Puzzling New South Wales 1/2d Green Postage Due

I haven't seen a NSW postage due with such a pale shade before (even paler than the scan makes it look in fact). Could this be a dry ink variety? Thoughts anyone?

Too long a vacation on the beach ?

Peter

Changeling due to environmental conditions would be my first guess.

I doubt if it's a variety, more likely chemically altered or a changeling.

Too much UV light, I think.

Jimjamtwo...
I'll back Rob041256. Suspect someone's experimented/fiddled with solvents or bleach in distilled water etc.

These stamps were issued green (no scarlet or rosine).

They have fugitive ink, so if your stamp has no gum it has probably been soaked and lost much of the green to the water.

Fairdinkumstamps...

Apologies to members ...edited out.

I did some research on fugitive ink and they were used as a deterrent to anyone attempting to alter the stamp, when immersed in water the ink fades preventing any removal of fiscal pen cancellations.

But I cannot see any cancellations of any type to support the stamp having fugitive ink deployed, as it looks unused, fugitive ink being deployed would have kept visible remnants of a cancellation remaining on the stamp.

I believe it was a changeling, as the ink faded due to exposure to a strong light or to some natural or not so natural chemical reaction.

As it seems to be unused and there is no gum, the missing gum is mostly due to rust or toning on the gum being removed to save the stamp, I have seen many unused stamps, especially from the Victorian era missing its gum, it's a common sight as a result of this.

Of course on the other hand if the stamp was immersed in water to remove the gum (there is a better way to remove the gum without immersing it in water), it would activate the fugitive ink.

Rob

Actually, there is gum.