Is Darker/Lighter Color The Only Difference?

re-entering/old newbie question

Specifically the GB George VI 2 1/2d stamps 1937/1941 (SG466 and SG489)?

On the face, the only difference I can notice is the shade of blue?

Does this apply to all denominations in series?

Thanks


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From my understanding the difference is the intensity in color.

And this applies to all denominations (SG 462/7 are darker than SG 485/90)

Thank you!

This helps! I found a thread (somewhere) that during the later issues used less ink (thus the lighter color) which was a result of conserving resources because of the war.

You are correct.

The difference is the color. If you look at the first group of 1/2d to 2-1/2d values, the first printings (SG 462-466 Scott 235-239) are all a deep shade, and the later printings (SG 485-489 Scott 258-262) are all a duller, paler version.

It is pretty easy to identify them once you have seen the difference between the stamps.

You can also look at used stamps with postmarks. The deep color issues were printed beginning in 1937. The paler shades were printed beginning in 1941. The Commonwealth catalogue indicates the color change was a wartime economy measure. (Probably to conserve ink supplies.)