I don't have a scientific explanation, but I've noticed that "regular" colored backs tend to be a light tan. I've seen a handful that had very light backs that weren't reprints, but I don't think Bowman used a lighter stock of cardboard for the reverse side of the card.
The difference in color has to do with the darkening or toning of the paper. Much of this could be attributed to exposure to the light. On some Bowmans you'll see the edges where there are streaks of the tan color before it's overtaken by the darker shade. You can also notice toning on the fronts of the card where the borders turn grayish in some cases. In my set, I have a number of cards where the reverse is darker and a handful where the white border on the front has dimmed. That also happens to the 51 and 52 Bowmans where some of the borders have darkened over time.
I've hinted at this, but those of us who have assembled 53 Bowman sets should compare notes and see what we've discovered. I'm interested in finding out about some of the idiosyncrasies in the production run and we have members that have collected this set over many years who have more knowledge than those of us who recently began to assemble it in earnest.
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