I've been looking out for any further evidence since this appeared, but I haven't found anything to support split series. No miscut I have been able to find supports this sheet being a general production layout, showing a card from a different series adjacent.
Possibilities:
1) It is just a pre-production sample or test of some kind, perhaps comparing series 2 printing outcome to series 1 cards to keep a consistent look. Cool and interesting, but not a paradigm shift.
2) The series 1-6 all blend together and cards were gradually replaced by other cards. Somehow this was done without any of the back differences (series 3 white stock, series 1 black backs) spilling into what we today consider a series. Alternatively, the alleged Canadian third series is not Canadian and is a product of this, being printed on a combo sheet before what we call series 2 was discontinued and removed from production sheets.
3) Instead of printing the 50 series 2 cards 4 times on a sheet (100 cards on a half sheet, 2 complete sets per) they re-printed some or all of series 1 and reissued with series 2, complicating the layout. This oddity was restricted to series 2 and only series 2.
I think something along the lines of 1 is much more likely with the available evidence and deductive reason.
EDIT: 4) It is a fake, the product of the perfect card faking ring that made undetectable fakes without leaving any trail of evidence in the 1950's or 1960's conspiracy theory that many here believe in.
Last edited by G1911; 04-24-2023 at 12:43 PM.
|