Phospher Bands - A Good Idea?

Firstly, excuse my ignorance on this subject.

As a Brit, I know all about phosphor bands on GB stamps - sometimes the "same" stamp might have a side band (left or right), a centre band, or two side bands.

I have hardly ever heard of them on stamps of other countries - only Canada springs to mind. Do many other countries use them? If not, why does GB stick with them at all?

I can think of France (eg various versions of the Marianne definitives) and Belgium (late-70s definitives). I think the Swiss began to use them in the early-1960s. I must say I groan when I see spaces for them in printed albums!

Israel also has phosphor bands on some issues.

Seems odd that Britain has persevered with them for so long, yet they hardly caught on in other countries. This is about the postal system using automatic sorting machines, so does the rest of the world know something we don't?

The US uses phosphor bands on some of the automated stamps. I do not see why there is a whole lot of difference in the systems?

Peter

Many countries use phosphor tagging of their stamps for automated canceling. Some use phosphor bands, some use phosphor frames, some use phosphor ink, some add phosphor elements to the stamp design (e.g., the phosphor scuba diver on the Canada Blue Whale stamp); there are many possibilities.

I don't have a census, but it seems to me most North American and European countries add phosphor to their stamps. I know Argentina has done so too.

Regards, Robert

I think it is a very bad idea! Using phoshorescence is OK when they need to use it for automation processes, but they could have used an overall printed phosphorescence [or fluorescence] or even mix the stuff in the paper pulp as for instance Germany had for quite a long time. The luminescence shouldn't interfere with the visual aspects!

Agree

It hardly ever does interfere if you use optical brightening agents in the coating that contains the luminescence. In the Netherlands they introduced phosphor bars while it was cheaper and the bars could be applied in the printing process as a 5th "colour"! Apart from CMYK that is. We had phosphorescence in the coating of English made paper - Harrison & Sons - for over 20 years - 1971-1998! No unnnecessary experiments during that long period. So I always wondered WHY the Royal Mail - having access to Harrison paper as well - could not make up her mind??? Harrison produced similar products for other countries as well as far as Australia!

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