New Member Here. Question About US Scott 64 And 65

Probably not posting in correct area but cannot find how to post questions. My question: Collecting since about 1960 and now examining my older classics. I am double checking all of my stamps and most are very easy to identify. I have about 200 stamps I have previously marked as Scott 64 and the same amount I have marked 65. I also have a couple of hundred Civil War era letters with stamps on them in shoe boxes that I have marked as 64 or 65. I Had stroke a few years back so not a real good memory anymore. I am sure I knew at one time but I am trying to figure out how to tell the difference between a Scott 64 and a Scott 65 without using color. Is there something in the design I can comprare. I have the Micarelli Guide to US Stamps and the Scott US Specialized catalogue. Plus of course google. None of these give me a way to easily check to see if I have a 64 or 65. Sorry for the long post. Bob.

Hi Bob - It really comes down to color. There are some things that can be helpful though. Oftentimes you will see a bluish cast over a 64.

Keep in mind that the quantity produced of Scott 64 was around 100,000 against almost two billion of the Washington three cent stamps. That makes a 50/50 split when sorting these highly unlikely.

You need a reference 64 in front of you. Then it becomes easy to tell the difference. Buy a certified one, or get one from a dealer or another collector you trust (best if in person, so you can see the difference before you buy.) You obviously don't need a superb copy to match color - just one you are sure is identified correctly.

wait, y'all can't tell the difference between pink, pidgeon blood pink, rose pink, rose, rose red, dull red, and brown red?

@ bobbkc111, there are definitely additional things to look for besides color. This is an excellent resource:

https://chronicle.uspcs.org/PDF/Chr...44/10827.pdf