I know the error is a partial back to front wet ink transfer. BUT... i always thought that the bills were printed from highest serial number to lowest. If that is the case, how can the lower numbered note have the darker impression? I wish I could track down the in-between note!
I believe the answer lies in how they were printed at this time. Specifically, there were four passes through the presses. First printing was the back. This was when this error occurred. This would put the darker note below the lighter ones in the stack of sheets. Second printing was the intaglio face. After this print the sheet with the darker note was on top. Next was the FED information and signatures on the face. When this was done the sheet with the darker note was below the others. When the sheets were fed into the numbering machine the sheet with the lighter print was run through before the darker one because the lighter ones were above the darker ones in the stack when the previous process was completed. Because the sheets were numbered in inverse order, the darker sheet received the lower number.
I guess I didn't think it through the entire process. All that sounds perfectly reasonable. Thank you for the answer.
You stated that you thought that bills were printed from the highest to the lowest serial number. That's not exactly how it works ascthey are printed on sheets. I'm suggesting that you do a little research to get better answers.
He is correct, numbering starts with the highest number so that the sheets stack in descending order when finished.
