Color in philately

Color - something with which we are all familiar - is a topic whose study can aid the beginning collector and the advanced philatelist alike. This book is based on the following concepts: 1. because stamp color names have historically been subjective, most of them must be set aside if any system of international cross-referencing is to be established. 2. Identification and appraisal of stamps and covers requires a scientific approach to stamp color and paper technology. 3. A color-designation scheme based on the Munsell system is most appropriate for stamp color identification. When one person identifies a color he sees in terms of his own experience, it is unlikely that his color name will be valid for any other person. For example, one person's "sky blue" may be another person's "azure" and still another's "ice blue". By adopting a system of color identification which relates to the Munsell system, philatelists the world over will be able to study and evaluate their collections secure in the knowledge that their decisions are uniform and universal.