Anchor Stranded Cotton

277 — Gold Dark

Browns family

Looking up Anchor 277? It's Gold Dark, a dark brown shade (#4E3008 / RGB 78, 48, 8). Scroll down for Crescent Colours, DMC, and Madeira equivalents ranked by visual similarity, plus 8 close Anchor alternatives and curated color harmonies.

Hex
#4E3008
RGB
78, 48, 8
HSL
34°, 81%, 17%
Lab
22.8, 10.0, 28.9
Lightness
17%
Very dark
Saturation
81%
Vivid
Hue
34°
Family
Browns

Brand Equivalents for Anchor 277

Top 5 closest matches in each brand, ranked by visual color similarity. How matching works

Anchor 277 Gold Dark

Sullivans

Golden Olive Dark 45231 85% Good
Golden Olive Very Dark 45230 71% Approx
Drab Brown Dark 45143 62% Fair
Olive Green Very Dark 45174 59% Fair
Hazel Nut Brown Very Dark 45242 58% Fair

Crescent Colours

Brown Sugar 178 63% Fair
Rod and Reel 116 45% Fair
Whatley Woodlands 153 45% Fair
Camouflage 063 26% Fair
Wisconsin Woods 114 22% Fair

Similar Anchor Colors to 277

Closest Anchor threads by perceptual color distance, sorted from most to least similar.

Anchor 277 Gold Dark
Hazelnut Brown Medium Anchor 375 Near identical ΔE 2.08 Drab Brown Very Dark Anchor 889 Very close ΔE 4.1 Hazelnut Brown Dark Anchor 906 Close ΔE 5.04 Coffee Very Dark Anchor 359 Close ΔE 5.31 Black Brown Medium Anchor 360 Noticeable ΔE 5.76 Coffee Medium Dark Anchor 371 Noticeable ΔE 6.38 Coffee Dark Anchor 358 Noticeable ΔE 6.39 Black Brown Medium Dark Anchor 380 Noticeable ΔE 6.96

Working with Anchor 277

On white fabric
12:1
On dark fabric
1.8:1
Temperature
warm
Closest to
chocolate

It pops on white and light fabric but nearly disappears on black, so pair it with a light or neutral ground.

Backstitch & outlines

Because it is so deep, Anchor 277 (Gold Dark) holds its own as an outlining and lettering color where lighter threads would get lost against the fill.

Blending & gradients

Its nearest neighbor, Anchor 375 (Hazelnut Brown Medium), is barely a step away (ΔE 2.08). Tweed the two together for subtle shading, or substitute freely when one is out of stock.

Color Harmonies for Anchor 277

Anchor threads that pair well with 277, based on color theory harmony rules in CIELAB color space.

Complementary
Opposite on the color wheel — maximum contrast
277
164 Baby Blue Ultra Very Dark
Analogous
Adjacent hues — smooth, natural transitions
277
924 Yellow Green Very Dark 352 Copper Very Dark
Triadic
Evenly spaced at 120° — vibrant and balanced
277
878 Sea Foam Green Very Dark 177 Cornflower Blue Dark
Monochromatic
Same hue, different lightness — great for shading
277
373 Tan Medium Dark 362 Tan Medium Light 1080 Taupe Ultra Light

Browns Family

Anchor 277 in context with nearby shades from the browns color family.

277 Gold Dark 277 357 Chocolate Dark 357 359 Coffee Very Dark 359 352 Copper Very Dark 352 375 Hazelnut Brown Medium 375 360 Black Brown Medium 360 906 Hazelnut Brown Dark 906 905 Brown Grey Dark 905 380 Black Brown Medium Dark 380 1050 Mocha Brown Dark 1050 381 Black Brown Dark 381

About Anchor 277

Gold Dark (catalog code Anchor 277) is a dark, highly saturated shade from the browns family with earthy sienna tones. Expect a striking and rich look that suits earth tones, animal fur, and similar motifs. Cross stitch enthusiasts often reach for this thread when stitching warm outlines or wooden textures.

Frequently Asked Questions

What color is Anchor 277?

Anchor 277 is called Gold Dark. It's a dark brown shade (hex #4E3008, RGB 78, 48, 8) in the browns family, commonly used for horse designs, cinnamon motifs, and similar motifs.

What's the closest DMC match for Anchor 277?

The closest DMC match for Anchor 277 (Gold Dark) is DMC 829 (Golden Olive very dark) with a 70% match based on visual color similarity. Other near matches include DMC 830 (Golden Olive dark, 56%) and DMC 869 (Hazelnut Brown very dark, 54%).

What's a good substitute for Anchor 277?

The closest Anchor threads to 277 are 375 Hazelnut Brown Medium (ΔE 2.08), 889 Drab Brown Very Dark (ΔE 4.1), and 906 Hazelnut Brown Dark (ΔE 5.04). These are useful substitutes when 277 is unavailable or for building gradients.

What projects use Anchor 277?

Cross-stitchers pull Anchor 277 (Gold Dark) for charts featuring horse designs, cinnamon motifs, bark patterns, gingerbread themes. The dark tone reads cleanly on its own and slots into multi-color palettes — see the color harmonies below for pairing ideas.

Is Anchor 277 (Gold Dark) good for backstitching and outlines?

Yes — very dark shades like 277 are among the most-used backstitch and outlining colors. Work it in a single strand over one for crisp edges, lettering, and fine detail.

Anchor Color Chart DMC ↔ Anchor Conversion