The following are examples of the shades which occurred on the Perforated Star Issues from 1854 through 1864.  The Plum
shade is the scarcest of all these major shades.  Below  is an example of the plum shade.

Plum

Issue of 1855: Introduction of the Large Crown, Die II,  Alphabet II, Perforated 14
Plate 4

From the advent of the first official government perforated stamps in 1854 to the introduction of the First Transitionals in about October of 1856, the Perforated Stars appeared in the following major shades besides plum: purple-brown, deep claret on deeply blued paper, red-brown, orange-brown, red-orange, brick-red, yellow-brown, lake-red.  Some of these shades are seen below and on the following pages.  All of the following shades on bluish paper are from the 1855 Issue, Die II, Alphabet III,  Large Crown, Perforated 14.

Purple-brown Plate 23 in combination with Rose-brown Plate 32

Chocolate-brown Imprimatur  Plate 39

Plate 42