Let's Talk About Machins

I found two £2 stamps with elliptical perf:
1999 SG Y1801
2003 SG Y1747 - 2 vertical phosphor bands.
(ed.)
I couldn't find any machin with 3 bands, here's a nice article about phosphor bands:

http://www.westtorontostampclub.org...or_Bands.pdf

Are you sure? Machins have one (side or centre) or two (one each side). Never heard of a three.

Agree, Ringo. Here's another link on this topic:
http://machinmania.blogspot.com/200...r-bands.html

Stoneham also does not list any £2 eliptical perf with 3 phosphor bands. We would need a picture/scan to help you any further.

There is no (£2) machin with three phosphor bars. The stamps that had three phosphor bars are the double-width commemoratives.

Almost all the images in the phosphor band presentation are from Deegam's catalog.

@RichyS, can you provide a picture or a sketch of your three phosphor bars?
If a sketch, please, also tell us how you came to the conclusion they are phosphor bars.

It is not unheard of that a stamp picked up an offset of the phosphor ink that might appear as a phosphor bar, but would be more like a thin line or an uneven swipe.
These stamps just were not printed with three phosphor bars and the £2 was not issued in a booklet pane with an adjoining second class stamp so the central bar on that could be shifted upon the £2.

What makes the the 1/2p left band so expensive. I see one dealer wanting £33.

Is it just scarce?

There was only one such stamp in the Wedgwood booklet. Most had the perfs cut close. This price is for an example with full perforations. Those are relatively scarce.

NSK. I do not understand the full perforations comment but assume the booklet pane must be scare and then one specific stamp from the booklet would be even more scare. The seller with the £33 makes no comment about any specific characteristics on perforations.

The panes were printed multiple panes in a printers sheet and booklets cut to shape. This meant that the perforations on the outer edges, often, were trimmed: i.e., cut too close to the stamp image. Since this stamp was at the lower right of the pane of six stamps, the perforations to the right, very frequently, were cut off or trimmed. - the bottom perforations, rarely are an issue. -

The catalogues prices or values the stamps with full perforation on all four sides.

There are as many stamps as there are booklets. The prestige stamp book itself was not printed in enormous quantities, but it is not so rare it warrants that price.

Two things are at play.
1. When album editors included the 1/2p left band, the only source was this prestige stamp book, and remains so. This had collectors seek the stamp book and drive up the price.
2. As many of the booklets had the perforations on the right side trimmed, many of this stamp that was on the right of the pane come with trimmed perforations, those with full perforations command a premium.

Unless the dealer is Stanley Gibbons, £33 is for a stamp with untrimmed perforations on all four sides. If not, £10-£20 is more reasonable.

Thanks.

My only interest was it being a LB. I had no interest in the perforations. Yes, there are a few Machins that only come from prestige booklets. I doubt many show up in the mail.

If you are fine with short perforations, £33 is way too expensive for this LB stamp.

NSK

The basis of my question was the issue on Adminware's Intermediate Machin pages. See image below and note the term "very rare".

Now, I know everyone has a different opinion but do not consider a £33 stamp (if that was the a fair price) "rare" especially if readily available.

My immediate goal was do I create a space in my custom Machin pages for it. The answer is yes.

No, not exactly the 1c magenta.