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Valued Member
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I acquired a Newfoundland collection, and the second stamp is described as the Prussian blue shade. Unitrade only lists two shades, dark blue and Prussian blue. As these are distinctly different, can I assume the second (lighter shade) is the Prussian blue?  Thank you in advance for your input. |
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Valued Member
United Kingdom
366 Posts |
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Judging by the image on Arpin Philately's website, the one on the right's Prussian Blue, i.e. the darker less saturated colour. |
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Bedrock Of The Community
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A certified Prussian Blue courtesy of Seigel:  Keep in mind the usual caveats about colors and monitors/scanners etc. |
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United Kingdom
366 Posts |
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 Siegel's the centre stripe, Prussian Blue at the top, Dark Blue at the bottom. This is Cornelissen's image of Prussian Blue; they're an artists' supply shop in London.  |
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Netherlands
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As with all of these "color" comparisons, I warn that with using these images, the sources are not calibrated to a standard shared by all images. My point is that the actual stamp colors may be (1) different than what we see on our computer or mobile device, and (2) if they are not shown side-by-side from the same photo or scan, the comparison is not valid. |
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Pillar Of The Community
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Impossible to tell from a scan but a modern analysis suggests they are all Prussian Blue, and that the difference in hue arises from the fineness of the pigment grind. I do not have a link or reference at hand sorry. |
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Pillar Of The Community
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Link to a similar thread in this forum - it has been discussed in the past. https://goscf.com/t/73826Also, it's better to think of Prussian Blue as a chemical compound rather than a shade variant, as it was among the very first synthetic pigments. |
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| Edited by archerg - 08/01/2026 08:58 am |
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United Kingdom
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Stanley Gibbons calls the two shades Indigo and Prussian Blue, but your scans look more like Greyish Blue and Blue-Grey to me.
NSK's laughter is understandable, because it's ridiculous to try to tell the difference from a scan. If you examine the stamps in bright daylight but not direct sunlight, and compare them with certified reference examples, you may find an answer. Or not. But you'll still be the owner of two beautiful little works of art. |
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United Kingdom
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As pjr states, it is ridiculous to try to tell the difference, from a scan, on the internet, Even when the actual pigment is illustrated, it still don't look right (the point of including the Cornilissen patch). |
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It, exactly, is the posting of that patch that makes the post hilarious. |
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That's the shop that keeps a small stock of Indian Yellow, made from the urine of cows fed on mango leaves.
If anyone does happen to visit the shop, ask to see the buckets they use to boil the urine down. |
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Last Thursday (10-09-26) the British Empire Study Group had a Zoom presentation on spectroscopy see https://www.facebook.com/BESGNYwhich went into the Prussian Blue stamps. You may be able to find this online. It covered the point Archerg raised when he said Quote:
a modern analysis suggests they are all Prussian Blue, and that the difference in hue arises from the fineness of the pigment grind. AQ |
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When one needs to verify a stamp color with spectroscopy and not by eye, collecting that stamp becomes pointless for many (Prussian Blue is only one of several such colors which include a brown and a lake). From https://www.labx.com/categories-a/spectroscopyQuote:
How much does spectroscopy equipment cost?
Prices for new spectroscopy systems generally range from $15,000 to $200,000, depending on the type of spectroscopy, sensitivity, and advanced features. High-end models with enhanced precision and capabilities are priced toward the higher end of the range. For budget-conscious buyers, used systems are available, typically ranging from $5,000 to $100,000, depending on the brand, condition, and specific functionality. Prices will need to drop a bit more before they become common in most stamp collector dens. |
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Replies: 16 / Views: 736 |
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Posted 07/30/2026 12:30 pm
