The first series of cards in the T206 set were issued beginning in
1909 in cigarette and loose tobacco packs through 16 different brands
owned by the American Tobacco Company. It is a landmark set in the
history of baseball card collecting due to its size and rarity, with
cards of over 500 major and minor-league players issued in the set
through 1911. It is known informally as the "White Border" set due to
the
distinctive white borders surrounding the quality color lithographs on
each card.
Bull Durham looks like he's trying to laser beam an opponent with his
eyes on this portrait, which is an interesting juxtaposition with such a beautiful, serene
background. While the corners appear pointed and not rounded, they are slightly soft, with two of them showing some minor creasing. A little edge chipping along the bottom border and in the lower left corner also keep this card from grading even higher than it already has. The
printing on the tough EPDG back is dark and bold. The reverse has some overall darker toning to it which does not affect the front, but also contributes to the
card's technical grade. The lesser-known T206
backs are having a run of late, EPDG being one of the hottest.
SGC has only graded 11 total
examples of this T206 with an El Principe De Gales back, with only four ever
receiving a higher grade than the VG-EX 4 offered here of New York's Bull Durham.