Posted By:
Jon CanfieldIn the lot description that Zack posted above, the Mastro auctions states "What appears to be a light soiling on the obverse, upon very close examination, is actually an extremely light "shadow" of the image of another T206 card (this is not uncommon with T206s, and usually results from cards being put in stacks before an ink process has fully dried)". If this Wagner has a wet sheet transfer on the reverse, wouldn't this lend credence that the card is period 1909? I would tend to think that if it was reprinted in the 1950's, and assuming multiple sheets were printed, they certainly wouldn't have laid the sheets on top of each other and caused a wet sheet transfer - more care would have been taken as these cards were to fill holes in the sets. Furthermore, assuming a certain limited number of sheets were printed in the 1950's, have any other wet sheet transfers of these "reprints" surficed? Surely the Wagner would not have been the only card with a transfer.
Edited to add: I also find it interesting that bray's exact words in his letetr were "In the same series (Piedmont) there is also a Wagner Boston American." The way this is written makes it sound like Bray is not surprised of a Piedmont backed Wagner. I know it has been stated above that even Lew only had documented the SC Wagner, but Bray specifically said "In the same series (Piedmont)...". Had Bray felt that Wagner could only have been issued with SC, shouldn't his letter been more like "Are you sure this card isn't Henie as Wagner, Pitts is unknown with a Piedmont back."?