cddstamps on stamps

my thoughts on stamps, stamp collecting, philately in general and maybe a few other topics !

Saturday, May 09, 2009

The importance of colour


Hello, a change again in topic tonight as I was looking through some stamps and found this. Quite nice I think you will agree. A few short perfs bottom right, but a lovely frank and in nice condition. It is after all nearly 115 years old, being postmarked in 1894.
Why am I using it as an example here on the subject of colour. Well, it is SG 52 and has a catalogue value of £2.25 being the ultramarine shade. It it were the blue shade it would be SG 51 with an SG catalogue value of £7, but if it was the dull blue shade it would be SG 50 with a catalogue value of £18.


But wait, there is more :-) for SG 52 there is a copy with a "sloping" 2 and it is catalogued at £70, and, if the watermark is inverted the cat value is £85.
So when you find these old stamps please remember how important the colour / shade / watermark and any variety can be in determining what you actually have and what the stamp is actually worth.
Always check carefully. As I did and found it was not a high value stamp. Oh well such is life, but the enjoyment of study was worth it.
Have a great weekend and enjoy your stamps ….. Michael

2 Comments:

At 6:52 AM, Blogger Pablo (yo) said...

When I have a doubt on a shade, and I need to add a value to it. (Usually on a picture on an internet sale), I always asume it is the cheapest one....
So, if I get a surprise; it will be a good one!

 
At 3:01 PM, Blogger cddstamps said...

Pablo, that is probably the best way to go.. sometimes difficult choice to make though :-)

there is an online colour guide.. maybe I will write about that next

best wishes...Michael

 

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