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.

One of the most popular poses among all the T206 cards, this is a nice low-grade example of Christy Mathewson's "Dark Cap" pose. The way the blue directly outlining Mathewson is darker than the rest of the background creates almost a visual aura around the pitcher at about the midpoint of his Hall of Fame career. All of the colors on this example are dark and bold, a pleasant surprise after 115 years. Centering is slightly north and just a hair east on the canvas, with rounded corners matching the grade. Edges are mostly nicer than the grade would indicate, although there is some soiling around the perimeter and the left edge gets a little soft at points. Some errant dark marks within the background keep this card from grading higher, though the Sweet Cap back is bold and mostly clean. This card is an absolute must-have.