M101-5 vs. M101-4

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Posted By: Hal Lewis

By the way..

I do NOT necessarily agree that the M101-5 was "distributed" before the M101-4.

It sure looks like it was PRINTED earlier... but that doesn't mean anything about when the cards hit the market.

For example, I could argue just as effectively that the M101-5 set was "REJECTED" because the printers realized that it contained a lot of errors...

so the printers immediately printed the M101-4 set and shipped it out for distribution to the biggest customers.

This would explain perfectly why there are ZERO cards from the M101-5 set with "Sporting News" backs... because they did NOT ship out any of the "rejected" M101-5 cards to that HUGE customer.

BUT... when the M101-4 cards turned out to be a huge success nationwide...

the printer realized that it had a ton of "rejected" cards sitting in the warehouse that it could sell to little "mom and pop" shops OR just give out with blank backs.

SO... the M101-5 cards were pulled out of the closet and distributed AFTER the M101-4 cards.

Don't you think there is SOME reason that Burdick (the card guru) assigned the FIRST number to the M101-4 set... and the later number to the M101-5 set???

The point is... we don't know SQUAT...

except that BOTH sets were issued in 1916.

Trying to GUESS which one was sold first is crazy at best.