Undocumented T206 Variations: Matty Black Cap

[fkw]

scan both of the original cards with the same scanner. looks like the one on the left had the contrast adjusted a bit, its too white, while the one on the right looks normal. The captions on all T206 cards should be a brown color never black like the line around the image directly above caption (Ive never seen an authentic card with pure black caption)


wonder if some of the print variations were different series ie 150, 350, 460 etc. Im not an expert on which series this card is even found in, but that may have something to to with the color variations.

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by fkw

scan both of the original cards with the same scanner. looks like the one on the left had the contrast adjusted a bit, its too white, while the one on the right looks normal. The captions on all T206 cards should be a brown color never black like the line around the image directly above caption (Ive never seen an authentic card with pure black caption)


wonder if some of the print variations were different series ie 150, 350, 460 etc. Im not an expert on which series this card is even found in, but that may have something to to with the color variations.

Hi Frank, I don't have the card on the left in hand yet, and that's a good point - the brown/back difference is currently highlighted unfairly.

The series thought is a good guess, but I only have 350 and 350/460 black caps, and the differences overlap both of those series. I'll admit I'm dumb in this area, but does the fact that the black cap was a superprint mean that it was printed in ALL series? Because I haven't found any 150 examples.

I also noticed that there are some color similarities between the white cap and the black cap on the left. I honestly don't know what any of this might mean about printing order, etc., but thought perhaps someone might.

[tedzan]

Here are the different Matty cards in my collection. They were scanned from the same scanner. Check out the subtle difference in the background coloring of these cards.















Best regards,

TED Z

[tedzan]

Originally Posted by tedzan

Here are the different Matty cards in my collection. They were scanned from the same scanner. Check out the subtle difference in the background coloring of these cards.















Best regards,

TED Z

Hey Scott

I think Frank (FKW) is on to something in his previous post here.

The 7 cards of Matty that I show here were all printed by American Lithographic circa 1910. There are subtle differences, but nothing too significant.

You may find that the Matty (dark cap) cards printed at the tail-end of the T206 press runs (circa Spring 1911) were printed with a different shades of inks.

These would include Matty's with the following backs........

PIEDMONT 460 factory 42

SWEET CAPORAL 460 factory 42


NOTE....this Matty was not printed with the UZIT back or the AMERICAN BEAUTY 460 factory 42 back.


TED Z

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by tedzan

Hey Scott

I think Frank (FKW) is on to something in his previous post here.

The 7 cards of Matty that I show here were all printed by American Lithographic circa 1910. There are subtle differences, but nothing too significant.

You may find that the Matty (dark cap) cards printed at the tail-end of the T206 press runs (circa Spring 1911) were printed with a different shades of inks.

These would include Matty's with the following backs........

PIEDMONT 460 factory 42

SWEET CAPORAL 460 factory 42


NOTE....this Matty was not printed with the UZIT back or the AMERICAN BEAUTY 460 factory 42 back.


TED Z

Okay, but I don't have any 460 images - all of mine were either 350 or 350/460, or undefined.

[Runscott]

The card arrived today, and there is a good reason that it looked like such an extreme example of the 'lower ink quantity' version - it was, as Frank suggested, a bad scan. The card did; however, yield some interesting facts.

First, Matty has a redder complexion than the dark card in the first post, which has a yellower complexion. Looping each and studying closely, the reason for this is obvious: The darker card has a layer of light-brown, while the lighter card has a layer of light-red - two very clearly different colors of ink. In addition, the lighter Matty does exhibit the bit of purple in the background, which is the result of light-red ink in that area - perhaps part of the same layer as the light-red highlights. The dark Matty does not have this, or it is more of the light-yellow-brown and simply doesn't do anything except add a bit of darkness.

Regarding the green background - simple print registration issue. The lower green is from the green being printed lower, the higher green is the result of the opposite occurring - I just happened to pick up two extreme examples.

Now I need to pick up more of these to confirm the yellow-brown vs light-red thing. Two examples really isn't enough.

Scans will probably not illustrate this well, but I'll get some when I get home.

[Runscott]