The original purpose of the ten-cents value was to pay the rate for heavier items and for indemnity increments for registered mail. The only Admiral stamp to undergo three colour changes, the first issue was printed in a reddish-purple hue that is classified as plum. The switch to blue was to conform to the colour conventions of the Universal Postal Union when the rate for foreign letters was raised from five to ten cents in 1922. When the rate for foreign letters was dropped to eight cents in 1925, the colour of the eight-cents stamp was changed to blue. The colour ten-cents stamp was then changed to bistre brown.
Note: Colours in this electronic medium are very difficult to reproduce with accuracy and what is seen is often dependent on individual colour settings and monitor capabilities. For a more accurate depiction of colours, readers are advised to consult catalogues or works such as Hans Reiche's Admiral Colour Identification. (See References.)
Updated: 11 Oct 97