1961 Mickey Mantle error card.. looking for advice

[RSteamboat]

I know that in this hobby a lot of us if not all of us have been burned at some point by a fake or deception of some kind.
This past weekend I took the card to the Charlotte card show and met with 10 different vintage dealers and an auction house. All agreed that the card is authentic but had never seen anything like this before.

Thousands of these cards never survived through the years so I don’t count out the possibility that there might be other cards from the same sheet just sitting in a box or unfortunately, damaged and thrown away.
Ted’s stats are clearly printed on top of the mantle image. The only way that could be done would be at the factory. How could you underlay an image on something that’s already been printed?
I’m not concerned about the value of the card or hoping it’s some crazy unicorn. I think it’s just really cool card and very unique.

When you walk up to a card show table and the 90-year-old man with half million in cards in front of him and he looks at your card and perks up and smiles and says wow!! The kid came out of that ole timer.

[Cliff Bowman]

What's on the other side of the card? Can you post a scan or pic of it?

[swarmee]

For those print sheet enthusiasts, are the Mantle front and Kluszewski back on the proper places on a print sheet where they could be aligned over each other?

[swarmee]

1961 Topps - [Base] - Blank Back #_VIWE - Vic Wertz [Poor to Fair]
Courtesy of COMC.com

Another plausible explanation: Blank backed Kluszewski with the Mantle front printed, then the Klu back printed over it.

Could also be grainy because of a transfer from the blanket, or would that also be in reverse?

[Cliff Bowman]

Originally Posted by swarmee

For those print sheet enthusiasts, are the Mantle front and Kluszewski back on the proper places on a print sheet where they could be aligned over each other?

#65 Kluszewski is a 1st Series card and #300 Mantle is a 4th Series card, if it was the other way around and the 4th Series Mantle was printed over the 1st Series Kluszewski then it might be somewhat plausible but I can't believe a 1st Series card would be printed over a 4th Series card.

[RSteamboat]

Let’s keep it classy San Diego!

[nolemmings]

Originally Posted by Cliff Bowman

#65 Kluszewski is a 1st Series card and #300 Mantle is a 4th Series card, if it was the other way around and the 4th Series Mantle was printed over the 1st Series Kluszewski then it might be somewhat plausible but I can't believe a 1st Series card would be printed over a 4th Series card.

That's the first thing I thought also. Unless Topps printed the first 4 series at the same time and simply released them at different dates (which almost certainly didn't happen), it seems very unlikely that they would print a first series card on stock from a later printed series .

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by nolemmings

That's the first thing I thought also. Unless Topps printed the first 4 series at the same time and simply released them at different dates (which almost certainly didn't happen), it seems very unlikely that they would print a first series card on stock from a later printed series .

There is nothing about it that makes sense for being a real printing error. Just the different print angle of Mantle compared to the back of other card don't make sense. Yes that doesn't look like much on one card but now imagine the sheet that is a little over 12 times as tall and close to 23 times as wide. The full sheet corners would be WAY off. I could go on and on and on about everything I believe are huge red flags. Maybe in hand I would have a different opinion but I highly doubt it and I have owned about every type of print error imaginable.

[RSteamboat]

I appreciate everyone’s comments. It’s been very helpful. Every person that has held the card says it’s real. Unfortunately, there’s always gonna be haters.

[Cliff Bowman]

Originally Posted by swarmee

For those print sheet enthusiasts, are the Mantle front and Kluszewski back on the proper places on a print sheet where they could be aligned over each other?

Kluszewski is in the third slot on a row on the 1st Series sheet, I don't know if Mantle is in the ninth slot of a row on a 4th Series sheet if it was printed upside down.

[Kevvyg1026]

Thanks Cliff, another rabbit hole to chase (LOL).I only have about 12 significant miscuts for the series 4 (88cards) and haven't even considered trying to reconstruct it.

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by RSteamboat

I know that in this hobby a lot of us if not all of us have been burned at some point by a fake or deception of some kind.
This past weekend I took the card to the Charlotte card show and met with 10 different vintage dealers and an auction house. All agreed that the card is authentic but had never seen anything like this before.

Thousands of these cards never survived through the years so I don’t count out the possibility that there might be other cards from the same sheet just sitting in a box or unfortunately, damaged and thrown away.
Ted’s stats are clearly printed on top of the mantle image. The only way that could be done would be at the factory. How could you underlay an image on something that’s already been printed?
I’m not concerned about the value of the card or hoping it’s some crazy unicorn. I think it’s just really cool card and very unique.

When you walk up to a card show table and the 90-year-old man with half million in cards in front of him and he looks at your card and perks up and smiles and says wow!! The kid came out of that ole timer.

Care to name any of those dealers and the auction house?

Like your username.