In
addition to the N172 Old Judge set, tobacco manufacturer Goodwin &
Co. of New York also produced Gypsy Queen Cigarettes, inserting cards of
baseball players in packages of Gypsy Queen Straight Cut Cigarettes.
Similar
to an N172 Old Judge in design, these N175 cards contain advertising for
Goodwin's Gypsy Queen brand, issued in two different sizes (with
identical images) that bear the same ACC designation. The small format
cards are virtually identical to N172 cards save for the advertisement
outside the arched border at the top. Although this set mirrors its N172 counterpart in the images used, it
stands on its own in regard to rarity. The
cards are scarce enough that the checklist - currently numbering
approximately 140 cards - is considered incomplete.
Presented here is one of the most
scarce of all the Gypsy Queen issues, that of Chicago's Dell Darling. N175 cards of Chicago players are exceedingly rare, and as the only example graded by SGC, this is no exception. While there is some heavy soiling on the reverse, it does not affect the front, which boasts a quality image with excellent contrast. Unfortunately, some paper loss on the front in the lower right quadrant leaves this card with an Authentic grade, but the scarcity of this issue far outweighs any cosmetic flaws on this example.