The United Kingdom has always been a country of at least four nations but this wasn't really reflected in stamps until the regional issues of 1958 were issued. These Wilding designs were for the three larger countries of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and also for the much smaller regions (not part of the UK) of Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man.
There were not many stamps issued in these first sets as postage rates were fairly stable. Guernsey and Jersey both got their own postal authorities in 1969, so these areas never issued decimal regionals. In fact Guernsey now has regionals of its own for Alderney.
The Isle of Man just reached the decimal era with a set of 4 Machin values, but the island also gained postal independence in 1973 so now issues stamps of its own.
The regional stamps were valid throughout the UK, whereas the stamps of the independent postal authorities are not.
There was of course one huge anomaly - the largest country of the UK, England, did not have any regional stamps! These were finally issued in 2001. England never had Machin issues, the first issues being of the new 'Emblems' style. These are illustrated above, the English stamps being the oak and rose.
There is now a growing sense of regional identity in England, with Cornwall (never technically part of England) leading the way in calling for more regional powers. Other areas of England, Wessex and Mercia in particular, are following the Cornish path. So the regional story is only really just beginning!
