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.
Bill Bernhard of Nashville finishes his throwing motion as his right arm crosses over his body. A gradient background changing from yellow to green top down gives this image some much needed color. Centering is just slightly north on the canvas, which has fantastic registration. The Old Mill (SL) back has
some light soiling in the center and along the bottom edge, but presents nicely. Overall, this card has underrated eye appeal.
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.