19th Century Sweden 17 Ore

What do you guys think about this stamp? I found it concerning because the center seems discolored, and the less desirable version is violet rather than the preferred grey. Might someone have tried to somehow bleach a violet, or something along those lines?

Could very well have been subject to either sunlight or chemicals

Peter

Facit gives violet as the main color, then carmine-violet, reddish-bluish lilac, and gray as variants. I should think it difficult intentionally to turn by chemicals any of those colorful stamps into gray without spoiling what was already a fairly valuable stamp. So I doubt whether the damage you note was intended. There are many environmental factors that can cause a stamp to appear faded or washed out. And mishandling or bad storage can also cause inadvertent damage.

Here's a useful passage from Fundamentals of Philately by L.N. Williams: "Many stamps have … been bleached, often unintentionally, by excessive exposure to light, or by repeated immersion in benzene, carbon tetrachloride, peroxide of hydrogen or, in some instances, even water."

Thank you very much for all the good info!

the reddish tone on the stamp likely came as a run of from another lilac stamp during soaking or the paper it was on

Mine looks like the grey might be somewhat darker than yours.

Probably just due to exposure to sunlight, although there are certainly examples of forgers attempting to change the color of a stamp. I have an old fake of Baden #4b that was produced by chemically altering a #4 or #4a.

the stamp is genuine, slight toning, bad perforation, but otherwise sound.