Okay...here is what I have...
First off, the factory numbers had nothing to do with where the cards were printed. Most likely they were printed in New York. The factory numbers are the designations that go along with where the tobacco was packed and distributed. T205s were printed in sheets and the backs were printed with movable type. I feel that some of the type (like the advertising) was one piece of type that was custom made and then the other lettering was created using movable type (different fonts, missing letters, and stray lines help bolster this theory).
Inks...for years I was convinced that American Beauty and Sovereign had two separate green variations. One seems to be brighter like on t206s. I feel that this was possibly the ink fading or changing due to light, water, fading, card conditions etc. I am now rethinking this as Ted's research comes out. The problem is that the T206 greens are very different. The darker is much darker. The T205s do not show that much variation.
I own a Moran Piedmont stray and a Polar Bear stray line. The stray line of type is from the Mattern card. Since it was movable type, someone just left the last line in from the previous run. They noticed and corrected it. The T205 sheets were probably printed with at least two front configurations. They had to change the backs after each run.
THEORY ALERT...there are far more Polar Bear strays than Piedmont. I think that they printed a full run of Polar Bear with the line and started Piedmont before someone noticed.
Over the years, I have only documented a handful of Piedmont Moran with the stray line. I have never seen any other back. I suspect the Sweet Cap. was not a stray line, a reprint, or a fake. I would have to see a very good scan or hold it in my hands before I was convinced otherwise. In my notes, I have a rumor of a Cycle one years back as well but never confirmed.
Joshua
|