If one takes the position that P&S would distribute ice skate verso cards at the time of the year when customers would be looking to purchase winter equipment, I've never understood why the Red Stocking ice skate verso would predate the baseball verso. The Red Stockings achieved national prominence as the 1869 season progressed. So unless the first P&S Red Stockings card appeared at the end of the 1869 season (when an ice skate ad might make sense), why would that be the first issuance of the card? Because of the Ann Street address? Do we know for certain that P&S didn't operate two stores simultaneously for a while? Unless we know for certain they did not, it seems logical that the black baseball verso was the first printing, appearing during the 1869 season, the ice skate verso the second, appearing winter 1869-70, and the red verso the third, appearing during the 1870 season when P&S introduced colored inks. Other than speculation, are there any facts that conclusively establish the ice skate verso as the first printing?
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