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.
There are three different Mordecai Brown cards included in the T206
set. One is a portrait, one shows him pitching in a shirt that says
"CUBS", and this slightly more detailed version, which
shows him pitching in a shirt that has the Cubs logo on the left chest
and says "CHICAGO" down the center buttons. This is the most common of
the three versions of the Hall of Famer, but it's a real classic in the
landmark set.
This example is dark and colorful, with centering slightly north and west on the canvas. Rounded corners and soft edges are consistent with the grade, while some creasing and staining keeps it from a higher number, as well. The Sweet Cap back has some soiling, and a black line horizontally drawn between the top and bottom portions of the red box containing the text. Despite any cosmetic issues, this is still a great chance to own a beautiful card from the Hall of Famer.