What is this on the reverse of my T206 Johnson Portrait?
 

I scanned it large in order to consign, and then I thought, Oh that's interesting. Runs vertically dead center. Put it under my Radio Shack magnifier and even looked at it horizontally. Can't make heads or tails out of it. Thoughts?

Looks like someone just stamped it to me? Maybe one of the photoshop guys can separate out the colors and show you exactly what it says.

Yes, the color is stamplike. I left it non-Pshopped so others with more proficiency could mess with it. If it ends up saying "Mars Needs Women"...

That's my grandfather's stamp. Before he passed, his last words to me were,

"Frank, find my Johnson if its the last thing you do."

I never knew exactly what he meant until now.;)

Frank, you'll be first in line for the Mars booster;)

What really intrigued me is the combination with the streaks at the top of the card. As if it were a printing press error(?)

True, I did not notice those. At this point I have no clue.

Just looks like a stamp used multiple times sloppily. The marks at top are in the same ink.

Looks like a faded stamp to me. Could even have been that the stamp was out of ink, hence the multiple strikes. Definitely not a printing error and added to the card after the fact.

Don't even know if this helps or not...
 

but this is the best I could do with limited time to isolate it...

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/m...2back007_2.jpg

I can't make it out... but is the last part "Scott"?...

It looks like "SAMUEL E SCOTT" to me...

Paul S
 

I think Tom has it right. I've never seen this stamp before and have seen
scores of others over the years. It's odd that the stamp was done again and
again unless the person stamping was just using the card to test the stamp
out before stamping something else that mattered to him.
I think it may well be time to find out who this Samuel scott was back in the day.
all the best, Paul

barry

Grandpa Sammy, on me mum's side.;)

Can I buy a vowel?

It's the new stamp F Scott Fitzgerald is using these days.

I thought it might be a rosetta stone of sorts for all things backstamped.

Anyway, thanks much to all who have helped decipher so far. You know, I've had the card since the 60s and never really checked out the back in depth because when you have a Johnson port you don't really look at an SC back. To my eyes, the back always just seemed to have a bit of grime.

Cool stamp