1972 Pioneer Life Definitives - Colours

My 1988 ACSC comments in the associated notes that there are various shades for most stamps in this set. Here are some examples.



My only other copy of ACSC comes from the 1990's by which time the decimal issues were in a swparate volume. Do any of the later versions of ACSC comment further on the color shifts. For example, are the original issue's colours specified, colour changes dated or reasons given for the sometimes radical colour shifts.

As a bit of a postscript, some of New Zealand's 1970 definitive set, eg the 25c and 30c values, printed by Bradbury Wilkinson, had a similar range of colours changes.

Hi itma.

I have the 2002 ACSC (1966-1975), it hasn't been updated since then.

As far as I know it mentions the various shades and very little else. I'll read the section relating to the Pioneer Society stamps more thoroughly and I'll get back to you.

Rob

Thanks, Rob. I find it a bit funny that ACSC pays so much attention to very subtle changes in shades everywhere else.

Frank.

I agree itma, I also noticed that when the ACSC enters into the area of more recent stamps and their various shades, the information is not so much in depth as it is with earlier issues and although it mentions various shades (and many remain unlisted) doesn't emphasise on them.

Rob

Frank and Rob -

Bumping this thread from years ago that I found searching SCF.

The two blocks scanned below are from my WW block collection and illustrate the variations in the pioneer issue you discussed. These two blocks are so different, they could easily have different cat. numbers. Even the font is strong in the top block compared to the font in the bottom block. The 21 Scott Catalogue shows no variations.

Linus

Linus:

I suspect that ACSC no longer sees the need to list shades where there is no difference in their catalogue value. This philosophy seems to be retroactive as well as for more modern stamps. ( wow! for me, more modern goes back over 40 years. ) In their listing of KGV sidefaces - my favourite area - for several denominations they now say e.g. GREEN (pale to dark) or SCARLET (pale to dark) where previously they had the several shades separately listed.

Where stamps have the same colour but different shades, a problem could be telling where a medium shade actually becomes a dark shade if the stamp runs the full gamut of shades. So perhaps different shades are listed now if no intermediate shades exist.

It's a shame to see this happen but I keep telling myself that they still have this base covered after a fashion.

Frank.

And another after-thought.

Round about the time of the 'Pioneer Life' set, New Zealand released their medium value 'National Parks' definitive set. They also exhibit some wide ranges of shades which, to the best of my knowledge, catalogues have largely ignored.

I'm no specialist in the decimal era but weren't these printed on cream and white papers? The tint in the paper could have produced the apparent change in printed colours.

Both shades were printed on white paper.

It states in the ACSC that there were two printings of the 1972 Pioneer series, the second printing was printed on a paper which was smoother and slightly less white than that used for the first printing. However, the two printings are immediately distinguishable by the quite different background shades.

In my scan shown above, the top block has a bright-white back, and the bottom block has a noticeably less-white back. The finish or smoothness of the paper is hard to tell any difference, but I do think the paper is slightly different between the two blocks. In conclusion, the top block is first printing and the bottom block is second printing.

Thank you everyone for adding to this discussion.

Linus

This is series offers a multitude of collectable varieties.
and the colour variants are related to the different printings.
5c, 10c, 15c & 50c all had 3 printings
1st printing Wiggins Teape Paper (cream)
2nd KPD Paper (white) Bright UV New Buff Cylinder
3rd KPD Paper White
40c,60c & 80c
1st printing Wiggins Teape Paper (cream)
2nd KPD Paper (white) Bright UV New olive Cylinder
David McCleary offers up the most comprehensive listing of all the varieties found on these issues