not a stupid question at all
.....because it was one "strike" of the plate......its just off center/miscut to show 4 parts of the upside down back....
every "strike" or impession of the plate to the cardboard....
this card was printer scrap....the pressman(Thank you Chris for the dissection/illustration)....took a sheet of error/discarded sheets with front images......he starts to align the back ads for printing.....instead of grabbing new stock, he grabs a "garbage" sheet from the scrap pile....sets up his wells/plate changes for a new ad......adjusts the mechanical end......he may send a sheet upside down not caring which direction just to adjust alignment/ink flow....grabs the sheet, the first "strike" occurs, it's the upside down 4 back o.m. portion he inadvertently prints......he makes some adjustments, flips the sheet, re aligns , hence, the second strike right side up/offset......he grabs the sheet, religns again, and shoots another "strike" ....impression OM # three is then created......this sheet has now served it's duty, is thrown back into the scrap pile........
This is a scenario of this particular card.....the card is then thrown in the dumpster/or taken home by the pressman.......later they are hand cut off the scrap sheet and tossed aside/thrown away, hell, they are garbage right????
Now these unique little pieces of art are created....totally "unique" like snowflakes.....even similar ones off the same sheets have their own characteristics.....more offset ghosts/registration/color issues etc....
100 year old chase cards....one of a kinds.....COOL ASS CARDS
mesmerizing....
Leon.....you lucky man......your card was created by a pressman who really believed in conservation/ or was just to lazy to grab another sheet
he has tied your particular sheet to many ads/processes of the litho...
WOW...
the brown OM in your example makes me crap a pickle
not to mention the ghost and multi ads....
if these pressman only knew what they were creating
their "screw ups" are now coveted by freaks like me
Blank Backs were spared the humiliation of being ran through a few more times....
I have been searching for years for a blank back with a back ad overprinted on the front!!