Cape Verde 7c Ceres, Not Ultramarine?

Probably a color changeling, but other shades not listed in Scott's Classic or in my Scott 1940 Catalogue other than ultramarine.

Sure doesn't look like this started out as ultra, but I'm not a Portugal and Colonies expert by any means.

Someone answered my question on a Macau bisect a couple months ago, speaking about a Portuguese & Colony catalogue available through the P & C Society. Is anyone aware of the 7c Ceres being available in this fleshy, pinky, salmony shade?

Thanks much for your help-- Ray

My experience with faded, or bleached paper is that you can never tell what the original color was. I have taken books apart and been shocked by the original colors of paper hidden under layers of paper and glue and never exposed to light.

There are variations in ultramarine, too.
https://www.stampworld.com/en/stamp...-2016?page=5
This is what I believe to be a typical color for the stamp, not particularly strong nor bright. It is definitely ultramarine and not blue. And I can easily see this fading into the gray sludgy color shown.

Here's an Australian stamp in a similar ultramarine:

Note the left side is faded to a mauve/gray mauve. With the redder pigments of that fading, gray will be left. So the salmony look you see in the Cape Verde stamp are traces of reddish pigment that are still left, I believe. In a quick search, I couldn't find an Australian 3d truly pale/light gray, but there are ones like that around and there are also enough of those around that I think are fading to that color.

I agree with previous assessments about ultramarine shades and fading.

For info, my Afinsa 2011 is not stating neither shades or paper varieties (which could explain shades or different fading from one stamp to another) on the 7c ultra:



For info 'papel liso' indicates normal paper, so 'chalky-paper- issues' are not at play. There are no other colors listed for Ceres 7c for Cabo Verde, so it seems the Ceres issues are much easier for Cabo Verde than many other Portuguese Colonies, at least for the 7c ultra. The Ceres's are normally quite challenging/interesting with a multitude of different papers, shades, perforations - and then add several possible Star orientations across all of that - but not so this particular stamp

Thanks, everyone!

Hi Ray. Just found this thread. I'm the person who identified your Macau bisect a few months ago. I did some research on this in the 2015 Mundifil catalog (current edition still with Afinsa numbers, updating the 2011 Afinsa catalog) and also an Eladio de Santos P & C catalog from 1982. I agree with Blaamand that the Cabo Verde Ceres issues are not as difficult as, say Angola.

My best guess is that you have a real far out variation shade of the ultramarine. In addition to catalog references, I have a comprehensive collection of the Angola Ceres issues, bought at auction in 1988 and added to since. By "comprehensive," I mean both perfs; multiple shades, varieties, errors; and all papers. There are a number of papers not listed by Scott and referenced by Mundifil, like Papel Pontinhado, as an example.

I have 6 copies of the Angola 7 centavo ultramarine in perf 15 x 14; and 5 copies in perf 12 x 11 1/2. The lightest of each series of shades is beginning to resemble your shade.

I tend to see a faded stamp more than a printed colour variety.One
can see a very light tinge of blue in the upper half over the band
7 c.
Putting it on my monitor and reducing the temp. of the colour the blue
pigment remnants will show up little by little by reducing the contrast.
The blue pigment is there but faded out;left the spotty remnants visible
in pic 2.If blue is in that paper the it will show up.Especialy in the
top letters






The same experiment with the 2c greyish stamp.Temp. reduction.contrast reduction.
The greyish cast still prevails.


Now reversing the process from a blue example:Colour temp. increase,Saturation increase.
I can find the same coulour as in the OP's example in the upper letters and else where.
This must be something to do with the type of pigments used.


*

Steve, thanks for refreshing the memory!
To both Steve and Perf12, this is e,factly what I was looking for.

I've worked with the US classics long enough to know that items like this one usually have a reasonable explanation. What seemed strange to me was the fact that the black was dark enough that it didn't make sense that the stamp wss faded. And, sometimes specialists will know of varieties t h at Scott doesn't list...and that Scott isn't necessarily THE best authority for world stamps.

Appreciate the help and lessons...Ray

Hmmm, your question in the OP was

To which I responded "There are no other colors listed for Ceres 7c for Cabo Verde". I must have mistaken your question


Steve - would be interesting to see your Ceres's from Angola