T3 border question

[conor912]

Going through my T3's I've noticed two distinct border colors, a straight gray and then beige/taupe. Anyone know why? Different production runs? Different factories? I'm fairly certain it has nothing to do with aging or storage conditions.

[conor912]

Wow. One view every 90 seconds an no replies......

[Leon]

As a type collector I haven't studied the borders of them. Only recently added one to the collection...I assume this is the gray you speak of?

[conor912]

Originally Posted by Leon

As a type collector I haven't studied the borders of them. Only recently added one to the collection...I assume this is the gray you speak of?

Ha. Of course you would bust out a gorgeous Cobb for comparison

Yes, that appears to be the gray version. Its slightly harder to tell with only one example, especially through a scan, but when both versions are in-hand its night and day.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by conor912

Ha. Of purse you would bust out a gorgeous Cobb for comparison :

Yes, that appears to be the gray version. Its slightly harder to tell with only one example, especially through a scan, but when both versions are in-hand its night and day.

It's the only T3 I have. Here is a T3 scan I borrowed from ebay...it might be the beige you speak of?

[conor912]

Yeah, I think the Cobb vs. the Groom do a decent job of explaining what I'm talking about. I don't own enough of the them to determine if it might be by series, issuance, etc.

[CW]

Cool Cobb, Leon, and a nice addition to the collection!

With regards to the original post, I've only seen T3s showing grey borders with any frequency, and that seems to be the natural, intended color. Maybe the beige versions are just faded examples? Maybe it's the way T3s "tone" or react to humidity? Wish I could give more info, but at least I'll give the topic a *bump*

Conor, you might also try sending a PM to Craig to get his take. Not only a nice guy, Craig's also handled quite a few T3s.

[conor912]

Originally Posted by CW

Cool Cobb, Leon, and a nice addition to the collection!

With regards to the original post, I've only seen T3s showing grey borders with any frequency, and that seems to be the natural, intended color. Maybe the beige versions are just faded examples? Maybe it's the way T3s "tone" or react to humidity? Wish I could give more info, but at least I'll give the topic a *bump*

Conor, you might also try sending a PM to Craig to get his take. Not only a nice guy, Craig's also handled quite a few T3s.

Thanks, Chuck. I figured he would sniff out any thread with T3 in the tile anyway, but I just pm'ed him just to make sure and get his thoughts

[T3s]

Hi Conor,

I think Chuck's take on the variations in color you've noticed is accurate to a great extent.

The cards were printed in layers, with a very thin printed layer (the card front) and another very thin printed layer (the card back) sandwiching a blank piece of card. Chromolithographic printing is a detailed process and they did a pretty fine job of it with these cards, especially considering how thin the paper was that they were printing on. I think that how and where a T3 was stored over the years could end up really having a big effect on how the colors in general and the borders in particular appear today. I also think the paper used could make a difference since it was so thin. A very slight difference in the initial tone or quality of the paper could make a difference in how it revealed the printed ink or even how it aged over time. In addition, long-time T3 collectors know that some T3 fronts exhibit varying degrees of a texture (sometimes described as orange-peel), while others show no sign of that texture at all. Lastly, unlike T206s, which were printed en masse, in large numbers, T3s were probably printed in batches since they were a premium to be ordered one by one, by specific card. Also remember that the cards were printed from the spring of 1910 all the way through the summer of 1911. I think that may have led to slightly different types of paper being utilized along the way (the orange-peel and non orange-peel are certainly different types of paper).

If you go to my Turkey Red website, there are three different galleries where you can see many, many T3s side by side. The differences in border color are evident throughout. I haven't really detected any type of pattern, but if you do, please let me know. As someone who has tried to find any reason possible to collect more T3s, I've never considered the border color variations substantial enough to differentiate them.

Anyway, I'm really happy that you've taken an interest and please let me know what you come up with. I think Chuck's observation about simple wear and tear and exposure to the elements over time is right on. Combined with the potential printing issues noted above, I'd say we've explained most of it.

Hope that helps.

Happy Collecting,
Craig

[conor912]

Thanks, Craig! This is awesome.