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.
An excellent card of a popular player, this portrait features Cincinnati's Bob Bescher smiling in front of a dark yellow background. Centering is slightly west on the canvas, with Bescher's eyes looking off that way. The image itself is a little grainy, with rounded corners and some edge chipping consistent with the grade. Some overall soiling tries to overpower the stunning colors of the Cincinnati uniform and the bold background, but cannot. The
printing on the tough Cycle back is bold, with some light soiling on the reverse.
PSA has only graded 13 total
examples of this T206 with a Cycle back, with only six ever
receiving a higher grade than the Good+ 2.5 offered here of Cincinnati's Bob Bescher.