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.
Montgomery's Jimmy Hart bends over to field a ground ball in front of a fiery orange sky and green grass background in this example. Centering is west on the canvas. Corners and edges are nicer than the grade would indicate, but there is some light soiling along the bottom and left edges, and a small crease which runs horizontally across the card through the very bottom of the image, keeping the card from grading higher. The Piedmont back is light but in tact, with a couple small soil spots to give it some character. A gorgeous card with lots of 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.