Dubbed "Action Picture Caramels" by the manufacturer, E125s are an extremely scarce pre-war issue featuring die-cut player
cutouts which were given away with the purchase of American Caramel candy
in 1910. Intact specimens
of this fragile set, of which the cards were intended to be played with,
are exceedingly difficult to find. A total of four teams are represented in the set (Boston Red Sox,
New York Giants, Philadelphia Athletics, and Pittsburgh Pirates) and the back of each card includes a checklist for the team of the specific player featured on the front.
These approximately six inch tall cards were designed
with tabs that could be bent to allow the player to stand freely. Given
the method of distribution and built-in self-destruction,
surviving examples are almost never seen. In many cases, the cards have developed paper loss at the
thinner areas over time, and many had their bases trimmed away by
young collectors of the era. This example, featuring Boston pitcher Eddie Cicotte - before he became the ace of the Black Sox staff and was banned from baseball for his role in the 1919 World Series scandal - suffers from just that affliction.
The card exhibits minor wear,
consistent with what is normal for the set, but is graded
Authentic by
SGC due to the missing tab, as well as a chunk of Cicotte's pitching arm. Its bright colors and bold, yet stained,
remaining reverse add to the appeal of this highly sought-after card.