Posted By:
JerryI realize that many collectors believe that the Old Mill Overprints are just printers scrap, but I do not believe that is the case.
There appears to have been 3 distinct sheets printed:
1) Black Old Mill back with a black overprint
2) Brown Old Mill back with a single red overprint
3) Brown Old Mill back with two red overprints
Each of these scenarios is outside the norm for an accidental printing. To me an accidental printing would have been a black Old Mill back with a red overprint. This could have been easily explained by the printer accidentally placing the standard red factory 649 overprint bar on a standard SL Old Mill back. To the contrary, the printer specifically used brown ink to print the Old Mill back in one case and in the other case the printer went through the effort of making sure they matched overprint color (black) to the rest of the Old Mill back (also black).
The black overprint bar (factory 649) does not exist anywhere else in the entire T206 set. When someone goes through the effort of ensuring color compatibility between the overprint bar and the back itself this is not an accident.
PS - I do not believe either the brown Lenox or the brown SL Old Mill backs are faded examples of the black versions. I have owned both of these variations I can tell you for a fact the back is distinctly brown and not a faded black. I'm sure other board members can back me up on this observation.
Jerry