Most Number Of Colours Ever On A Single Stamp?

In 1991, the British Royal Mail issued a series of stamps on the theme of the Ordnance Survey and its famous maps.



The 33p value (printed by The House of Questa) used 12 colours (presumably 13 if the invisible phosphor ink is included) and it set me wondering what the highest number of ink colours ever used on a SINGLE stamp might be.

Any ideas? This one must surely be a contender, I imagine.

GLENN MORGAN

This is the most I've seen.

I guess theoretically, with modern stamps, the number could be VERY high.

I look forward to more examples from the others.

Kirk

That's a good question for a thread Glenn and I haven't seen it asked on any of the stamp forums.

Canada's two printers (Canadian Bank Note and Lowe-Martin) frequently produce stamps in 7 colours.
Going by a quick check through my Canada Post Details magazine for the last few years I found that the 2008 Chinese New Year stamps (year of the rat) were printed by LM via lithography in 9 colours plus 1 colour pearlescent foil and one gold foil stampings and embossing.

Plus of course like all Canadian stamps they have fluorescent tagging.

Since I no longer buy recent Canadian issues here is an
image I borrowed from the CP postal archives site.

Perhaps someone could post a corner imprint which shows all the colours in the selvedge.

Did not count them but Liberia has some of the most colorful ones out there. This series were done by Artur Szyk a well known and published artist. Done in 1949 Scott #309-312 & C63-C64.

While this isn't quite as many colors as the previous ones shown, it is rather surprising two of the most recent US issues uses nine (9) different colors:

LaFlorida colors include:
1. Yellow
2. Magenta
3. Cyan
4. Green (363)
5. Dark Gray (385)
6. Lavender (2655)
7. Dark Yellow (613)
8. Purple (2602)
9. Red (187)


I also find it rather surprising that there are a total of 9 different colors in the Where Dreams Blossom stamp, too:
1. Gold
2. Light Green
3. Orange
4. Pink
5. Blue
6. Red
7. Dark Green
8. Purple
9. Warm Gray

Thank you all for your responses so far to my query. We've come a long way since the Penny Black! Keep examples of other multi-coloured stamps coming, please.

Lithograving - I had thought that Lowe Martin could be "up there", as Canada Post seems more than willing to commission stamps from them that are not just CMYK plus maybe a metallic ink (as distinct from a metallic foil).

1775mac - I own colour progressives of the Liberian 5c that you illustrate.





It used six colours and I attach here the progs on the album pages from the previous owner.

wt1 - the Where Dreams Blossom stamp is a surprise, as I would have thought that USPS would have been content with CMYK rather than spot colours.

I guess there is a secondary question that springs from the original, namely what is the most amount of ink units that a press might have today. On 13 November 2008, Royal Joh. Enschedé launched its new Muller Martini Alprinta 52V offset press. It offers infinitely variable sizes and features ten offset press units, being one of the longest Muller Martini printing presses in Europe coming in at an impressive 43 metres in length. Is this the biggest press used for stamp production today?

Questa certainly never had access to a 10 colour press back in 1991, so must have passed the sheets through three times, I would suspect. Their registration is certainly accurate considering the constraints of the day.


GLENN MORGAN

I received this email from Jim Phillips, Director, Stamp Services
Canada Post to answer my questions regarding printing presses used
by former and present security printers employed by Canada Post.

According to Unitrade this se-tenant pair was printed in 17 colours via lithography plus embossing.
Printer was Canadian Bank Note

I borrowed these images from the Canadian Postal Archives Database.

Scott 2065 - 2066 2004

Lithograving - Canada Post states 16 colours by lithography for the PANE, so there are not 16 colours on the one stamp, as it includes two stamps and text, etc on the non-stamp areas. Even so, the pane does not look that colourful, but it is certainly a dignified tribute.



The colour dabs can be seen central to bottom margin and there are indeed 16/17 colours used.

I have yet to see the Questa Ordnance Survey stamp beaten on most colours for a single stamp, but still reckon that Canada will beat it eventually!

GLENN MORGAN