Graded an SGC 10 this 1888 Old Judge Cigarettes N173 cabinet card of William “California” Brown is a very appealing sample from one of the period’s most fabled sets. Old Judge issued these cabinet cards of baseball players as premiums to their cigarette brand; a smoker could send 20 coupons and in exchange receive a large-format card of his favorite player. This card presents extremely nicely and shows wear that is not uncommon for cards of the period: some corner rounding soiling a crease and back damage. Despite these technical flaws Brown’s image remains crisp in this great sample from the N173 Old Judge set.