All brown lenox are factory cut so far and when graded, should ALWAYS get a numerical grade.....ALL brown OM are hand cut scrap and always should get an "AUTH" designation.....I know you didn't ask about the difference between OM brown and LENOX brown, but had to throw it in....
OM brown is much closer to the HINDU shade of brown ink.....Brown LENOX is a "darker" brown, and much harder to differentiate on scans, but apparently easy in person.....but still brown can be differentiated in person(I do not own either, nor have held in my hand, just going by my conversations with collectors and my own observations)
ULTIMATE ANSWER- a BROWN lenox can REALLY not be labeled as such until a TPG acknowledges it(legitimizes it).....although you can see it is truly brown.....a lot are prob passed up....as the case with sean's merkle, it was graded before PSA differentiated it on the label.....
LESSON- if you own a brown lenox, and it's not labeled as such , GET IT LABELED AS SUCH! worth the few extra bux
