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.

All-time doubles leader Tris Speaker bats at an interesting angle against a bold, blue background in this Hall of Fame offering. Centering is southeast on the canvas, with soft rounded corners but nice edges for the grade. The colors are bold and beautiful, and the registration is nearly perfect, but the card's technical grade can be explained by the lower left quadrant, which features some heavy tobacco staining and a decent crease. Some light surface abrasions on the text at the bottom make it harder - but not impossible - to read. The Polar Bear back is dark and bold, with more tobacco staining visible particularly along the bottom and right edge.

Only 31 total examples of this T206 with a Polar Bear back graded by PSA have ever received a higher grade than the Fair 1.5 offered here of Hall of Famer Tris Speaker.