will facilitate operational efficiencies, enable the introduction of added security features and pave the way for innovative services for our customers.



Definitive stamps are the stamps that will be very familiar to most people. They feature the profile of HM The Queen. The barcodes match the stamp colour and sit alongside the main body of the stamp, separated by a simulated perforation line. The new barcode is an integral part of the stamp and must remain intact for the stamp to be valid.

Transition to Barcoded Stamps

Non-barcoded stamps will be phased out but will remain usable until 31 January 2023. Customers are encouraged to use their non-barcoded stamps before this date. Alternatively, non-barcoded stamps can be exchanged for the new barcoded version through Royal Mail’s ‘Swap Out’ scheme.



The ‘Swap Out’ scheme will open on 31 March 2022. Forms will be available via a variety of channels, including local Customer Service Points; the Royal Mail website and via our Customer Experience team. Customers will be able to use a Freepost address. Further details will be announced shortly.

Very interesting development and definitely genuine.

I've been using my old booklet machins since I stopped collecting them in 2000 but only low value ones left now.

Will be interested in how the swap out scheme works. Will it only be for 1st and 2nd class stamps? How could they possibly check and addup a bag of mixed value machins!

No menton of commemorative stamps. I would happily trade my commemoratives from 1971 for their equivalent face value...

It Seems it is the NVI ( nonvalue indicator) 1st and 2nd class Machin definitives that are to be phased out by 31 Jan 2023 and replaced with the barcode. Royal mail has finally wakened up to the face that what they sold 15 years ago are double the value as postage that they were originally sold at. My post office will apparently still have regular low value, 1,2, 5,20 P for making up rates

It seems commems are not to be demonetised where they have the same face value as purchased.

I am not clear about the Commems which read "1st" ?





This may be  a precedent !    USA  watch what USPO does with "Forever " stamps in a couple of years time . 

Just an update on the value of these 1st class stamps , when the first NVI was issued in 1989 or 1990 the 1st class postage rate was 22p. Today it is 85p with a probable rate increase in April. No small wonder Royal Mail wants to stop carrying letters where the stamp was sold at a quarter of the current rate. It would be an unsustainable loss.


the first Greetings stamps to appear at that time are also marked 1st , but as these are large size commemorative type they may perhaps continue ?

i foresee many arguments at P.O. counters over what is valid and what is not accepted.

Could someone please explain this to a dumb American in layman's terms? I'm not following what it all means. Is the QR code in the images above the bar code that's being discussed?

daveg28 yes the matrix-like QR-code pattern to the right of the Queen's head is the barcode that will now be integrated into all Machin head definitives, and all those Machins issued until now that lack them will be demonetized at the end of January 2023 (for Machins inscribed 1st or 2nd)

Basically this would be like USPS saying they are gonna put QR codes on the Flag stamps, and all Forever flag stamps issued previously that do not have QR codes will become invalid in 12 months. 

Hi Dave daveg28, Just like your Forever stamps ( but starting earlier by several years if not decades even) UK has issued stamps for 1st or2nd class postage with no value shown in pence…. non value indicator or NVI which retained full current postal validity. So if you bought at the rate in 1991 (22p) these are worth 85p today. As stocks come on the market from deceased collectors or ol’ dealer stock, with full validity, they are usually traded at about 60% of current face, so Royal Mail is making a huge loss on every letter carried with old NVI = Forever stamps.

They have finally wakened up to this and at the end of 2021 did a trial release of stamps with a unique code attached( as in the examples shown above) which theoretically could only be used once , not exactly a QR code but similar. Germany and Austria has had trials of similar coded stamps crypto stamps for a couple of years.

This new coding gives Royal Mail a chance at 1 years notice to declare the older NVI invalid from 31 January . So for those with accumulated mint stock it is use it or lose it , or trade in your oldies for new , I hope at current prices.

Does that make sense?

Thank you, vikingeck and djcmh, for the explanations. It sounds like all the wonderful reasons they gave us when Forever stamps first came out are now biting them on their behinds? We all did exactly what they asked us to do...buy them up, use them forever no matter what the current rate is and how much you initially paid for them.

Am I on the right path to understanding this?

Absolutely,   A great idea until you factor in INFLATION🎈🎈


it may be however the USPS might just stop issuing new Forevers. 

Gene djcmh - I use Webroot. I know these can give false positives, but I always err on the side of caution.

For those looking for the official Royal Mail post - you can find it here: www.royalmail.com/sending/barcoded-stamps?iid=H1_BARCODEDSTAMPS

I agree, the rot  set in even further when down stream accessing was allowed, but that's another story not told.

Don't give them any ideas. 

Spent over £50 on Rolling Stones issue.