American Lithographic (ALC) started printing their
150 Series subjects in the Spring/Summer of 1909. ALC actually printed 156 subjects in their 1st series press runs.
ALC followed their 1st series by printing their most ambitious
350 Series cards. And initially, they included as many as 270 additional subjects.
Circa Fall of 1910....while printing their SOVEREIGN 350 cards, ALC selected a specific pre-printed sheet of 66 subjects to be extended into their planned
460 Series.
Apparently, in order to differentiate these 66 cards from the other SOVEREIGN 350 series cards, ALC printed these 66 with a lighter shade of GREEN ink (that we now
refer to this color as "apple green").
Nowadays, we refer to this intermediate group of T206 cards as the
350/460 Series. Actually, 63 (of the 66) subjects from this
350/460 Series were printed with
350-type & 460-type backs. Since Joe Doyle, Simon Nicholls and Bob Rhoades careers ended prior to when the 460 backs were printed.
Normal Sovereign green



Sovereign "apple green"

My hypothetical 72-card sheet (which may also have been printed in a 12 x 12 card format of 144 cards)
v................................................. ....... Six super-prints ............................................v






Note
I show the 6 super-print cards Double-Printed (D-P) on this sheet. Several surveys over the years have consistently indicated that these 6 super-prints were D-P
relative to the other 60 subjects on this sheet.
When I put together my
all-SOVEREIGN set in 2007, this series of 66 cards were my toughest to find. I recall that the cards of Joe Doyle, Patsy Dougherty, Bob
Rhoades, Joe Tinker, and Doc White were the last 5 cards to complete my (402-card) set.
Hey guys
I recommend trying for an all SOVEREIGN (402-card) set....for it is likely the least expensive major T206 sub-set to complete. Consider this....no Joe Doyle (Nat'l),
Elberfeld (Washington), Lundgren (Cubs), Magie, Plank, Wagner, nor the St Louis variations of Demmitt & O'Hara, nor the 48 Southern Leaguers. Why not try it.....
you'll enjoy the challenge.
Anyway, I'd like to hear of your experiences collecting these special SOVEREIGN apple green cards. And, show and/or tell us of what you have ?
T-Rex TED
.