Question about 1969 Topps football...
 

I have some 1969 Topps football cards where the football with the card number in it is surrounded by a darker circle than the black background of the card. I had assumed that this was a printing issue, but am now being told that it is the result of someone using marker. The green footballs look identical to non-circled ones otherwise, so I think it would take a lot of precision to do that with a marker. The cards I have have come from several different sources, which is why I thought it was a printing issue. Can anyone help me address this? Thanks in advance.

Anyone? Does anyone else have any like this, or are mine written on?

Hi,

I have many 1969 Topps Football that have that outline of the green football that you describe. It is especially noticeable if you tilt the back in the light. During the 1960s and at least into the sets issued in 1970, Topps used 2 different card stocks- the more common stiffer cardboard and a softer more bendable whiter stock. The black circle is very obvious on the softer stock cards, and I believe that it is actually green ink from the football's imprint. It appears that Topps enlarged the imprint of the football instead of trying to exactly match the green to the football design. Since the back was black it isn't that obvious except on the softer stock cards.

I hope that this information helps.

Jeff

That is very helpful! Thank you - it fits with what I suspected but I couldn't figure out why some but not all cards would have it. I wonder if anyone is collecting the "outlined" footballs as part of a master set?

I'm sure somebody is collecting these as a master set. Why not? :D

jeff

If anyone *is* collecting these as part of a master set they can let me know because I have some for sale. :-) :-)

I love this set and have it completed raw.

Back in the late 1970s my then future brother in-law gave me about half the cards from the set. I completed it during the 80s and it is still my favorite Topps Football set of that decade.

It is a printing issue of sorts.

To make the backs easier Topps printed the green area slightly larger than the space left for it in the black layer. If the black isn't completely solid, the underlying green makes it appear darker where the green is under the black.
That's a pretty standard practice, as it makes lining the colors up a lot less critical.

Another possibility that I'll have to look at on my 69 football is that the green was sometimes printed on top of the black instead of under it. If it is the cartoon and number should look lighter than the borders. I've seen a similar thing on the front of some 81 fleer star stickers, but not for sure on anything else although it's possible.

Steve B