Tyrian purple in antiquity because the colour did not easily fade, but instead became brighter with weathering and sunlight. Its significance is such that the name Phoenicia means 'land of purple.' It came in various shades, the most prized being that of "blackish clotted blood". Tyrian purple was expensive: the 4th-century-BC historian Theopompus reported, "Purple for dyes fetched its weight in silver at Colophon" in Asia Minor. The expense meant that purple-dyed textiles became status symbols, whose use was restricted by sumptuary laws. The most senior Roman magistrates wore a "toga praetexta", a white toga edged with a stripe of Tyrian purple.
Edward VII 2d Tyrian plum Edward VII 2d Tyrian plum The two pence (2d) Tyrian plum was a postage stamp produced by Britain in 1910 as a replacement for the existing two colour 2d stamp of King Edward VII. One hundred thousand sheets, totalling 24,000,000 stamps, were printed and delivered to the post office stores for distribution to postmasters. The circulation of the new stamps was delayed while existing stocks of the current stamp were used up so that the change would take effect at one time and the amount of surplus stock of the old value would be kept to a minimum. However following