T206 questions Fred Clarke....

[nineunder71]

Mike,
Here are some thoughts for you.

I agree with Bill that the card appears trimmed. Two reasons. First, the card clearly does not measure vertically, it is way short as it has a very small bottom border as well. Second, factory cuts will always be straight and opposing borders will always be parallel. A card can be Diamond cut, but still both will be true.

Without a better scan, I cannot be certain, but the top border does not look to be a straight cut to me, nor does it look parallel to the bottom border.

Now, technically, Frank could still be right. However, being that the card contains a not straight cut, the only way it was released from the factory in this condition is if it were a hand-cut “scrap” or printer’s scrap, otherwise the previous two rules would have to apply, and they don’t. And it would not have come in a cigarette pack

As far as the white at the top, interesting, as is the faded back stamp or possible WST from another set, or post-factory WST. The white is not just missing paper? Isn’t that a chunk of red still attached upper right?

Anyway, neat inquiry and a cooler card than first appears either way.

Good Luck!

Colton