Swiss 87 Or 87A Or 87B Or 97 Or 110A Or 124...

Confused with this stamp... Is it claret or carmine.. Perfs seem to be 11.5 X 12... Literally all the 1Fr issues are starting to look the same to me !

Before you worry about colors, you have to get the perfs straight - esp with these stamps. From your 2nd picture, it looks off. The perfs are lined up nicely on the right, but the ones on the left don't seem to match. It looks like 11 1/2.

When the catalog says '11 1/2 x 12' it is always showing the horizontal perfs 1st & vertical 2nd. None of the stamps in that issue have horizontal perf 12.

Once you have an accurate perf measurement, you can move on to colors & paper. Your stamp looks carmine to me, but hard to distinguish colors on computer. Best way is to get a stamp that you know is either carmine or claret & compare...

I would have chosen claret.
(Usual caveat regarding scanning colours)

Nice pix Rod. Based on your picture, I'd completely agree with you - it is claret. Original stamp picture is a wildly different color on my screen??

Michael, I think Don posted somewhere, on how to calibrate your scanner.
(Not that I have done that yet)
Try stamp smarter.

Also the stamp may have faded over the years.
Colour is a touchy subject.

Based on the date on the postmark (1887) I would have to say it is Scott #87, as all the others were issued after. Scott #87 is listed as a claret, ergo ...

Excellent detective work - never thought you look for a postmark date. That would certainly be conclusive...

Rod - as to the scanner issue - it isn't my scanner! I'm just looking on a laptop. The original scan was from ananthveerappan...

to "complete" the thread Scott 97 carmine on top, Scott 87a claret on bottom

Of course....Oops senior moment
Maybe your monitor needs calibrating?

I have two screens at home, the top screen , A cheapie philips LED offers a radical change of colours from my bottom screen.

The perfs on 87 range from 11-1/2 to 11-3/4, info now updated by Scott. If this stamp still doesn't measure correctly, it is reperfed. This is not uncommon with the Standing Helvetias, seemingly more to make the stamps look "better" rather than trying to forge scarcer perfs. And reperfing often is done on the side cutting the design.

Compared it with Will's carmine up there. Definitely mine are all clarets.

Got few 11.5 X 11



Got few 11.5



Thanks for the color compare guys.

I am still trying to some with re-engraved or granite paper types.. Any suggestions or pictures on to identify those?

Scott Catalog tells stars are larger and lines below FRANCO and silk threads... Will have to read more there !

I don't have any of the granite paper stamps, but below find Scott 94a on the left and re-engraved 112 on the right.



Note the larger stars on the 112 and the curved lines in background under Franco on the 94a

ps. these series of stamps have the strangest numbering

Thank you Willwood..

Glad to be if service. I bought a auction lot is Swiss stamps in the summer and had a good time answering the same questions you had