Are these variations or print defects?

[cubsfan-budman]

There are 45 1961 C.Dalrymple cards on eBay an none of them have that black hat.

[vintagetoppsguy]

I agree with the magic marker theory.

[nolemmings]

To me it certainly looks to have been added post-production. You can readily make out the dot patterns in both his face and in the background sky to the red edge around the cap, then they are obliterated. The small red streaks in the cap make it almost look like a scratch-off, and are evidence to me of someone's later-added "artwork".

[savedfrommyspokes]

I knew I had seen a card with a similar amount of work done to a hat, and I finally found it , the 67 #51 Astros rookies card. Bales' hat looks very similar to the 61 Clay D card. All of the examples I have of this card are all the same, so it is clearly a card Topps issued this way

Also, my understanding is that the the dot patterns are only found on the photo part of the card and are not present on the borders, print, or even part of the photo that has been "adjusted" by Topps. A close look at the 67 #51 shows no dot patterns on the colored part of Bales' hat, while the rest of the image (including the top portion of the hat that Topps missed) does have a dot pattern.

[nolemmings]

In the words of Arte Johnson "Verrrry interesting" (I'm showing my age). Now I'll have to check mine to see, I think I have 3-4 of this card. A memory also stirs of a 1965 card or two with similar markings. Hmm.