T206 Back Stamps

[toppcat]

One explanation could be through the mail trades and "on approval" batches of cards being sent around. It would be a way to ID who the cards belong to while being circulated for such purposes. Not the sole reason but certainly one once you get into the post WW2 years.

[Jobu]

There was also a rumor at the time that stamping one's T206 would lead to a great career as an author.

[Rhotchkiss]

Great responses and thoughts. Thanks to all who posted. I think it may certainly be from when people would send cards all over the country and needed to designate which ones were theirs; and I think the explanations why stamps on t206s are more common than others makes sense. Keep on with the thoughts/theories, and please post your back-stamped cards (not just t206). I don’t have any.....

[Rascal1010]

The only 2 that I have in my collection are this pair of Mordecai Brown Portraits. I have found nothing on the WM McNUTT CALAIS, ME, but was told the one stamped with the ornate D J was formerly from the collection of actor David Janssen. I have no idea if this is true or not, but I guess until I can prove different, this "three fingered Brown" will remain a fugitive.

Either way I think the back stamps are cool, and make some really nice presenting T206 cards very affordable!

[CobbSpikedMe]

Excellent topic Ryan! I used to avidly collect T206 back stamps. I started with the purple number style that is on the Hindu back in my avatar (and below). Then I picked up any stamp I could find. I admire Ed's pursuit of Howe's cards and am amazed at how many he has found so far. I have only been able to locate around 20 of the purple number stamps over the years. The highest number I've seen is 122 so I assume there were at least that many at some point in time.

I think some of the ideas of why folks stamped the cards are great. Some adults also stamped the cards, not just kids. I have one example from a Saturday Evening Post salesman named John Anderson that appears to have been use like a business card (pictured below). I also believe that many children would stamp the backs of the cards just for fun as a way to use a stamp they had and the things they had to stamp just happened to be tobacco cards. Since they didn't care about condition or resale value, they just used them to stamp.

I created an online project called The Great T206 Back Stamp Project where I documented as many stamps as I could for years. Bryan (Jobu) was a big help with the project and several other board members contributed as well. The link is always in my signature at the bottom of my posts if you ever wanted to visit the project. I'd love feedback from anyone who wants to offer any.

Thanks,

AndyH

[Rhotchkiss]

Awesome website Andy!! Great project and great work. That clown back, that thing is nuts. Is that a back stamp? That is mucho detailed and significantly more involved than any of the other stamps on the project site.

I doubt I will start collecting back stamps, but I will now keep an eye out for them and I will cross-reference with the project; if i find a new one, i will get it for the project

[MVSNYC]

Andy- I used to own another John Anderson stamped card...was on a Cobb. If interested, PM me and I'll find scans for you. I never cared for back stamps, and this Cobb was no exception...but it was my first Cobb (acquired in 1993), and I was just delighted to have a Cobb (so I guess it was the exception).