1930's Pitt Football Embossed Card? Anyone see this before?

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Posted By: Keith

Hey guys,
A few months ago I posted a lightpaper stock card of Emil Naric -star Pitt halfback for their 1939 championship team, that I acquired in a box lot at an estate aution. I finally went through the rest of that box lot, and just as I was about to toss this purple item in the trash can (it just looked like a piece of purple card board or a piece of a greeing card at first), I noticed an embossed? image of Emil Naric about to throw a football. The piece measures about 5 inches by 6 inches, and the bottom has embossed: Emil Naric - Pitt Back. I guess embossed is the wrong word for that text, it is more depressed into the card.
The image itself of Naric is not raised either, but rather made up of different textures in the cardboard. At first glance, it is very easy to miss the image, but turning it at a different angle and the image is very cleer. Sort of like a very retro hologram sportflic kind of item.
Anyone ever see anything like this before?
The back has some stamping on it that I cannot make out.

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Posted By: Mike McKee

It is an early printers plate. Replaced the metal on block variety but I do not think that style was around long.

I have seen them before but are not too common. However, I doubt very collectible either.

My guess, it was used for a Pitt yearbook.

Mike

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Posted By: Keith

Thanks Mike, I had never seen anything like that before.

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Posted By: davidcycleback

Mike is correct. It's likely a newspaper or magazine cardboard printing plate. I've seen a few, and had some circa 1940 ones of Red Sox players. They are scarce, but mostly not worth a lot. Count as interesting artifacts I guess.