N88 Duke Terror's of America - printers scrap ?

[Archive]

Posted By: leon

For a phrase far too often used, I think I might consider this printers scrap, but would listen to other opinions. I picked it up about a week ago for about $8.50...... Once again showing that cool stuff doesn't HAVE to be expensive...(if you think this is cool like I do?)..I think we did a thread on 19th century miscuts and etc, recently, but I just got this one......so if ya have any, and feel like it, post one...if not, then just enjoy this one... ..regards

[Archive]

Posted By: davidcycleback

It's either a scrap or an interesting printing error that a kid cut down. If a major printing error is handcut to much larger than issued size, than you can be confident it's a scrap. If it's cut smaller, then it's more debatable. However, scrap sheets were scrapped (thrown away) by the printer when there was a big printing error, and a way off centered back like yours is an example of such an error.

[Archive]

Posted By: Joe D.

A back being that far rotated from the front.

**And that is not the back I have seen for n88s (unless there is more than one version?)

so, you have two things going... rotated back, and unknown back version?

Printing plates only have so much rotation in them when they are hung on a press, and paper feeding has to go through straight.

so its a head scratcher how you can be straight on one side and basically at a 45 degree angle on the back. Being completely upside down is more likely, on that type of an angle? I don't know how.

I'm thinking either a bad plate (where the plate maker might have been drinking a bit when he burned that one), or maybe a doctored card (somebody paste on a different back?)

Your back looks black...
all of the N88s I have and have seen are blue ink.
also - the copy is a little bit different... all of my cards have the "Extra Extra" starting the top of the right column, and the "Ain't she a beauty" ending the bottom of the left column.

also my cards say "Packed in Duke's Cigarettes" looks like yours wants to say Packed in something "Long".


so you have what I would say is a printers scrap with a back variation... or a doctored card?

[Archive]

Posted By: davidcycleback

Many of the T206 goof ups are due to the workers putting the cardboard sheet into the printer the wrong way, and sometimes putting in wrong sheet or wrong printing plate (one issue on the front and another on the back). Presumably the printing house was a busy place, folks working on multiple jobs at once. Obviously the T206s have quality control issues, allowing collectors to see about all the mistakes an early 1900s printing house could make.

[Archive]

Posted By: Joe D.

*** I didn't want to delete my long winded prior response....

but it looks like your card is not an n88 it is an n136 that has been cut down (or possibly cut down and doctored card of n88, n136 with new back pasted on).


it all fits... the skewed back, the different color, the different copy -

The only other explanation I could think of is the printer erroneously backed up some n88 fronts with the plate that was used for the n136 back.... in which case it would be a legit printing error.


But I think someone just hand cut an n136

Definitely an n136 back

not my card, but I pulled image off net to show -

[Archive]

Posted By: leon

Nice work. Both of the cards pictured, the one you posted, and the one I posted, are right here in my hand (since I am selling the N136 on ebay, shameless plug), and they do exactly match up. I stand corrected on the id of it. I didn't do all of the research to see that the back was on an N136, before I bought the one on ebay, and just thought it was an N88 due to size and graphics....but they do match up perfectly. I think this will be my cheapest learning lesson yet...and still a neat card I will keep (or part of a card)...Maybe I'll start a card collection of cards that were cut down from originals ...and along with the green Cobby I have, I'll have a good start.....thanks again...