The Color On The 4cent Grant Help Please?

I thought they only put the Brown in special perforation like the Shermack is this a brown in 12 pref? Sure looks like it to me!

I'm not sure if I follow you. The #223 & #255 came chocolate while the #270 came in a deeper chocolate. The #270 has a DL watermark.

However the #303 is what you have and to best I can tell only came in brown. Was not the #303 a perf 12 and a #314a not perfed?

I will claim ignorance to what is meant by Shermack.

Based on my limited knowledge I would say one is faded that's all.

Ok I now know what a Shermack is but that doesn't help me. So I can't help on this one.

The stamps should be a #303 as the perf you said is a 12.
The 4cent #303 comes in shades of brown, dark brown, yellow brown, orange brown, red brown.
All are still #303's and priced the same. Hope this might help.

MK.....

I think the colors in stevers' photo are fairly accurate and not faded.....a faded stamp would not retain the sharp detail seen in these.

What is the best color guide for me to purchase for my American stamps with samples of colors inside of the book. Anyone?

As mkfarm stated. He is correct in where I am going with this. What I am trying to say is, The Shermack was not perforated. But it Had its own printing done for that stamp to distinguish the differences. With a more orange brown ink. Clearly different than the 303. Much darker as the stamp to the right. These are the same stamp same year and series But, I think it was meant to be a shermack instead it was perforated. The color matches with the hues and contrasts of the same stamp 314a. I have been looking at one on auction which is a the 314a and color seems consistent.

Hello stever....

The best I've seen is the Gibbons Color Key....#2 on this list;

http://subwaystamp.com/products.asp?dept=43

Alright, And Is there a better volume for the complete us? And thank you nr-notare for the reply.
Steve

The first color guide on the Subway site, the wonder color key, is one I used years ago. I never found it very satisfactory. I have used the Stanley Gibbons key, but found it more oriented toward British stamp colors, rather than US colors. You would think they would be the same, but I found that in many instances they weren't.

Assignment of color is a very difficult and subjective process. In 50 years of collecting, I have yet to solve the problem.

You can take a stamp which the Scott catalog assigns to a stamp, and it is the ONLY color. Take another stamp described as the same color and put them side by side and clearly they are not exactly the same color.

Bummer, I was going to tell my wife to get me that Wonder color guide for Christmas. Not now, I guess.
Can't afford the SG one. Am curious as to whethet different catalogs (i.e., Scott, SG, Michel) list the same stamp with different
color descriptions. I believe Minkus used to do that.

Steve, a great reference is the Scott US Specialized catalog very pricey around $45 to $55 depending on supplier. But if it is only for older issue reference I would find a older used one for around $5 and up. Or I think Gussyboy 1 is running a contest for a free 2006 one.
As for the color guide, yes Stanley Gibbons is good but as stated it does trend towards world stamps than US. Still it has the most reference for shades. I do use a wonder color guide for quick reference as it is very portable for shows. Also the price is only about $3 to $5 depending on supplier. Now when you really get into the classic US I would recommend the actual printers color chips as these are done specific for certain US classics. Very pricey but well worth it if you really want to know the difference between pink and pigeon blood pink.
Hope this will direct you in the right direction.

Thanks everyone for the information on my post. Well, seems like I have a ton of information and nothing concrete,Welcome to the World of Stamp Collecting Right Guys! I guess my next step is expertizing service at least the stamp will have certificate anyway.Its just so expensive.And I am out of ideas to figure this one out; maybe this one is my holy grail?

Thanks All
Steve

Any feedback on this Stamp Volume??(Richard M. Morris). Pittsboro Guides.

1775mac.
This chip book you are talking about; do you have the complete name of this series? I am tired of wasting money on junk.Maybe this Christmas its my turn! "ARE YOU WITH ME FELLOW PHILATILISTS"

Scott Specialized Color Guide
Mainly for your early red shades.