49 bowman mystery remains unsolved

[G1911]

Originally Posted by Webster

Although this MAY or MAY NOT have been a legitimate unopened pack (it was rejected by Steve at BBC) we should be clear about what was pulled. THEY WERE NOT ALL FROM THE SAME SERIES:

Card:
Wehmeier 51
Scheffing 83
Lehner 131
McBride 74
Litwhiler 97
Page 62

I do not know exactly how the series break down, but I am quite sure 51 and 131 are in different series. Anyone have an accurate breakdown to post?

The conventional story is:
1: 1-3, 5-36, 73
2: 37-72
3: 4, 74-108
4: 109-144
5: 145-180
6: 181-216
7: 217-240

[Webster]

The Red White and Blue Pack contained 5 Cards (as indicated on the wrapper):

Baker 119
Nicholson 76
Zoldak 78
Scarboro 140
Christman 121

All of these are from Series 3+4.
In the Orange and Green pack there were two cards from Series 2, with the others from 3 + 4.

IF these were not tampered with, it's POSSIBLE that the Orange and Green was used for Series 1 + 2, and they had some left over for the "transition" to series 3 and 4. The Red White and Blue was then used for series 3 + 4 and all subsequent series. (That would explain why they are the more common wrapper).

[Yoda]

Ted Z. would know the answer in about 20 seconds. He loved the '49 Bowmans and had a massive collection, including a full set of the PCL players.

[Webster]

Ted’s (great) thread in the set can be found in the archives. That is the souce of the “series” breakdown above. However, what Ted refers to as series are actually individual sheet layouts. I believe he suggests that sheets (or “series”) 1 and 2 were issued together at the beginning of the season.

[Bram99]

I think this is mostly correct, but I would add that the below number ranges are the sheets, not really the series. Each sheet had 36 cards.

From what I understand, the 1st series is the first two sheets, and second series is the second two sheets and so on.

The reason for the 1-3 then skipping 4 was that #4 Jerry Priddy didn't show up on the first sheet of cards numbered through 36, nor on the second sheet numbered 37-73.

As you will note, 240 is not divisible evenly by 36. In fact, there are 252 cards in the set. 240 different numbers, and 12 variations of the original 240 cards. They needed another 12 cards to put on the last sheet to fill it out to the full 36 cards on the sheet (and 252 for the set). I've never heard how those 12 cards were selected, but they are noted in the set building and grading community as alternatives that have a "Name On Front" (vs. the version that does not) or a "Printed Name on Back" (vs. the script name version). Accordingly since these were printed on the last sheet after #240, they are technically short prints and are similarly scarce to the high numbers 145-240.

All of that said, I know nothing about the wrappers!! (:0)

Originally Posted by G1911

The conventional story is:
1: 1-3, 5-36, 73
2: 37-72
3: 4, 74-108
4: 109-144
5: 145-180
6: 181-216
7: 217-240

[G1911]

Originally Posted by Bram99

I think this is mostly correct, but I would add that the below number ranges are the sheets, not really the series. Each sheet had 36 cards.

From what I understand, the 1st series is the first two sheets, and second series is the second two sheets and so on.

The reason for the 1-3 then skipping 4 was that #4 Jerry Priddy didn't show up on the first sheet of cards numbered through 36, nor on the second sheet numbered 37-73.

As you will note, 240 is not divisible evenly by 36. In fact, there are 252 cards in the set. 240 different numbers, and 12 variations of the original 240 cards. They needed another 12 cards to put on the last sheet to fill it out to the full 36 cards on the sheet (and 252 for the set). I've never heard how those 12 cards were selected, but they are noted in the set building and grading community as alternatives that have a "Name On Front" (vs. the version that does not) or a "Printed Name on Back" (vs. the script name version). Accordingly since these were printed on the last sheet after #240, they are technically short prints and are similarly scarce to the high numbers 145-240.

All of that said, I know nothing about the wrappers!! (:0)

I am not at all confident the traditional narrative is correct with this series, or that sheets are as small as claimed or they were released as these series. I just coped in the conventional story people like to work with. Ted's claims for the 52-55 Bowman Footballs using essentially this same kind of tiny sheet layout and series have been proven false and I haven't dived in enough to the baseball sheets before 55 to be positive it's correct on these. The pack openings above would strongly suggest something is also not quite right here. I'd take a careful look at direct evidence before accepting these series/sheets as actually true.

[Bram99]

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/417028

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/417010

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Rk6GBqQuP...frontuncut.jpg

https://robertedwardauctions.com/arc...r-stan-musials

https://robertedwardauctions.com/arc...ll-wrong-backs

The first two sheets are quite well documented.

I also have a group of 36 overprint back ones 1-3, 5 to 37 that I picked up. I think the 36 card layout of the sheets is pretty well confirmed.

Not many of the higher numbered series did survive though, so perhaps they could have changed to 72 card double sheets at some point, or re-printing certain cards over again on later sheets like Topps did with 1953, but the assumption has been that they were printed in sheets of 36, 7 of them.

It is pretty clear that the 12 PNOB and NOF cards are more scarce than their counterpart lower series cards as well if you check the population reports on PSA and SGC.

[G1911]

Originally Posted by Bram99

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/417028

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/417010

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Rk6GBqQuP...frontuncut.jpg

https://robertedwardauctions.com/arc...r-stan-musials

https://robertedwardauctions.com/arc...ll-wrong-backs

The first two sheets are quite well documented.

I also have a group of 36 overprint back ones 1-3, 5 to 37 that I picked up. I think the 36 card layout of the sheets is pretty well confirmed.

Not many of the higher numbered series did survive though, so perhaps they could have changed to 72 card double sheets at some point, or re-printing certain cards over again on later sheets like Topps did with 1953, but the assumption has been that they were printed in sheets of 36, 7 of them.

It is pretty clear that the 12 PNOB and NOF cards are more scarce than their counterpart lower series cards as well if you check the population reports on PSA and SGC.

I'm aware of the panels.

A large size 1951 Bowman sheet was found, and we have large sections of 1955 showing that those were big sheets (although the 1951's too were allegedly small sheets).

The same layout of small panels of 36/32 were used the same way by the same authorities in Bowman Football to state that there were only 36/32 cards on a sheet and those are a series - this has been completely debunked by miscuts for every year form 1950-1955 so far.

Pack openings, like those in this thread, do not really fit with the story.

The panels do not show indica of being full sheets, the empty spaces at each side that a full sheet has. The assumption of the conventional story of Bowman sheets and series all at its root relies on an assumption that these panels are complete sheets, not partial panels. I would love to see one of these panels that actually appears to be a full sheet instead of a selected cut of a partial sheet. That these are entire, complete production sheets are not, in fact, "well documented" or "confirmed".

I would thus not assume this rendition as true, as there is no evidence I can find that the panels are complete sheets and considerable evidence that they probably are not.