The Magic Librarities

Okay, so I've mentioned it a few times before, but as for what it is I own, I want some answers.

http://images5a.snapfish.com/232323232% ... 9336nu0mrj

This is the reverse of an AQ Candelabra of Townos. Purchased it from a local misprint collector getting out of the game (I picked up his slack & never looked back). This was without a doubt the centerpiece of his collection, along with an albino Blue Elemental Blast.

Here's the thing- I still have no idea what this is, and why it was printed in the first place. Only one member was able to show me another AQ uncommon like it, I didn't even see it until last year.

So the only thing I can speculate is that the whole Arabian idea to print purple card backs, that did not happen. Did they still somehow think they were changing card backs for Antiquities or something? I don't know.

But still, all of the info I've dug up over the years, I can't figure out this one. Please let me know what you think.

fvzappa wrote:Okay, so I've mentioned it a few times before, but as for what it is I own, I want some answers.

http://images5a.snapfish.com/232323232% ... 9336nu0mrj

This is the reverse of an AQ Candelabra of Townos. Purchased it from a local misprint collector getting out of the game (I picked up his slack & never looked back). This was without a doubt the centerpiece of his collection, along with an albino Blue Elemental Blast.

Here's the thing- I still have no idea what this is, and why it was printed in the first place. Only one member was able to show me another AQ uncommon like it, I didn't even see it until last year.

So the only thing I can speculate is that the whole Arabian idea to print purple card backs, that did not happen. Did they still somehow think they were changing card backs for Antiquities or something? I don't know.

But still, all of the info I've dug up over the years, I can't figure out this one. Please let me know what you think.

I believe that is probably one of the AQ test cards because as I recall they didn't ditch the different backs idea until right before printing. Gary might know more about what happened though.

-Travis

Looks like sun-bleached or washed-out normal card back to me. The alternate Arabian Nights card back had the words "Arabian Nights" on it, this doesn't. That makes me doubt its meant to be a new card back along the same lines.

Looks like sun-bleached or washed-out normal card back to me

I agree -- I have seen other sun-bleached backs that look just like this. Sometimes the "bleaching" makes colors appear to change, rather than just fade.

I have also seen one of the alternate-backed cards and it looked very different than this.

I sure can't say what caused this but I can say it is not the AN back. As mentioned that set was to have Arabian Nights on it and the picture of the proposed back does. Sk1, did you see an actual card or just a picture of one. I have never seen an actual AN backed card--specially close enough to make sure it wasn't a scan pasted on a card.

Richards original Idea was to have a series of games with the same general game design but different themes--thus: Deckmaser on the logo.

The staggering popularity of MTG along with the cry for new cards to play with influenced the gang of 5+1 to stick with the same back and change the themes to expansions. I have heard that this decision was an 11th hour decision but I don't think any cards were printed in the USA and I don't think plates were sent to Belgium with Arabian Nights backs. I'll try and remember to ask Peter. That decision also ment that all backs had to be exactly the same.

For this card specifically; I doubt that a Candelabra would have been considered for the AN theme. It just doesn't fit. And it's effect works so nice with the Mishra's lands that I just can't see it in AN (lets see, I can untap desert to do another point of damage....). Also, to the best of my knowledge no AQ back was even designed.

To me that is key to the answer of the question. Cards were not just haphazardly printed for test purposes (as kinda happend much later--specially with foils). This is still shoestring budget days and to just go out and make a test print would have had to come out of someone's pizza money--and belirve me that was hard to have happen.

I'd have to have Jesper or Peter tell me "ya, we did that" for me to ever believe it.

Gary

fvzappa wrote:Okay, so I've mentioned it a few times before, but as for what it is I own, I want some answers.

http://images5a.snapfish.com/232323232% ... 9336nu0mrj

This is the reverse of an AQ Candelabra of Townos. Purchased it from a local misprint collector getting out of the game (I picked up his slack & never looked back). This was without a doubt the centerpiece of his collection, along with an albino Blue Elemental Blast.

Here's the thing- I still have no idea what this is, and why it was printed in the first place. Only one member was able to show me another AQ uncommon like it, I didn't even see it until last year.

So the only thing I can speculate is that the whole Arabian idea to print purple card backs, that did not happen. Did they still somehow think they were changing card backs for Antiquities or something? I don't know.

But still, all of the info I've dug up over the years, I can't figure out this one. Please let me know what you think.

I think I answered this already, but I think that Richard (pickle.69) has a card like this (in very bad condition):

http://www.magiclibrarities.net/forum/v ... php?t=2806

Argivian Archaeologist

Yes, when I referred to another member having one, that's the one I talked about. Richard no longer owns it (another forum member does, however), but it is the only other example I've seen.

And yes, so far as I know the Arabian purple backs was a concept, never officially printed. If there were any, I think someone would own one & have shared it with us by now. I was just wondering if these Antiquities backs were of the same idea (since these sets were only months apart) and discarded as unneeded since Arabian was untouched on the reverse.

I've also tried to duplicate this Antiquities back with no luck. The white border just throws me off, I can't see how this can be faked. I think we all- for the sake of misprints in general- should see what we could make as far as fake misprints, we may learn quite a bit.

And for what it's worth- this card does pass the bend test. Also, considering I owned it for 10-11 years, plus the previous owner (a friend of mine) owned it for at least another 5. Point being, this is something done well before any real secondary market- especially on misprints- was really established. I just don't see this being faked, which is exactly why I'm looking for answers. I think this was an intentionally made card.

This can't possibly be an intentional design for the back of a card. If it was by design, the 5 mana dots would all be the right color. If you notice in this scan the green and white dots appear as purple and pink. This is a misprint. What probably happened was someone accidentally put the yellow plate on the magenta channel (resulting in magenta being laid down everywhere there was supposed to be yellow). Once it was noticed the sheets were pulled and never went through the final stage of black ink, which is why it is also missing the border and dark highlights. I tried to reproduce this effect in photoshop but couldn't pull it off.

The bigger mystery to me would be why does it have a front that is correct? I was under the impression that front and back were printed separately and glued afterwards. If the backs got pulled half way through the process, why would they then be put back in to be attached to good fronts?