T206 Demmitt & O'Hara....are they 350-only Series cards ?

[tedzan]

No one questions that the St Louis variations of these 2 cards are extremely tough to find. However, there are
some that think that these 2 St Louis variations are 350/460 series subjects. While others of us feel quite sure
that these two were printed and issued along with the 208 cards in the 350-only series. We can speculate and
debate this all day long; however, I prefer to look at what the numbers tell us.

The following data is derived from two randomly sampled T206 surveys whose combined total is 22,000 cards.

Demmitt (St Louis) = 5 cards
O'Hara (St Louis) = 5 cards

The POLAR BEAR sampling in the 350-only series is......

638 PB cards/133 PB subjects = 4.8 average

The POLAR BEAR sampling in the 350/460 series is......

451 PB cards/61 PB subjects = 7.4 average

The fact that the number of Demmitt's and O'Hara's in this survey equal the average number of PB cards in the
350 series is proof of what many (including Lew Lipset) have said in the past.....that these 2 scarce variations
were equally printed and distributed in the initial PB launch.

It's my contention that there was only one press run when the 350-only series cards were printed with the PB
backs in the Spring of 1910. Furthermore, that American Litho. printed only 140 of the 208 subjects with the PB
backs. So,considering these factors and the obvious fact that the St Louis versions of Demmitt and O'Hara exist
only with the PB back explain why these 2 cards are super rare. A general "rule of thumb" why certain T206 sub-
jects are tough to find is a function of how few T-brand backs that they were printed with. For example......

Lundgren (Cubs) is found with only 3 backs

Elberfeld (portrait-Washington) is found with only 3 backs

Dahlen (Brooklyn) is found with only 4 backs






OK, I'd bet my house, my 2 barns and I will throw in my huge wood shed that Demmitt and O'Hara (St Lo) were
printed in the 350-only series.

Anyone care to differ ?



TED Z