1882 Garfield Colours

Not having access to a Specialized Scott's, perhaps someone can answer for me. Does this issue have several common shades. In the three stamps shown here, the first two seem to be the described colour with a slight variation in the intensity.

However, the third stamp is very different and is almost gray in colour. There is a trace of brown but not much in the stamp. I would suspect a changeling except for the fact that the postmark shows no evidence of this in its appearance.

Comments?

Scott Specialized offers three different minor color varieties in #205: Yellow brown, brown, and gray brown. Values are unchanged between the three minor varieties. I say "minor" varieties as Scott did not give them special designated numbers or suffixes, just noted that there are color variations, which are true with a lot of issues from that period.

The left and center are Scott's #205 1882 yellow brown, $9.00 used, other colors are brown and gray brown.There is also a Scott's #216 1888 indigo and deep blue. Can not find a reference for a gray one. What is very interesting about those stamps is that the number is inside the Star of David. No other stamp from that period uses that theme for the number.

Trivia about James Garfield, who not only was ambidextrous, but could write in different languages at the same time with both hands (likely classical Greek or Latin)

I stand corrected by wt1, gray brown(mostly gray in this case). And I did write gray brown but it never dawn on me that gray brown is mostly gray.

Great! I tend to assume that any colours I find are common variations but I did wonder about that gray shade as there is almost no brown visible in it.

And that was a neat sidebar to the design. I really had not noticed the number panel in that light.

Thank you both.

I'm going to revive this one. This has been bothering me, and a quick search found this post.
Does anyone have all three colour variations that they can post together? I have the two colours that backroads has shown above, but would love to see them all together to compare.
I know, I know, colour scanner variables, monitor settings, it won't be accurate. I just want to get an idea what to look for to find that third colour, short of dragging the other two around with me all the time.
thanks

I only have the 2005 6th edition of SG United States, which gives:

1882 Garfield 5c
10 April 1882, perf 12.

SG 211 5c Yellow-brown £160 M / £6.75 U
SG 211a 5c Bistre-brown £100 M / £3.50 U
SG 211b 5c Grey-brown £100 M / £3.50 U

Also
Special printing 1882
Soft porous paper - no gum - perf 12
£14,000
Valid for postage but withdrawn 1884, remainder destroyed.
(Nice one to find)

There is also an 1887 - 1889 re-issue of the same design but as a postage due
SG D221 1c Red-brown £36.00 M / £4.50 U

CVs are of course 2005.

Hope this is helpful.

Terry

Ps. 1887 - 1889 postage due noted above is not the Garfield issue but something quite different. Confusion over SG's image references, 43 for Garfield, D43 for the unrelated postage due. Apologies. TC.

It was not intended to be viewed really as the star as David but rather more of a patriotic banner type emblem. In heraldry and vexillology, a hexagram is a fairly common charge employed, though it is rarely called by this name. In Germanic regions it is known simply as a "star." In English and French heraldry, however, the hexagram is known as a "mullet of six points," where mullet is a French term for a spur rowel which is shown with five pointed arms by default unless otherwise specified. It was/is also used in Masonic symbology"

"The interlacing triangles or deltas symbolize the union of the two principles or forces, the active and passive, male and female, pervading the universe ... The two triangles, one white and the other black, interlacing, typify the mingling of apparent opposites in nature, darkness and light, error and truth, ignorance and wisdom, evil and good, throughout human life." – Albert G. Mackey: Encyclopedia of Freemasonry

The hexagram, one of the world's most ancient symbols, is featured within and on the outside of many Masonic temples as a decoration. It may have been found within the structures of King Solomon's temple, from which Freemasons are inspired in their philosophies and studies. Like many other symbols in Freemasonry, the deciphering of the hexagram is non-dogmatic and left to the interpretation of the individual.

Why, Jeff! Here's a side of you we've not seen. Pretty impressive.
Is there a 'secret' life of yours that you're not telling us about?

I laid a loose indigo on a cover that has a brown McKinley for comparison.

"There is also an 1887 - 1889 re-issue of the same design but as a postage due
SG D221 1c Red-brown £36.00 M / £4.50 U"

What is this all about? There's no U.S. postage due with Garfield...

Hi doug2222,

You are correct. My confusion over SG's image references, 43 for the Garfield issues and D43 for the postage due issues, which are of course something quite different. I hate Stanley Gibbons' catalogues, must get a decent one. I have added a note to my original post. Apologies for the confusion.

Terry

Well James, it's certainly true that I ask a lot of questions-some mundane-but they have their purpose simply because I have a lust for knowledge and accurate history. Stamps, I do love admittedly, but I find that there is usually more that I don't know than I do know, so usually you just see me asking questions and learning from the sages However, on occasion I can answer some too...lol

What I'm saying in effect is that I have learned a great deal about stamps from SCF but always find out there is more, so I usually err on the side of caution when it comes to what I believe are "the facts" as I'm usually corrected and feel foolish as a result so I just ask what I need to know and proceed with caution. lol I hope that makes sense?

Good morning Jeff.
Certainly didn't mean it as a commentary on your participation here. You've had lots to contribute and your love of this hobby shows.
Just a different side of your knowledge base. Nice to see, and certainly informative.