T206 Brown Old Mill - The Extreme Rarity

clydepepper · #1 03-25-2019, 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rhotchkiss

According to both Ted Z and T206 Resource, there are 34 possible players with Brown Old Mill backs, all southern-leaguers. According to those same resources, only 13 of those players have been located with Brown Old Mill backs. Here is a link to T206 Resource: http://t206resource.com/Brown%20Old%...Checklist.html

In my experience (and I am no expert), there are two copies of some of 13 known-players, but I am aware of no player with more than 2 known-copies, and some have only 1 known example. This means that there are likely around 20+/- known T206 Brown Old Mill Examples, making it about as rare, or more rare, than the Ty Cobb back (I believe there are 24 confirmed examples) and the Brown Lenox.

For those who don't know, all Brown Old Mills are graded A because they are hand-cut/scrap and were not included in cigarette packs; it is believed they were a mistake and that someone forgot to change the ink between the printing of the Southern-League Brown Hindu and Old Mill backs (which are black).

I am thrilled to have picked up the Kiernan and the Helm this weekend (and was bummed to miss out on the Revelle last night in REA), both of which go well with my other two Brown Old Mills (Smith and Jordan).

I would love to see some other examples, so show your Brown Old Mills (if you got'em)

That Helm card makes me jealous...as he's the only Columbus, GA player in the entire set. All other Columbus players are Ohio.

Congrats!

MVSNYC · #2 03-25-2019, 10:18 PM

Ryan, amazing group.

Ted- didn't know you owned the OM overprint. how many exist? I know it's mythical.

joejo20 · #3 02-22-2022, 05:52 PM

I am digging up this older thread to ask if this would be considered a brown old mill back? The card has a strange rough cut on the sides. Thank you Joe

Bpm0014 · #4 02-22-2022, 06:17 PM

The easy answer is: �If you have to ask if it�s Brown........then it isn�t�.

Kevin · #5 02-22-2022, 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bpm0014

The easy answer is: “If you have to ask if it’s Brown........then it isn’t”.

I am hoping my Persons is brown. Now I got to go check!

G1911 · #6 02-22-2022, 06:31 PM

I know the experts disagree, but I think there are actually two browns here.

There is the brown of the scrap cards that is incredibly rare, and then there is darker brown like the one in post #10 that is not uncommon. I have an Old Mill like this, that is clearly a different color in hand, in picture, and under microscope. I think it unlikely this is due to time or fading. I have thousands and thousands of black backed T cards from the ATC project 1909-1912 - nothing except some Old Mill T206 Southern Leaguer's has toned to this brown at all. I think it unlikely a different kind of black ink that ages to brown sometimes was used only for Old Mill T206's and for nothing else from ALC/Brett/Etc.

Rhotchkiss · #7 02-22-2022, 09:40 PM

Tough to tell by picture, and I would have to see in hand and to put against another brown old mill or Hindu. But I doubt it. The old mill backs are tricky and there are all sorts of shades, including faded blacks (that look brownish) and some tend towards blue. Brown is pretty brown. I would compare it to a brown Hindu instead of a black back. Also, no Hickman brown OM has been confirmed.

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