Scott 2540B? Or Printers' Waste?

The perforations seem normal...

Send it for a certificate. Notice the plate number in the lower right corner is missing. That is the engraving plate number. If you still don't want to do that, get an normal multiple for a lay-over to compare perforations. If they seem to match, send them in for a certificate. APEX is best of color missing.

There is no printers waste, but from the company's archives, imperforate proof and trial color proofs were released. They are listed in the Essays and Proofs section of the Scott US Specialized. They start at $175 in the catalog.

yep, definitely sending it in to APS

This is almost certainly a 2540b. Totally orange/red eye, and no black marking on beak. That is a stellar example!

rismoney, I was FLOORED when I saw those laser eyes staring at me from the bag!

Don't hurt yourself by patting yourself on the back too. Likewise don't bite down when smiling, your ear will be at risk.


"The bag" means there is a story, so tell it, please!


There has been one on ebay at $2000 over full catalog of $750. It is just the one and one of the three NOT faulty. See below.

On 12-14-2016 Seigel's lot 667, sale 1145 sold for $550 against a Scott Catalog of $350. Est. was $1000-1500. This is the only 2540b they have offered.

In one of the Kelleher Sales of Lang's material, Sale - 752 The William S. Langs Stock & Private Holdings, Part 4: U.S. Errors, Freaks and Oddities - February 23-24, 2021, lot 2727 was described as, "1991, $2.90 Eagle, black (engraved) omitted (Scott 2540b), single from plate number position, o.g., never hinged; creases and tiny gum disturbance as most have, Very Fine, only 20 reported and only stamp from plate number position, 17 of the reported examples are faulty." This example had visible damage and went unsold.

If yours are as sound as they seem to be, you will be changing the undamaged quantity significantly. Understand two things. First the key stamp is the corner without the engraved plate number because black is missing. Next yours (if/when good) is the only intact plate number block of four. You need to keep it that way and it should run more than the price of four stamps plus the missing plate number stamp premium. Perhaps after your good certificate, advise Scott and see if they will list the color missing 2540b as a plate block.

Now the real question is where is the rest of the 14 stamps from your right side pane?

Parcelpostguy, not patting myself on the back - it was sheer bloody luck, not careful sleuthing or anything. I buy a ton of scrap postage for my business (retail stamps, mostly for postcarding groups and event planners). I guess it's just a matter of quantity: if you dig through enough ore, eventually you'll find a gold nugget...

I did look at those auctions, and was surprised that this was all there was, apparently. I got in touch with the Expertizing Director of the American Philatelic Society. He said that since Scott's Specialized catalog priced 2540 plate blocks at 4 x single, that would be their guide to pricing my PB of six. That seemed odd to me, since this would be the only known plate block, I believe...

Good idea to inform Scott once certification is complete. Who knows, maybe it's not even real! But if it is, Scott ought to know and update the catalog.

well, the APEX verdict is in


it's genuine.

Woohoo! Totally Awesome find, congrats!

Nice catch!

So many people would have simply used them on their next package, and then they most likely would have been trashed by the recipient. A good example of 'knowledge is power'.

Not a surprise and congratulations.