russromei

Old soldiers never die, they just fade away
19 Jun 2020
04:00:42am

Would you say the color is:


orange
orange yellow
yellow

I know what I think it is, but would like opinions as values vary greatly

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russromei

Old soldiers never die, they just fade away
21 Jun 2020
04:33:21am

re: Opinion on color

Thanks for that

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re: Opinion on color

Since you only asked for an opinion and not a judgement, my opinion is that it is yellow, based on the scan. If you can distinguish between the 1862 or 1864 issues, that might help clarify things.

In any case, since yellow is the cheapest version, I'd go with that.

I doubt that this stamp is worth certifying.

Jan

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51Studebaker

Dialysis, damned if you do...dead if you don't
22 Jun 2020
04:36:23pm

re: Opinion on color

Colors are all in your head. Color vision is a sense, just like taste. Catalog editors and others who have classified stamps color ought to be slapped upside the head with a trout. Imagine trying to categorizing chili by taste. Of course there might be a general consensus on ‘is it hot or not’ but no two people would taste it the exact same way.
Additionally, color vision is totally dependent upon the ambient lighting. We see colors when a stamp absorbs some of the wavelengths but reflects others. The reflected wavelengths enter our retinas which in turn fire neural connections to the visual cortex. The ‘reflected wavelengths’ are the ambient lighting. Here is an example of how ambient lighting changes what we perceive as color (image below shows two identical gray samples)



So anytime someone talks about the color of something without defining the ambient lighting conditions they are not giving you enough information to form a good opinion.

The above applies to having the stamp in hand. The stamp shown above is not the stamp nor its colors, it is an image and images colors. We have no idea how close the image is to the actual color, you are looking at an algorithm that some software coder wrote. Secondly, we are all using different computers, different video CPUs, different operating systems, and different monitors. If you are using Win10, the OS automatically changes your displays color temperature at a predefined time. So if I look at the color of the image above before 8PM it looks bluer. But after 8PM my computer automatically changes the color temperature to a warmer yellow hue.

And keep in mind that printed colors are always ephemeral; they begin to change almost immediately after printing. Inks and pigments contain unstable elements. (Heck, even a piece of metal like iron or copper changes color over time.) Making matters worse, if you took a sheet of 100 stamps off the press in 1870 and stored them in different environments, they would not be all be the same color today. Also note that color guides suffer from the very same color changing issues. Color guides have a ‘shelf life’ of less than 2 years before they are no longer accurate. (and I have not yet found a stamp color guide which defines what ambient lighting should be used to view the color guide.

All this being said, you can become proficient in color identification as a stamp collector. Throw away the color guides and start buying stamps for a large reference collection. You will need hundred (or thousands) of copies and a few years of study. You will also need to define your ambient lighting conditions and constantly test it (bulbs change over time too). Or you can spend the stamp to someone else who has put in this time and effort and let them make the call. No matter what happens you will need a certification for any stamp indeintifcation based upon color.

Lastly, I agree with Jan, the strongest and the fastest do not always win but that it the way to bet.
Don

 
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re: Opinion on color

Fish Slapping.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8XeDvKqI4E

That's the way to do it!

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51Studebaker

Dialysis, damned if you do...dead if you don't
24 Jun 2020
08:29:53am

re: Opinion on color

Yes, they turn off the cool color blue backlight LEDS and turn up the warmer yellows in the evening because studies show the blue spectrum light keeps people awake and makes it harder to fall asleep.
More info here...
https://www.howtogeek.com/302186/how-to-enable-night-light-on-windows-10/

Don

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re: Opinion on color

... and don´t forget that it is possible to change the shade (and even the colors) using the appropriate chemicals to get any desired variety!!

 
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