Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-10-08
Color OF a Scent Stamp
Eight Different Shades appeared
in a Single Month
T,xpERIMENTs made necessary at Wash.

EXPERIMENTS made necessary at WASH
IL ington because the supply of dye and
color materials formerly obtained in Germany
was cut off owing to war conditions are re-
sponslble for the many shade varieties
| noticeable in the stamps commonly used in
the United States today
The Bureau of Engraving and Printing
has the mighty job 'of printing millions Of
stamps every twenty-four hours for on
letters and packages sent through domestic
channels and to foreign countries. Before
the war; when the pigments produced in
Germany were imported into the United
States in plentiful quantities, the bureau had
no difficulty In maintaining standard shades
in the colors selected for the franking labels.
But with the drawing of the Teuton sword
and the establishment of the British block
adc Germanys expectation of dyes ceased,
and the American Government was forced TO
turn TO domestic manufacturers in the hope
of obtaining substitutes. Germany had vir-
tually a monopoly on the industry, and IL is
said that the American Government had to
pay AS high as 81 a pound for the local
products. and that these products were in
ferior in comparison with those which Ger
many had exported.
Before America entered the war the two
cent carmine the stamp most commonly
in use, as the postal rate for ordinary letters
had not been raised to three cents. Americas
dye predicament became so desperate that,
it is understood, at ono time only few
weeks supply remained. The British Gov
ernment camc to the rescue by permitting
shipment of color compounds to pass
through the blockade, and in this way the
Bureau of Engraving and Printing was able
to tide over the shortage until domestic sup
plies could be obtained which would answer
the purpose Subsequently the two-cent de-
nomination appeared In such shade varieties
rose-carminc. dull rose. light rose, pale
rose, dull red deep rose-red, crimson-lakc.
Vermilior and just plain red
With the raising of the postal rate TO three
cents the quantities OF this value required
eaped in numbers of millions, and il became
impossible to produce them all in the
ected color deep violet. Constant reprint
ngs were necessary in order TO meet the
demands. and IT Is recorded that within a
period shorter than month. during which
eight different printngs were made. the
stamps appeared in dark violet. deep bright
violet light Trayish violet, light violet. Law
ender bright violet, pale violet and deep lilac
Joseph r.. Leavy philatcst In charge of the
Governments stamp collection at the Ma
| tional Museum, Is authority for the statement
| that the Bureau of Engraving and Printing
| or March 10 commenced manufacturing it's
| own typographical ink. 1t was the process
| OF deciding exactly the proper hue for the
| three-cent stamp which caused the appear
ance of these eight varieties, which
preceded in earlier months by half a dozen
| other distinct shades including pa in violet,
| lilac and rcd-violet.
The same problem confronted the bureau
| in the printing OF the one-cent denomna ton,
| which has appeared in green, blue-grcen,
! apple-green, deep yellow green. deep gray
| green and mori-green and other shades; the