[T3s]

Hi Conor,

I think Chuck's take on the variations in color you've noticed is accurate to a great extent.

The cards were printed in layers, with a very thin printed layer (the card front) and another very thin printed layer (the card back) sandwiching a blank piece of card. Chromolithographic printing is a detailed process and they did a pretty fine job of it with these cards, especially considering how thin the paper was that they were printing on. I think that how and where a T3 was stored over the years could end up really having a big effect on how the colors in general and the borders in particular appear today. I also think the paper used could make a difference since it was so thin. A very slight difference in the initial tone or quality of the paper could make a difference in how it revealed the printed ink or even how it aged over time. In addition, long-time T3 collectors know that some T3 fronts exhibit varying degrees of a texture (sometimes described as orange-peel), while others show no sign of that texture at all. Lastly, unlike T206s, which were printed en masse, in large numbers, T3s were probably printed in batches since they were a premium to be ordered one by one, by specific card. Also remember that the cards were printed from the spring of 1910 all the way through the summer of 1911. I think that may have led to slightly different types of paper being utilized along the way (the orange-peel and non orange-peel are certainly different types of paper).

If you go to my Turkey Red website, there are three different galleries where you can see many, many T3s side by side. The differences in border color are evident throughout. I haven't really detected any type of pattern, but if you do, please let me know. As someone who has tried to find any reason possible to collect more T3s, I've never considered the border color variations substantial enough to differentiate them.

Anyway, I'm really happy that you've taken an interest and please let me know what you come up with. I think Chuck's observation about simple wear and tear and exposure to the elements over time is right on. Combined with the potential printing issues noted above, I'd say we've explained most of it.

Hope that helps.

Happy Collecting,
Craig