Bob Proof Sets On Card

In the 2012 catalog, 057S F-VF 22.50 VF 32.50 VF-XF 45.00; O57XS F-VF 125.00 VF 180.00 VF-XF 240.00

Its a lot later than 1996. Thanks, quite a difference in the two, and the average seller can't seem to be able to tell them apart. You'll also see a lot of O10 xs mis identified, and that stamp is easy to spot. Here's another fake cancel, applied to the wrong stamp.

They arrived today and I'm real pleased. Looking at a used stamp now will never be the same.

There appears to be a very slight color difference with O-23P being slightly darker than the O-21P. Not much but it is noticable.

You should see a noticable difference in shade between these P4 proofs and the Interior Dept stamps you have, two differnt companys did the printing.I think that slight difference here is due more to the intensity of the background shadeing of each stamp design rather than a different batch of ink. I got my Interior p4s as a set off ebay some years back, and they all seem to be very close in shade. However that shade looks close to the scarlet Alanta trial colors. It isn't when compared side to side, but does here.

Using a magnifying glass I tend to agree with you that one seems to be over inked compared to the other. The colors on both when sitting next to some regular issued used stamps appears to be the normal color and not lighter or pinkish like yours appear to be.

It may be my scanner, the scans, computer monitor don't match what I see in the stock book. Looks more vermillion than the almost scarlet of my scans.
Neither of your proofs looked overinked, but the background engraving is finer, holding more ink.
I took a color sample from the darkest part of the shading behind each of the 10 subjects heads that shows the denser shading lines.

Then there is the possibility that the set above is an Alanta Scarlet set, I split images of an O3 ps TC Scarlet and the O17 P4 from the above set to make this image.

Maybe it's my computer, maybe it's me. I barely can see a slight difference but it's so subtle that I could never in a million years pick out one or the other by myself. Somebody would have to do it for me.

[QOUTE]Maybe it's my computer, maybe it's me. I barely can see a slight difference but it's so subtle that I could never in a million years pick out one or the other by myself. Somebody would have to do it for me.[/QUOTE]

Mo too! I was totaly shocked when I placed the O3 P4 TC in amongst the Interior set. I've had them on seperate stock pages for the last 10 years or so, always thinking that the set pictured above was
another unexplained shade like the War Department plum shade of the
card proof sets, but that split image sure look like the same color. I made another couple of split image this time with the 10 Interior and 10 cent State, and O17P3 &P4 from above.