Thanks for that info.I have no clue. AI gives this answer:
"The silver or colored dots that appear all the way around the sidewalls of your Goodyear Flight Special II tires are called "awl vents" or "vent spews." These are tiny holes made during manufacturing to allow trapped air to escape from between the tire’s layers as the rubber is molded and cures. In aviation tires, these vent holes are usually marked with colored ink (which could appear silver or another color), and their repeated presence around the tire is by design—not a defect."
Thats correct. You also see green paint used in same location. I believe the color denotes tubed vs tubeless but not 100% sure.
I asked that very same question about 45 years ago so not new. If you used a lot of retreads the paint was usually worn off by then. But any new tire should have them as I believe its part of the TSO.
The last round of tires were retreads, but before that I bought a set of "regular" tires. I guess I just don't remember the dots being on the "regular" tires several years ago.