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.
Hall of Famer Joe
Kelley holds a bat as he smiles in front of a red background in this
interesting image of the Toronto star without a cap on. Centering is just a sliver to the west on the canvas, but looks very nice overall. Very nice corners and great, sharp edges give a perfect frame, with the bright white borders truly popping around the dark background. Some light soiling along the right edge keeps this card from grading even higher than it has. The printing on the Piedmont back is dark and bold, while there is some light tobacco staining on the left side. A gorgeous example of the Hall of Famer.