Are There Any Published References For 70 And 78 Colors?

I have tried all of the usual suspects for information but am really looking for something with color chips such as the excellent works regarding the 279B.

The closest is the White Color Encyclopedia and that will only give you an approximation of the color. Incidently, the color chips in the Scott Specialized Color Guide do not match many of the correct shades including Scott 279B. The only way to establish the correct shade is to compare it to a known example.

Hi, stupid suggestion on my part and expansive at that.

I do not like getting certificates, but I suppose you could send your stamps in and get certificates on each one, maybe they would offer an opinion on the color.

Again, stupid suggestion, but the only possible answer.

I do not think any color guide that is mass produced can provide what you are looking for.

Stampmaster

If you are really serious about color, there is Robert Ridgeway's "Color Standards and Nomenclature" which still remains the best reference for color one hundred years after it's publication. Best source would be a university library if you live near one. It occasionally shows up for sale and usually near or about $1K.
Please note that the 24c color is very susceptible to color changes due to age, storage, and environment.
Kind regards,
seafarer

There are not, and, to be fair, even if there were it wouldn't make much difference.

I collect these and there are a lot of variations in shade, especially on the early colors. I must literally have a dozen different shades of steel blue or red lilac or brown lilac, etc.

I hate to be a smart aleck but you really have to learn from experience with them.

I own a Ridgway and it is best used for shades of the 5 cent 1847. I do not know of an article that tells which chip to use for the 24 cent. Brookman has the 5 cent identified, but no other stamps. Ashbrook and Perry used Ridgway as a way to identify a shade to another owner of a Ridgway. I agree with billw2, I have seen 100s of the 24 cent and have rarely seen two stamps with identical shade. For an approximation of a Ridgway you can purchase a digital copy from the United Postal Stationery Society.

Printed color chips and books, just like the stamps themselves, undergo color changes over time. Every color chip manufacturer I know of says (i.e. Pantone) the 'shelf life' of their expensive color standards are less then 10 years. Even their non-printed color standards, like coated metal or plastic, chips are supposed to be thrown away and replace every 10 years.

Other hobbies have the same color issue. Imagine you are getting ready to drop five figures to paint your 75 year old antique car and want to match the original color. (If you don't, you will get points removed when you show the car.) How do you determine the correct original color? I have a huge collection of paint chips from various manufacturers (OEM and third party) and none of them have remained accurate. The original paint in a protected area of the car is not even an accurate shade after many decades. Heck, even having the original paint formulas is not a lot of help because the paints and solvents have changed so much.

Point is, colors are ephemeral. Until the day there is a widespread technology that can chemically analyze the ink on a stamp and determine it's original color, understanding a stamp's color is open to interpretation and errors. There are no definitive 'knowledge short cuts' for original colors, my opinion is that the best you can do is accumulate a representative reference group of examples and then study them for quite some time.
Don

Great input from all. Given all of the variations and factors in play how do the expertizing agencies arrive at their conclusions?

Experience seems to be the only reliable guide, originally printed in various fugitive inks colors, time and storage conditions have taken their toll.

Experts? Easy. Experience and reference collections. I can't speak for others but the PF was kind enough to show me their reference collection and it is very comprehensive with 24c 1861 shades.

Ridgway's 1912 Edition just sold at Siegel today for $400.

Yea, I almost bid on that. Finally decided not to spend the money today, but $400 for that was pretty cheap, compared to prices these things used to get.

here is a PDF, which appears well-made and with pretty fresh colors. at least it's better than a real book of this which was exposed to light or bad environment some years. I didn't know this book before and this thread helped me to discover it, so thank you.
https://ia801009.us.archive.org/23/...7102_000.pdf

ok this here seems to be more accurate:
http://lhldigital.lindahall.org/cdm...or/id/23684/

I have a suspicion that that Ridgway book is a copy that I used to own. I sold it for $500 and I have also sold one for a little north of $600 IIRC.

Winston, when it gets here I will want to know if it is one that you sold. I have wanted a copy of Ridgeway for more than 40 years when I first ran into Brazer's system for color nomenclature. But back then they commanded as much as $2000 and never less than $1000. With the house surcharge this one was a bargain at $500 (I hope). Reportedly clean chips but a little work on the binding. We shall see.