T206 Christy Mathewson Dark Cap variations/registration issues?
 

I'm probably way off on this, but to me, it seems like there are two version of the Mathewson Dark Cap. One is more defined than the other. Is this just a registration issue? I don't see any corresponding pattern with the backs, but the more defined one seems rarer.

In the attached top group of 4 cards Mathewson's face looks more defined, and in the bottom group of 4 his face looks somewhat blurry and the colors are off.

Anyone else see this difference?

150 vs 350 and 460 print runs. 150 will always be much sharper with better color.

Is there a Mathewson Dark cap in the 150 run? I see there was the White Cap and the portrait, but I don't see the Dark Cap.
https://www.t206resource.com/Print%2...Checklist.html

Also attached are examples of the sharper/more defined Dark Cap in the 350 runs of Piedmont and Sweet Caporal.

A slightly subtle example of multiple actual print runs withing 350
There are I think 3 maybe 4. Some easier to tell, some harder. Most are challenging.

Are they any resources documenting the differences in the print runs?
Is it assumed that the more precise Dark Cap Mathewson would be from a particular print run, such as the first run?

I think the the more refined/focused Dark Cap Mathewson looks like the actual photo, and the less focused one does not.

I think there are two possibility's in the differences in the Mathewson groups and it could be one or both.

One is a different print run and the other is a different printing facility (I'm pretty much convinced that the T206's were printed in different places that were either owned by or associated with American Lithograph.)

Besides the images another telltale sign is the captions.

I haven't done too much research outside the print group 1 subjects on this yet but the separation is pretty clear on them.

You can see the difference between the 150 and 350 printings on these Schlei examples. The 350 printings have a bolder/heavier and browner caption. The only exception is the Piedmont 350's which can be found with both versions. I think the thinner caption was the earlier and/or printed at a different facility version. You can also see this on the Mathewson's with the heavier/browner captions in the top row in Charles post.

Attachment 610051

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Attachment 610053

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As far as I know there's little documentation on differences between groups of cards in the same series.

Pat makes a great point that it could be a difference between printing locations. That's a result of some fairly recent information that's come around.

The last two images are an excellent example.
The left Schlei has a lot of red. How much of that is overinking and how much is that it's got a heavier red in general is hard to tell.
It also has a lighter blue sky, I'm almost sure it had no dark blue at all.
The right one has a pretty heavy dark blue layer.

You'll find these differences all across the 350's.
Some less subtle, like Dygert with bright red lips or not.

I think some fronts that were in production at the end of the 150's ended up getting both 150 and 350 backs.

I should organize my saved scans and write some stuff up, but it's a huge undertaking to catalog it all,
It doesnt help that the met has gone to all small scans after originally having only small scans for Hof players.
LOC still has large scans, but they are hard to search.

Is it believed that there is this much variation in print quality in the majority of T206 cards, as there was in the Mathewson Dark Cap and Schlei?

I know that the Mathewson Dark Cap is fairly common in terms of Population Reports, so perhaps part of its variability can be attributed to the vastness of the quantities produced?

That's something that needs a bit of study.

The printing was certainly variable, even into the 1980's any color that was not a straight CMYK was hand mixed. The place I was at did stuff for at least two companies that used a "special company color" on all their stuff.
If it was mixed by a different person it might be different. (to avoid this the special colors for them were done by weight, so much blue with x of black, x of white, )

The inking levels and water levels matter, the Piedmonts with blue between the close together lines were ones where they were run a bit dry so the plate didn't reject the ink.

and the print areas wear down over time, which may tend to make things like the text wider within the letter. (And that's poorly phrased... )

Bu there are differences that are not really from anything like that.
I use Dygert as the example, because it's very clear that some have bright red on the lips and some don't and both are common enough that it's not a matter of a missed color pass, but a deliberate choice to not use the bright red on his lips.