Hey, pennant guys

[Domer05]

Originally Posted by UKCardGuy

Some new arrivals today and a question:

The new arrivals aren't very rare but I love the eye appeal and the prices were great.

The Tigers is 1950s by AdFlag but I noticed a mark on the lower part of the pennant by the spine. It looks like a T or a cross. Any ideas about what it identifies?

Cool pennants. All but the sox pennant are by ADFLAG.

So, the "mark" you found isn't actually a maker's (or, concessionaire's) mark--although I can see why you might think it is one. It's called a "registration mark," and it's a tool used by screen printer's to ensure the screen is "in register" with the felt beneath it.

Usually, a registration mark would consist of a plus sign set atop a circle (like the Zodiac sign). After printing the first color, typically the white/underbase, you'd follow with a new screen for colors 2, 3, 4.... These screens would have the same registration mark, and the printer would line these up with the printed registration mark on the felt below to ensure everything was "in register."

Here, the printer just made an error: the registration mark was positioned too far inside the spine. (It's supposed to land outside the spine where it can be cut away.)

Here's a Trench-made pennant with the same defect....