I was joking about the "So there!" but I really do think orange is required. Plus, the sections you quoted don't specify a color, while the high-leg rule does.
For #6 and below, certain conductors must always be colored.
I would need to read those in context to respond.
To be continued . . .
Very interesting, I just posted 210.5(C)(1)(a). 215.12 to support my comment of "you don't even have to use colors for ungrounded conductors, you could use labels (if approved(to be technical))."
2017
110.15 High-Leg Marking. On a 4-wire, delta-connected system where the midpoint of one phase winding is grounded, only the conductor or busbar having the higher phase voltage to ground shall be durably and permanently marked by an outer finish that is orange in color or by other effective means. Such identification shall be placed at each point on the system where a connection is made if the grounded conductor is also present.
so, do you believe when they say "outer finish" they mean the wire insulation, not tape or heat shrink but that those would be covered by "other effective means?
2017
230.56 Service Conductor with the Higher Voltage to Ground. On a 4-wire, delta-connected service where the midpoint of one phase winding is grounded, the service conductor having the higher phase voltage to ground shall be durably and permanently marked by an outer finish that is orange in color, or by other effective means, at each termination or junction point
1978 NEC
215-8
Means of Identifying Conductor with the Higher Voltage to Ground. On a 4-wire, delta-connected secondary where the midpoint of one phase is grounded to supply lighting and similar loads, the phase conductor having the higher voltage to ground shall be identified by an outer finish that is orange in color or by tagging or other effective means. Such identification shall be placed at any point where a connection is made if the neutral conductor is also present.
note the "orange in color or by tagging or other effective means". I know this is not a silver bullet to my interpretation of the current code but thought I would offer it. does it change your mind at all? I am guessing they removed "tagging" because it is already covered by "other effective means."
1981 NEC they put it in 230-56 the way it reads now, nothing stood out in the cmp comments as worth noting.
The reason I see for requiring grounded conductors to absolutely be colored is because of the 0 volts to ground, until you open an energized one, that is. If that makes any sense, someone could get unexpectedly shocked if they measured/metered/non-contact detector/or back in the day the wet finger test it like an ungrounded conductor and cut it or disconnected it someway then having the energized end waiting to shock someone.
that 110.15 really reads poorly doesn't it? "...only the conductor.... shall be... orange.."