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Shades of the KGV 1d Red. Introduction. The shades of the KGV 1d Red provide the specialist collector with endless possibilities of discovery, but they can present the novice in this field with more than a few difficulties. This brief monograph is intended to give the collector a solid foundation for shade assessment, and to alert him or her to some of the traps to be encountered. The traditional basis for classification is still the Orlo-Smith system, despite various efforts over the years to supercede it. The first thing that must be understood is that, while Orlo-Smith uses a nomenclature similar to that of the Stanley Gibbons colour charts, the O-S colours do not always correspond exactly (or even closely) with the Gibbons colours. In fact, O-S describes shades in relative terms, rather than as absolute colours; e.g, the O-S "Brownish Red" means a shade somewhat redder than Carmine, and is nothing like the S.G. Brown Red. To compound the problem the ACSC has in recent years added a bewildering variety of supplemental shade descriptions. Since these are relative subshades of relative shades, they give the impression that almost any given stamp can belong to almost any shade group. To overcome this problem the tables at the end of this article give the nearest S.G. shades for the various O-S shade groups (although the depth of colour may be different). The tables also give the reaction of the different shades to ultra-violet (UV) light. You will see that there is in fact not too much overlap amongst the traditional shade groups if you classify them carefully enough, and that where confusion does arise, it can almost always be resolved with the aid of a UV lamp. However, there are still plenty of problem areas for the beginner, and not just with the rarer shades. I discuss these below, in chronological order. The Scarlet and Red shades of 1914-17. The first set of problems concerns the separation of the various red and scarlet shades of 1914-17. To begin at the beginning, even the basic 1914 shades can be easily confused. Thus G10 "Carmine Red" comes in two major subshades, one of which is noticeably redder and brighter than the other. In the tables below I have denoted this brighter subshade as G10A, "Bright Carmine Red". In fact, the brightest versions of G10A are very similar to G11 "Bright Red", at least in daylight, and these are listed below as G10.5 "Bright Red". They can be distinguished from the true G11 by the fact that (like the G10A's) they do not react significantly to UV light, whereas G11 reacts orange/brown. Deep versions of the G10A shade I call "Deep Bright Red'', and list them separately, in order to distinguish them from the very similar G17.5A's of 1916-17 I denote this shade by G13A (since the ACSC includes it in G13). Again, G13A reacts differently to G17.5A under UV (see tables below for details). However, this is just the beginning of our problems - we are still faced with the fact that several of the various bright red and scarlet shades of 1914-17 are essentially indistinguishable in daylight. Fortunately, the UV lamp again comes to our aid. To fully understand the use the UV lamp it is necessary to understand the role played by aniline dyes and eosin in the formulation of the various inks used for the 1d Red printings. The first 1d Red's of 1914, such as G1 and the earliest G10's, lack any significant fluorescent agents, and hence appear virtually black under a UV lamp. However, around November 1914 pigments derived from various members of the aniline family of chemical dyes were incorporated into most of the ink formulas, often with varying amounts of eosin added as a brightening agent. This resulted in a range of characteristic reactions (fluorescence) to UV light, depending on the mix of dyes used. Two main classes of dyes were employed, one of which (let us call it Type I) produces a deep blueish-purple reaction, and the other (Type II) a clear pale to bright red reaction. Often mixed or intermediate dye classes were used, giving red-purple to purple-red reactions. (Type I plus a very small amount of Type II gives a brownish purple reaction). Also, the brightening agent eosin (which is chemically related to the aniline dyes) was also added in some formulas. Eosin produces a bright orange reaction to UV, so that when it is added to Type I formulas, the result is a lilac-brown to bright orange reaction. With Type II formulas, eosin results in brownish-red to red-orange reactions. Armed with this knowledge we can now return to the problem of separating out the various scarlet and red shades. Before October 1915 only Type I formulas were used for the main carmine red and red shade groups, so that G1, G2, G10, G10A and G16 appear (at most) deep to dull purple under UV. On the other hand, the very similar G17 Scarlet Reds (and the deeper G17.5 shades), printed mainly after October 1915, mostly used Type II formulas, and so react red (to varying degrees) under UV, thus allowing them to be distinguished from the earlier shades. In November 1916 the G17 formula was significantly changed for most printings, resulting in a generally brighter reaction to UV. These formulas often included significant amounts of free aniline die, and eosin was also usually added, although in relatively small amounts. This resulted in the G18/19 Scarlet Aniline shades - these have a brighter reaction to UV than G17's, often with a distinct orange component. (The eosin formulas were also used for most printings of the rough paper types G60 & G61). This all means that with the aid of a UV lamp the various scarlet/red shade groups can be separated fairly readily. Even so, a few problems still remain. Firstly, many of the paler (or mint) G18's don't appear obviously aniline, and hence can only safely be identified by their brighter UV reaction. Also, the level of aniline and eosin in the later scarlet shades varies considerably, so that there is no clear dividing line between the brighter G17/17.5 shades and the G18's. In effect, this means that the G17 and G17.5 scarlet shades extend into 1917, overlapping with G18 (also, they are sometimes found on thin paper). Note also that some the later G18's have a blueish (Carmine) appearance which can easily be confused with late 1917 shades like G23. It should also be realised that with G17/17.5 (and other shades as well) there is often no really clear demarcation between the normal and deeper versions of the shade, which really form a continuous group, and probably should be collected as such. For this reason I now (Sept. '09) note G17.5 as Deep(er) Scarlet, and so on. The early 1915 shades can also be confusing. In particular, there are late (non-eosin) Salmon Reds which look like G12's in daylight, but are dull under UV. These clearly form a transition group between G12 and the 1915 Scarlet/Reds, and hence can reasonably be assigned to a separate shade group. They are best described (in Orlo Smith terms) as "Salmon Red (Non Eosin)", and I denominate them below as G14.5. Similarly, G15/15.5's are transition shades between G11 and G16/17, being duller than G11 but brighter than the later shades in daylight, and with intermediate UV reactions. (Note that some of the G15.5's (and the early G17's) can be confused with the G10A's since they have dull purplish brown UV reactions similar to those of the earlier shades, although not as deep). The 1914 Rose Reds and Lilac Roses. G13.5 "Rose Red" (now Bright Rose in the ACSC) and G14 Lilac Rose together form a variable group of pale late 1914 - early 1915 shades, with the deeper and darker G13.5's being similar to the paler 1917 Rose Reds, while the G14's are very similar to the paler 1918 Pinks. Few shades have caused more controversy, but it is commonly agreed today that they are "changelings", i.e, leached or faded examples of the aniline shades G11 and (more commonly) G12, because of the generally faded appearance of the used copies, and the apparent absence of any corresponding mint examples. The dividing line between G11/12 and G13.5/14 is largely a matter of taste; I use G13.5 to mean the paler shades which react pale red or brownish red under UV, since these form a fairly distinct subgroup of shades. G14 is reserved for the palest and bluest (and clearly faded) members of this subgroup. Note that, contrary to what is often stated, the G13.5's can usually be easily distinguished from the 1917 Rose Reds, as they lack the Carmine tinge of the 1917 shades and hence are clearly brighter in daylight, and they are also generally browner (more orange) under UV. The 1917 Rose Red and "Rose Carmine" shades. The 1917 shades present a second group of problems, and many collectors have difficulties separating the G21 Rose Reds ("Rose" in today's ACSC) from the G22 Rose Carmines. The reason for this is simple - there is in fact only one major shade group in mid 1917, which can best be described (in S.G. terms) as a Dullish Rose Red (or Rose Carmine Red under lower light levels), and which has a generally dullish reaction to UV. This is the true G21, which ranges from relatively pale to rather deeper shades, so that many stamps sold today as G22 are in fact simply deeper G21's. However, there is actually a genuine "Rose Carmine" shade from this period - this is the Bright Carmine Rosine (normally an aniline shade), which has a much brighter reaction to UV than G21, and which is listed below as G22. (As well, there are some distinctinctly brighter versions of the ordinary Rose Red shades, with the dullish UV reactions of the G21's). This all seems reasonably straightforward, but Originally Orlo-Smith defined three major 1917 shades - Rose, Rose Red and Rose Carmine, so what did he mean by the original "Rose" (which was formerly listed as G20)? Now, for Orlo-Smith "Rose" is a shade between G29 "Rosine" and G21 "Rose Red", i.e, between S.G. Carmine Rose and Rose Red, so my guess is that G20 may have originally meant the bright carmine rosine shades now listed as G22 "Rose Carmine", and that Orlo-Smith's "Rose Carmine" was originally either the late 1917 Rosine Carmine shade listed below as G22.5, or more likely, G23.5 "Brownish Rose". Brownish Rose is basically a late brownish, aniline Rose Red - it is in fact relatively common, and, as the fractional G number shows, is probably a displaced shade. If this shade was indeed the original G22, then it was presumably absorbed into G21 when G22 came to be used (incorrectly) for the deeper Rose Reds (it is basically a dull reddish Rose Red), and then eventually split out again as G23.5 "Brownish Rose". Anyway, whatever Orlo-Smith's original scheme was, to avoid confusion I now divide the mid 1917 shades into two main groups, as outlined above, generally following the ACSC (although I retain G20 for pale shades of G21 - but you can ignore this if you like). That is, I use G21 Rose Red primarily for the common dullish rose carmine red shades (which show only a dull reaction to UV), and G22 Rose Carmine for the brighter (and scarcer) rosine and carmine rosine shades, which mostly react red to bright red or red-orange under UV. (The brighter Rose Reds with dull UV reactions can be denoted by G21A if you like). I also have a separate group (G22.5 "Carmine") for some late 1917 Rosine Carmine shades which are distinctly bluer than the G21's and generally darker than the G22's - these shades could also well be described as Rose Carmine, but of course the name is already taken, and in fact in the ACSC these shades seem to included in G22.. A related problem occurs in the rough paper printings of 1917. Here there are nominally two shades, G62 "Carmine" and G63 "Rose Red". However, as the UV reactions show, the G63's don't correspond to the smooth paper G21 Rose Reds, but rather to the brighter G22 Rose Carmines, while the G62 "Carmines" are basically slightly redder versions of G63, closer to the (somewhat later) G24 "Brownish Reds. In fact G62 and G63 really form a single shade group, with G62 at the redder, and G63 at the bluer (and more obviously aniline) end of the shade range. (The separation between G22 and G24 is clearer). The late 1917 shades - Salmons and Bricks. From October 1917 a wide variety of experimental formulas were used. The principal shade groups for this period are listed in the tables below, including some distinct shades not separately listed by the ACSC. The Salmons are in fact quite close to the Rose Reds, but they generally have a lighter, pastel
appearance as compared with the Rose Red group (and the Orange Reds), although the better copies are brightened by the aniline dye they contain, which also gives them a pinkish tinge*. However, it is clear that in practice the dull paleish stamps usually sold as "Brick" or "Terracotta" today are mostly just washed out and faded examples
of the deeper Salmons in general. In the tables below these shades are listed as "Terracotta". There is also a group of genuine pale reddish salmon shades which can be fairly described as "Pale Terracotta". Another shade sometimes sold as Brick (particularly mint) is the "Pale Carmine Red" listed below with the Brownish Reds. This is a pale, faded looking shade, and may be just that (although the fact that it
is often found Perf. OS suggests that it is a real shade). So pick your own Bricks (but don't spend too much on them). * Note that many of the late 1917 formulas incorporated raw aniline dye. In the case of the Salmons this gave them the brighter, pinkish tinge, but used copies of these shades have often been over-soaked in water, leaching out the dye and giving them a dull brownish look. Brownish Reds and Orange Reds. The G24 Brownish Reds are similar to the deeper 1914 scarlet shades, but are somewhat darker and redder, and react red to bright red under UV. They are also an aniline shade (and tend to wash out to a dull carmine red if oversoaked). G24.5 Orange Red is a difficult shade group, and is commonly used (along with Brick) as a grab bag for all the shades between Brownish Red and Salmon. To my mind the only 1917 shades which really justify the "Orange Red" description are the brightish shades described below as Reddish Scarlet and Reddish Rosine. These are clearly yellower than the various G24 Brownish Reds, although they might better described as Bright Red than Orange Red. Some G24.5's are quite similar to G23.5, but lack the dark brownish tinge of the latter. (Note also the similar shades included below in the various G32 group issues of 1918 and 1919). Note that the slogan postmark "Help To Win The War etc." first appears in the last quarter of 1917. This can be useful in differentiating the issues of this period from similar earlier shades. The 1918 Rosine, Carmine Rose and Carmine shades. As in 1917, the main shade groups of 1918 form an overlapping whole, both in shade and time. They are all generally similar shades, ranging from the somewhat blueish Carmine Roses (the G30's) to the redder and darker Carmines (the G31's). Dullish shades intermediate between G30 and G31 can be described as Reddish Rose if you like, although these are included in the G30 group below. (These last shades should not be confused with the brighter and deeper G30.5 Deep Reddish Rosine, which is the smooth paper version of the bright rough paper shade now listed in the ACSC as G70). The dividing line between the early G29 Rosines and the G30 Carmine Rose group is also hard to define. Basically, the Rosines are bluer, brighter and generally deeper than the Carmine Roses, and are also generally brighter under UV. I follow White & Balzer in restricting G29 to those shades which react bright red under UV. However, there are similar shades which are bright in daylight but dull under UV, and hence are normally grouped under G30. If you like you can call these "Bright Carmine Rose", but I don't go to that length here. Note that in the tables below I take Carmine Pink to be essentially a paler version of G29 Rosine (sometimes with eosin, as with the rough paper shade), and hence it is rather bluer than the G28 Pinks. Note also that the some of the brighter 1918 shades (particularly the brighter Pinks and the Rosines) are not restricted to early 1918, but continue to be issued sporadically until September (although they may have been printed earlier in the year). The 1918 Brownish Reds. Many novice collectors have trouble with the (smooth paper) 1918 "Brownish Red" shades. This is basically because they expect them to be dramatically different from the Carmines and Carmine Roses, when in fact the commonest brownish red shade (G32 proper) is only a little duller and redder than the Carmines in daylight. However, under UV the G32's are strikingly different, with mostly red to very bright red reactions, which clearly distinguish them from the Carmine shades. Apart from the rather dull G32's, there are in fact a number of quite distinctive (but scarce) mid 1918 (and also 1919) shades (Orange Red, Orange Brown etc.), and these are grouped with the Brownish Reds in the tables below. These are mostly S.G. reddish rosine shades similar to the 1917 Orange Reds, but generally somewhat duller and/or darker than the latter. These are listed in the G32 group below, along with a number of somewhat different bright red shades from this period. As well, the odd "Dark Red (Dry Ink)" shade is also included here - it is possible that this very deep shade, rather than the Bright Carmine shade listed below as G31A, may be the ACSC's Carmine "Dry Ink". (Note that the shade names for this group are my own, and the shades don't necessarily correspond to similarly named shades in the ACSC). It should also be realised that the 1918 Brownish Reds generally date from middle of the year, when rough paper was mainly used, and hence smooth paper "Brownish Reds" are much scarcer than rough. Maroons, Crimsons and Plums. The key to understanding the G32.5 "Maroon" group is to realise that while the Brownish Reds are distinct shades, the commoner Maroons are mostly just deeper, more intense versions of the basic 1918 issues.
Orlo-Smith originally defined Maroon to mean a very deep red "with no trace of blue", i.e, a deep (O-S) Carmine Red, the shade of G13 - in S.G. terms, a deep Carmine Scarlet. Adding blue to this produced successively
(in O-S terms) Deep Carmine, Deep Carmine Rose (Crimson) and Plum (deep Rosine). Today Maroon means a rather bluer shade, so I take it to include the deeper S.G. Carmines (including the Reddish Carmines), with Crimson
reserved for the darker deep Carmine shades. There are also a number of scarce but distinctive deep or dark red shades from this period, such as the deep brownish aniline Rosy Carmines (ACSC's
"Brownish Rose"?) which I call "Deep Claret" here. As well there are also a number of not very common deep blueish shades - "Deep Plum" is a deep Rose Carmine shade similar to but distinct from the deeper G33's; "Deep
Rosine" is a deep Carmine Rose similar to a deep G29 Rosine, but somewhat darker in appearance. (Note that these definitions are quite different from Gibbons, where Maroon is a very deep Purple Brown and
Plum a deep dark Purple). Note also that some of these deep shades show up, like the Orange Red and Brownish Red shades, with late (1919, or even mid 1920) postmarks. The 1918 Rough Paper Shades. Some general points need to be made about the 1918 rough paper printings. Firstly, the rough paper shades generally look darker and somewhat redder in daylight than the corresponding smooth paper shades, possibly because their inks often contain blueish aniline dye, which tends to soak into the paper. Secondly, the printings on the two types of paper only partially overlap, which further reduces the correspondence between rough and smooth paper shades with the same name. Turning now to the specific shades, the novice collector seems to be faced with an alarming confusion of similar and overlapping shade groups, particularly those ranging from G72 to G78. However, with a little perseverance (and the help of a UV lamp) they can be sorted out. The various brownish shades, G72, 75 & 76 (Red Brown), are related to G32 and show distinctive red to bright red reactions to UV. The G73
Carmine Reds (which correspond to the G31 Carmines) are bluer and mostly darker than the brownish reds, with duller purple red UV reactions; G73.5 and G73.5A are similar to G73 but somewhat brighter and bluer
(G73.5), or darker and bluer (G73.5A). The G74's are even bluer than the G73.5's, with (mostly) a purple brown UV reaction. (Note that the distinctive bright "blueish" carmine shade G73.5 is rare on smooth paper,
as printings in this shade were confined to mid 1918, when mainly rough papers were used; G73.5A is similar to the scarce G31.5 Dull Crimsons, but not as deep). The various brownish
red groups essentially form a continuum from the paler and duller G72's to the deeper and usually brighter G75 and 76's. The dividing line between the groups is largely a matter of taste - I basically group G72 and G75
together, reserving G76 for the distinctive deep matt reddish carmine shades. Note that not so long ago there were no less than four brownish red groups in the ACSC (G72, 75, 76 and 78 "Chocolate Red"), so it is no wonder that the ACSC has quietly dropped G76 from the catalog, and appropriated G78 for its new "Orange Brown" shade (see below). I retain G76, and include both the old and new G78's in the Tables. (The reason that there are now so many brownish red shades can be deduced from old dealer's catalogs, where G72 is sometimes called "Reddish Rose". It would therefore appear that G72 originally may have meant the "Reddish Rose" shade listed below as G74.5 (and possibly also the brighter G70 "Reddish Rosine" - see next section for these shades). Today however, G72 is used for the paler and duller brownish red shades which would have originally been included in G75 "Brownish Red", and which are obviously out of place between G71 and G73. This is of course why it is difficult to clearly separate G72 from G75 - they really form just one group). Carmine Roses and Reddish Rosines. G74 "Carmine Rose" is also a bit of a problem for collectors, mainly because there don't appear to be many
rough paper equivalents of the G30's. This is because in the rough papers the brighter shades (reacting red under UV) have been merged with the Rosines, so that the only G30 shades with a common rough paper counterpart
are the duller blueish Rose Carmines (the shades which react purple to purple-brown under UV). On the other hand, there is the bright shade now listed in the ACSC as G70 Deep (Reddish) Rosine. This is a
bright Rosine Carmine shade which reacts red to bright red under UV (White & Balzer, Stamp News, Jan. 1993). There is also a reasonably common shade similar to G70, but without the bright UV reaction - this is listed below as G74.5 "Reddish Rose". This is a distinctive pinkish matt shade, belonging, like G72 and G73/73.5, to the period from April to July 1918 when smooth paper printings were scarce, although there are some similar smooth paper shades in the G30 group. It is usually sold, not unreasonably, as G73 or (better) as G74, (or, incorrectly, as G70). As noted in the previous section, this shade (and the brighter Reddish Rosine) may originally have been the shade listed in old catalogs as G72 "Reddish Rose", before that number was usurped by the "Dull Reds". Rosines, Damsons and Plums. There is often confusion between the rough paper Rosines, Damsons and Plums. Basically, Plum (G71) is a deep non-fluorescent cerise, bluer than any other 1d Red shade. Damson (for me) is a shade between Rosine and Plum, a little duller and bluer than Rosine in daylight, but brighter than Plum, and with a somewhat brighter UV reaction. The ACSC now includes Damson in G71; however, it was originally listed as G70, but as we have just seen this is now defined as a deep Rosine, so I denote Damson separately by G70.5. (Note that G70 Deep Reddish Rosine shades are much redder than any of the early Pink/Rosine shades and are out of place in the catalog - they really belong with the later G72 and G73 shades). Also, despite what the ACSC implies, G69 Rosine (Perf. OS) is a unique deepish cerise shade, closer to G71 than to G68 Rosine. Maroons, Crimsons and Chocolate Reds. In line with the smooth paper shades I take Maroon to mean the deep Carmines and deep bright aniline Carmines, and I use Crimson for the duller deep dark Carmines. I use Burgundy for the deep aniline versions of the G73.5 (bright) blueish Carmines. (Plum is reserved for the bluer G71). Note that as a whole the deep rough paper shades are somewhat redder than the deep smooth paper shades. Some other extreme (if rare) shades are also worth looking for, such as the distinctive Chocolate Red. This is a very dense Red Brown, which shows little reaction to UV, unlike the other deep brown shades. Chocolate Red used to be listed as G78, but this number is now used for the ACSC's new "Orange Brown" (Perf. OS), which is possibly the equivalent of the smooth paper G32C, which is in turn very similar to G24.5 Orange Red. (Aside: Restoring the Catalog. Readers will have gathered from what has been said above that the rough paper shades have become rather corrupted over the years, with several shades now clearly out of position. To fix up this whole mess we would have to: (1) move the Dull Reds back to G75, with G76 reserved for the deeper and richer Brownish Red shades; (2) move G70 Deep Reddish Rosine and G74.5 Reddish Rose back to G72; (3) restore Damson to G70; (4) restore G78 Chocolate Red (which is separate from the Brownish Reds); and finally, (5) add G79 for the new "Orange Red"- this is what should happen, but of course it won't. 1d Red Single Watermark Issues in 1919. The standard postal rate was changed to 1 1/2d in
November 1918, after which the need for the 1d Red dropped drastically. The ACSC does not list any specific issues of the 1d Red on single watermark paper in 1919, and the existing stocks may have lasted for some time.
Presumably, any single watermark printings in 1919 would have mostly been in the ordinary Carmine or Carmine Rose shades, but some of the scarcer shades listed under G32 and G32.5 are found only or partly with 1919
postmarks, and hence seem to date from this period (although they may have been printed some time earlier). Worth looking for are the Deep Dull Orange Reds and distinctive late Deep Indian Reds. Note that
issues of this period often show the post-war slogan post-mark "Help Repatriation/Buy War Savings /C e r t i f i c a t e s", which is useful for finding rare shades when sorting through stock books in poorly lit dealers
shops. The 1920 Carmine Anilines. Lastly, the G30/31 and G33 groups are quite similar in shade. However G33 stamps are generally brighter, deeper and somewhat bluer than the G31's. The paler G33's are very similar to the G30's, but with a brighter and pinker pastel look. Generally, the G33's have a smoother and "richer" look than the G30/31's, as is common with aniline pigments. Some of the bluer 1918 deep blueish shades (G32.5C/D) are very similar to the Carmine Anilines, but they lack the smooth finish of the "Aniline" shades (and in fact they closely match the deeper shades of the Harrison printings on large multiple watermark paper). Note that in the case of G33 the term "aniline" derives from the original S.G. listing and refers more to the particular pigment used than to the presence of any free aniline dye, which is in fact generally absent or minimal in this shade (see also next section). Aniline and Eosin formulas. Some final words of explanation and warning about aniline and eosin in the formulas. The basic aniline dyes are actually soluble in water, but are normally converted into an insoluble compound for use as pigments in inks. However, in some cases the dyes themselves were also incorporated in the inks, with the result that the colour tends to spread to some extent after printing, resulting in somewhat smoother and softer impressions than those from non-aniline inks. Although the term "aniline" can properly be applied to both the soluble and insoluble forms of the dyes, in the case of the 1d Reds it is usual to use "aniline" mainly for those formulas which include the soluble dye, as only they show a marked difference in appearance to "non-aniline" formulas. This terminology is used in the tables below (except for G33, as explained above). Naturally the "aniline" effect is enhanced in used stamps when they soaked in water, but it is also clearly evident in mint stamps when the sheets were gummed after printing (as happened in the rough paper printings). Used "aniline" stamps should therefore be cleaned by floating the stamps on the surface of water, rather than completely immersing them, and then only for a short time. Obviously, over-soaking used "aniline" stamps leaches out the free dye, and also some of the eosin, so that some (used) G28's, for example, show little or no UV reaction. This is possibly also the explanation of shades like G14 and the non-eosin G27, for which mint copies don't seem to exist. Heavily oversoaked stamps, in which all the aniline and eosin have been leached out, appear dull purple to grey lilac under UV. The Tables. In the shade tables which follow I attempt to give more exact descriptions of the Orlo Smith shades in terms of their true Gibbons colours (as defined in the Gibbons Colour Key, Item No. 2530 or the Colour Guide, Item No. 3333), noting particularly differences between similar shades where confusion may arise. (For those using the Colour Key, note that Carmine Vermilion as used here is a shade between Carmine Red and Vermilion. Certain other subshades not found in the Key or Guide are very important when sorting out the 1918 shades, and are briefly summarised here: - Rose Carmine is between Carmine and (Bright) Rose, and is here a brighter shade than that in the Colour Key, Carmine Rose is similar but bluer, and Carmine Rosine and Rosine Carmine are bright shades between Carmine and Rosine. The shade descriptions below are designed for natural light. Shades should be assessed in reasonably bright (but not overbright) mainly natural light - preferably diffused sunlight, augmented if necessary with a local halogen lamp (or a light blue incandescent lamp). It is important to realise that, when compared with Gibbons, stamps will usually appear bluer in natural light than they do in artificial light (possibly because the Gibbons pigments usually contain little or no fluorescent material). Conversely, in ordinary artificial (incandescent) light most stamps will seem somewhat redder as against Gibbons, so that G11 (e.g.) will appear Vermilion rather than Scarlet, G31 will appear Reddish Carmine rather than Carmine, and so on. Another important point is that even in natural light, the lower the light level the bluer the stamps will appear (as against Gibbons). Thus the Rose Reds for example take on a carmine tinge under even moderately reduced lighting, while Carmine Rosine/Rosine Carmines look like Camine Rose/Rose Carmine - this is sometimes, but not always, noted in the tables below using braces {wriggly brackets like these}, and should be kept in mind when dealing with closely related shades, like those of the various 1918 rough paper issues. In the tables I also give more specific dates of issue (or rather, the main postmark dates) for the various shade groups than are found in the ACSC. The UV reactions are also given in the tables, in square brackets. (These reactions were obtained using a 5 watt bank signature verification lamp with a 365 nm wavelength). Two words of warning - the reactions can vary considerably in strength and shade within a given shade group, and usually the reaction has a blueish undertone, deriving from whitening agents in the paper. Thus even reactions listed as "red" or "deep red" (as opposed to "purplish red") usually still have some blueish background. This effect is particularly apparent in weaker reactions - "lilac brown" reactions for example are really "pale brown" ink reaction plus the blueish paper glow. "Pink" means a pale pastel red reaction - basically a weak bright red disappearing into the paper glow. ("Brown" reactions incidentally are in fact just very weak dull red reactions, so that "purple brown" is just a dull purple reaction with a minimum of added red - with more red it becomes dull purple red, then purplish red, and so on). Note also that mint stamps are often distinctly bluer under UV than used copies of the same shade, possibly because of whitening agents in the paper which tend to leach out in water. (Experienced collectors will realise that much
of what is discussed in this monograph has been developed from the work of White and Balzer, whose articles on the 1d Reds (mainly concerning the UV reactions) appeared in Stamp News, Oct. 1992 - Feb. 1993. However, all
the shade descriptions and UV reactions in the tables below are based on my own observations, unless otherwise stated). The Orlo-Smith Colour Map. On "The Colour Map" page you will find my version of the famous Orlo-Smith colour diagram, which displays the various 1d Red shades in a map which runs from the bluest shades on the left to the reddest on the right, and from the palest on the top to the deepest on the bottom. In my version, each cell of the table gives the Gibbons description of the shade, and then lists the various issues in that shade with their traditional G numbers and O-S shades. On the same page I also give a "Colour Triangle", which arranges the shades in a two dimensional scheme more in line with standard colour theory, and which in some ways gives a better idea of how the various shades relate to each other than does the O-S map. I hope all this will be of assistance to the 1d Red enthusiast, particularly those new to the field. Happy collecting, James Chapman. May 2000-September 2004. (Note: I have made a general revision of the shade descriptions in August 2003-March 2004, which shifts some of the descriptions somewhat towards the blue. This is designed to reflect more accurately their appearance under natural, rather than artificial, light. Thus "Scarlet Vermilion" is now usually replaced by Scarlet, and so on) The Shade Tables.
* Carmine Scarlet here is a shade between Carmine Red and Scarlet, somewhat duller and bluer
than Scarlet - essentially the Carmine Vermilion of the Colour Key. ** The G10.5 Bright Reds were probably originally included in G11. ^ Bright Red (Aniline?) has been reported with single-line perforation.
^^ Should be bright aniline shades - with leaching and/or fading they shade progressively into G13.5/14. (The dividing line between G11/12 and G13.5/14 is mostly a matter of personal judgement).
$ The ACSC's G13 was originally "Dark Red" - but now G13 includes both the Dark Reds and the Deep Bright Carmine Reds. (Note that G13A was previously listed here as G10A).
* "Reddish Purple" means a medium matt purple reaction with a pinkish tinge.
^ The description of this shade is based solely on a mint strip in my possession inscribed "Procured Mar. 1st 1915" on the selvedge. It is in very nice condition and shows no signs of
alteration of any sort, so I am assuming that it is a distinct shade. ** Between Carmine Red and Scarlet. ^^ This shade is often grouped with G17, but really belongs with G15.
# The early G17's & G17.5's in particular often react Purple Brown under UV, and are somewhat duller (browner) in daylight than the later Scarlets (and the earlier 1914 shades). They are
somewhat similar in colour to G23.5 but clearly deeper and brighter. There is also a late (11-12/16) issue of G17.5 with this reaction. \
$ The UV reaction of some G17.5's can be quite weak, but alongside the 1914 shades they are still somewhat brighter under UV.
* G18 is here defined by the UV reaction, rather than the presence of free aniline die (hence the
paler shades). There is no clear dividing line between G18 and the brighter G17/17.5's - intermediate shades should labelled as such..
** Dark Carmine Rosine here is a dark shade between Carmine and Rosine, similar to but somewhat darker and bluer than the Carmine Vermilion of the Colour Key. In the ACSC this is the
(scarce) Deep Carmine subshade of G19. ^ Thin paper here means paper less than 0.080 mm thick. Note that G17 & 17.5A are also sometimes found on thin paper.
* Rose Carmine Red here means Rose Red with some Carmine - the Rose Reds take on a
noticeably blueish (carmine) tinge under lower light levels. G20-22's fade to a Dull Reddish Rose very similar to G30A. .
** Washed and/or faded G23.5's and G26's are almost indistinguishable in daylight, with the G23.5's a little darker in tone. They appear Grey-Lilac under UV, with no fluorescence at all.
Leached G24's look like dull G13's. ^ Carmine Rosine is Rosine plus some Carmine; Rosine Carmine is Carmine plus some Rosine. Carmine Vermilion is a bright shade between Carmine Red and Vermilion.
# Reddish Rosine is Rosine with a touch of Orange. Rosy Red means shades between S.G. Red and Rose Red. % There is also a non-eosin version of this shade, which is as bright as the normal eosin version in
daylight but appears deep dull brown under UV. $ Eosin versions of G26 (should have been denoted as G26A rather than G27A). Mostly postmarked country N.S.W.
* "Pink" here means a pale pastel red or pale orange red reaction. Washed out copies appear dull brown to pale dull purple under UV.
** The dividing line between G29 and G30 in daylight is rather unclear, but the Rosines are somewhat bluer than the G30's. Rosines mostly react bright red to UV - but so do some of the
brighter G30's.. Note that most "Carmine Pink's" sold today (particularly mint copies) are in my opinion G28's rather than the bluer (and scarcer) G29's.
^ G30 & G31 form a continuum of shades with the bluer shades in the G30 group and the redder and generally duller shades in G31. The dividing lines between the groups can be rather arbitrary,
so I have included a transitional shade G30.5 "Reddish Rose". The paler and brighter G30 printings were often perforated OS NSW.
^^ Rose Carmine here is a shade between Carmine and (Bright) Rose - Carmine Rose is similar but lighter and somewhat bluer. (These shades are deeper and brighter than those in the Colour Key.)
Rosy Carmine is Carmine with a touch of Rose. # Washed out aniline G31's are dull purple red under UV and look like a dull G30 in daylight.
% Rosine Carmine is a bright shade between Carmine and Rosine. Carmine Rosine is similar but redder. Rose Cerise is basically Reddish Cerise with a pink tinge. $ Carmine Scarlet is between Carmine Red
and Scarlet; Carmine Vermilion is similar but redder. $$ These (scarce) deep blueish shades are similar to the later G33's, but are somewhat bluer in appearance, and lack the smooth finish of the G33's.
*G62 & G63 are really just subshades of a single continuous shade group corresponding to the
smooth paper G22's and G24's. Washed out copies are dull under UV. ^ Carmine Rosine is Rosine plus some Carmine; Rosine Carmine is Carmine plus some Rosine.
G63 appears Carmine Rose or Rose Carmine under reduced light (i.e, somewhat bluer). ** In the ACSC, V72E is now used for "Pale Rose Red" - apparently just pale G63's.
* "Pink" here means a pale pastel red reaction. ** The ACSC now takes G70 to be White and Balzer's "Deep Rosine", but originally it was
Damson, which the ACSC now includes in G71. I take Damson to be a somewhat deeper and darker version of Rosine, and list it separately as G70.5.
^ Rosine Carmine a bright shade, basically Carmine plus some Rosine, Carmine Rosine is similar bur redder. Rose Carmine is Carmine plus some Rose, Carmine Rose is similar but bluer. G70 &
74.5 appear Rose Carmine & Carmine Rose under reduced lighting (i.e, somewhat bluer). ^^ The G72 "Dull Reds" are now basically just paler shades of the G75 Brownish Reds. The
dividing line between the two groups is a matter of taste. (G72 originally probably meant the "Reddish Rose" and "Reddish Rosine" shades listed here as G74.5 and G70).
$ I have not seen this shade under UV - According to Balzer & White the reaction is similar to that of G24.5. Ó James Chapman 2000-04.
Latest revisions:
Jan. '05: Treatment of the brighter Scarlet/Dp Scarlet/Brt Red shades tidied up, and G18A transferred to G22A (now G22); also G70A "Reddish Rose" moved to G72.5. |
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