Show Your US 1851-57 Imperforate Stamps

I have several different philatelic color guides, including one that was developed specifically for the 1851-57 3-cent imperforate colors. None of them are of any use whatsoever for the actual 3-cent imperforate stamp colors, in my opinion.

I've also seen the Encyclopedia of the Colors of United States Postage Stamps by R. W. White, but didn't find it very useful.

The only color guides that are useful, in my opinion, are the actual stamps, whose colors, of course, have to be verified by a specialist.

Hi Classic Coins --

Thank you for sharing your technique for using your scanner as an aid in colorizing stamps -- it sounds like a very innovative concept -- although for me, I would have a very steep learning curve regarding my technical skills before I would be comfortable changing the RGB values with Epson's Histogram Adjustment Tool. As I mentioned in a prior post, I have only used Epson's "Home Mode" where there is no such adjustment available. One of these days I will need to go into "Professional Mode" and explore the options -- which I am OK with -- so long as I can restore everything to the default values when I am done.

I also completely agree with your comments about all of the various philatelic color guides that are out there -- more specifically, I share your opinion that none of them are of any use whatsoever for the 3-cent imperforate stamp colors -- and further -- that the only color guide that is useful, is one that is comprised of confirmed colorized copies of the actual stamps.

Thanks again for sharing your scanner technique.

Regards // ioagoa

You're welcome, ioagoa. The defaults in Epson Scan are easy to restore.

Is there any data (or lacking data consensus of experts) on what colors are most common for Sc.11/11A e.g., is Dull Red more common than Claret or Rose Red? I am pretty sure I know which hues are least common.

Here's a ratty C Relief, I'm assuming from the body of a plate. I see no guide dot. Unless the bump in the upper top right frame line might be considered a guide dot. IDK!

banknoteguy, There is a rarity scale for the 1851-57 3-cent imperforates in the USPCS Chronicle number 207. You can download it for free here:

https://www.uspcs.org/resource-cent...b-chronicle/

Hi Moyock13 --

Your "C" relief stamp looks like a probable top row stamp from plate 4.

One of the tip-offs for plate 4 is a very lightly recut LFL and a much more heavily recut BFL.

The "bump" you noted at the east end of the TFL is a GD.

When you go to plate this stamp, one of its "stand-out" characteristics is how the TFL is very low above the U of U.S. POSTAGE -- then steadily rises until it peaks above the STA of POSTAGE -- and then very subtly drops a teeny bit as it heads toward its intersection with the RFL.

I am away from all my stamps right now -- but will plate it later so that I can confirm your plating for you.

Regards // ioagoa

Hi team, I'd really like assistance with an ID for this stamp
I get type 3?
Cheers

Laurie - Type II #7. Relief B.

Thanks Txstamp I still working on these id's

One way to think about it, is if there is even the faintest trace of a line there at top or bottom, then it is not considered broken.

Good tip mate thanks!

Looking more closely, the left outer line on the oval seems recut or double transfer?

Classic Coins said,


Interesting, a lot information that I will have to study closely. The article you pointed at was a followup for the previous issue where the journal messed up the alignment of the rarity table.

These were the experts so the data is likely the best available.

But I did notice that in the corrected table they have no rarity for for several common colors e.g., Rose Red. Any feeling for whether it is a 2 or not as common as that?

More troubling is that rarity information was lacking for what I would consider some of the most common colors: 51 O.B. Pale to Deep, 51 Brownish O.B., but most particularly 52 B.C. Pale to Deep. Did you notice this? Would you consider these all 2s or am I just missing something?

I just found this on Swedish Tiger and Courtesy of Chris Biason