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.

Frank Joseph King played 7 seasons of professional baseball, most notably with the Savannah Indians of the South Atlantic League. In this portrait, King is depicted in front of a bold red background as a member of the Class C Danville Red Sox of the Virginia League, for whom he played 99 games in 1909. Centering is northeast on the canvas, with rounded corners and edge wear consistent with the grade. A black ink spot near the top right corner and some color loss near King's left temple draw your eye, unfortunately distracting from the card's nearly perfect registration. The Old Mill (SL) back has some general soiling, but is bright overall and presents nicely.

Among the more popular subsets in the T206 issue, Southern League (SL) cards are lauded for their scarcity. The cards of 48 players from the Southern Association, the South Atlantic League, the Texas League, and the Virginia State League were printed in total. These cards were printed separately from the rest of the T206 cards, resulting in a shorter supply than other T206s, and creating a high demand among collectors.