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.

Atlanta's Sid Smith stands with his hands extended, ready to catch a ball in this example. A bright pink sky above the green grass in the background gives this card a brilliant pop of color, as Smith's Atlanta uniform is a drab gray taking up the majority of the canvas. Centering is very nice, with really lovely edges. The top and bottom right corners are soft, but the registration is nearly perfect, helping with the front's watermelon eye appeal. The text on the Old Mill (SL) back is slightly faded, though still perfectly legible on the bright canvas which has some faint soiling toward the right and bottom edges.

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.