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.

As the auction prices of T206 Hall of Famers has skyrocketed, the prices of the more common (but very desirable) card of Ty Cobb has followed suit, the red-background portrait card remaining one of the most popular cards in the set. Centering on this example is just a shade west on the canvas. The clear, glaring condition issues with this one are the general dirtiness of the front, and the large crease which runs from the left edge at Cobb's chin height, to the right edge just above eye level. The corners and edges are actually nicer than the grade would suggest, and the clarity of the printing was obviously beautiful at issuance, but those two cosmetic issues are too much to overcome to get the grade higher.

The Sweet Cap back also has some staining and soiling issues, as well as some light paper loss in areas. Even still, despite any condition issues, this remains one of the most important and highly desirable cards in the entire T206 issue.