Post Office Officials Of 1873

Scott gives two color possibilities for O-47 through O-56, black and gray black. Do these photos show good examples of the difference?



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The right stamp shows evidence of a dry print, probably off a worn plate.

Thanks Rev collector. Dry printing, a bit thinner or thicker ink making the difference in color.
I wondered if their might also have been a difference in paper color.

Perhaps another forum member has better examples in their collection. Stamps that can illustrate why Scott describes this series as coming in two colors, black and gray black............

Black and gray black are shade variations, not different colors.

The Continental Bank Note had quite a bit of trouble with the black ink used for the Post Office stamps. Might find an answer in the U.S.P.C.S. Chronicle, try these two links. The first is constant plate varieties, and last is on opaque inks.

http://chronicle.uspcs.org/pdf/Chro...25/19362.pdf

http://chronicle.uspcs.org/pdf/Chro...24/13273.pdf

Thanks revcollector. Let me reword my original question.

Scott gives two Shade possibilities for O-47 through O-56, black and gray black. Do these photos show good examples of the difference?

Looked at the first article in the Chronicle. Author was interested in plate varieties , so no mention of color anywhere.

This may just be a subjective thing.................

sandman, should have read a bit further, part of the title of the second article is "PRODUCTION PLATE VARIETIES AND THE NATURE OF OPAQUE INKS,
WITH NOTES ON THE POST OFFICE "SCUMMY" PRINTINGS"

Black ink mixed with white ink = gray
Black ink + dry print = gray (white paper showing through black ink)

Because the above is true, you have to look for signs of a dry print and in this case I think it is fairly easy. Look at the solid areas of ink and not at the overall stamp. A true gray ink would be seen in the solid areas, look at your stamp

Looks black to me in both stamps, hence this is a dry print.
Don

Thank you littleriver. I took your advice and read the second excellent chronicle article. It was very specific and explained why the faces of some of the post office officials appear gray, but the reverse side is white, and some PO officials have a white background and white reverse.
Summarizing the article, the printer switched to a much thinner black colorant prior to the printing of the Post Office officials. The thinner ink found miniscule spots on the plates to hide from the wiping, hence the grayish background color. The printer was in a rush to meet a deadline, and did not add a thickener to keep the ink from collecting in the miniscule spots on the plates.
The photos I attached at the beginning of this thread demonstrate the varied effects of the two types of black ink.

Thanks again for directing me in the right direction.

@sandman, took a couple of tries but you're welcome!