Calling All W517 Experts...

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Posted By: Gilbert Maines

The dots are both a dilemma and the only redeeming value which this card has
to offer. This card is far worse than dots in the border, which may be
explainable. Please allow me to outline my other observations relating to
this card, and please realize that your comments are sought. I will tabulate
these for brevity, elaborating on only a few. More detail certainly is
willingly offered.

-very sharp corners
-seller disappeared
-high gloss ink
-rippled cardstock on both sides
-microdot pattern indicates two inking passes because two different
brown colored dots are noted. The lighter one appears on the entire
surface, the darker only in the image area
-the lettering on the card has minor differences from normal lettering
-slight image size difference from typical Grove w517
-the above are the unresolved considerations with this card, there
are other unusual characteristics which have been explained away by stating
that they have been encountered previously in this set

Coupling these potentially significant factors with the fact that although
the card did not luminesce, it was grey cardstock, which I’ve never gotten
to luminesce (old or new). This could be a failing of mine, or a
characteristic of grey cardboard.

So all I have to hang the assessment on is the dot pattern. That, and the
belief that if a faker was sufficiently resourceful to create a phony card
which has a viable dot matrix, he would not have gotten so many other
things “wrong”.

As indicated above, there are dots all over the front of this card, I think,
because the cardstock was grey on both sides, and the manufacturer “painted”
it a cream color to the front before he placed the card image on it. Yes, I
know, unprecedented! Crappy! But also perhaps a rush job during the
depression. Gotta keep them doors open. What is significant about the dots is their color. If you have no pinks, light blues, yellows, blacks - you are on reasonably firm ground regarding legitimacy.

There is more – there is are the dots fake?