Posted By:
Brian McQueenWell, I know the stamp wouldn't have been used to distinguish Type 1 from Type 2 because these stamps are predominantly on Type 1 cards. There's maybe 1-2 Type 2 cards in existance that would have this overprint, Scott's being one.
Hal, your point makes sense about the rough look of the overprint stamp and feeds into my theory even more. I would need Scott or someone with mulitple e107 Overprint backs to maybe post a couple so that we could see how they look in appearance. If there's a uniform look to them, that wouldn't really support this theory. If they are all rough and haphazard looking, possibly faded, and tend to be in different locations and angles on the back of the card then I think we may definately be on to something here. If the cards were indeed redeemed, the stamp wouldn't have a "neat" look to it. Whoever did it would have probably been in a hurry and just stamped the card quickly in a random location on the back.
Since we're learning a little more about BW as a company as well. Perhaps it would be possible to contact the Oxford Chamber of Commerce to get a hold of some company data? I'm sure there has to be some form of "accounting records" that have survived all this time. Maybe there would be some more information on how their candies/marshmellows were packaged and what kind of promotions they ran during 1903-05?