64 Or Possible 64A???

Yes it does help to study and in this hobby knowledge is power. I've been fortunate to see yourself and the Seal post some of the Pink shades which has helped us all in what to look for. Until this last Stamp all the ones I've thought were Pink, weren't even close, but thanks to all here at SCF I'm almost sure when I see one, but I still have much to study.

Congrats on your find!

Well it showed up today and I don't have the warm fuzzies about it. I think there might be a little "Color enhancement" in the ebay scan which I'm starting to see more and more of. I can't complain as it was listed as a 65 and I won the auction for $2.00 so it looks like I add another 65 to the pile.

ebay picture



Real color

Something I've found very useful, albeit hard to find, is the set of color guides published in the early 1980s - the R. H. White "Encyclopedia of Colors on United States Postage Stamps". This set of volumes, with a one time printing of only 400 or so copies (if memory serves me), provides a series of color plates made from actual postage stamps which were painstakingly reproduced, double checked and triple checked throughout production to ensure true colors were provided. It's the finest color guide for U.S. stamps I've ever found and one I use regularly.

Stampman-- nice reference if you have the extra $600- $1000 for it. I've seen some of the images on the 3c 1861, and as I mentioned earlier in this topic, due to the fading of the ink, and because of the instability of the ink, all of the pinks are different-- each one is different.

I've got a copy, albeit an electronic copy, of Mike McClung's 1st 30 different shades of the 3c 1861. No way can you use the images to find the different shades-- still need to have cancellations with months and years. There has just been so much fading of all of this issue, I'm not so sure that Roy White's reference helps that much on the 3c 1861. Also the 24c issue (the 70's and 78's)-- the lilac color has been unstable over the years, and tons of fading.

Even so, I'd still love to have a copy of White's and almost put the VISA card down for volumes I-IV in Columbus last summer-- $500, and it would not have included the volume for the paper types and the postage dues.

Thanks for chiming in-- Ray