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.

Columbus' J. Ross Helm has a boyish smile in this portrait in front of a green gradient background. Centering is extremely far north, unfortunately removing the top border and cutting straight into the top of the green, reminiscent of the 1954 Topps set, while leaving a large bottom border. Corners are consistent with the grade, with some light chipping along the left edge. The Old Mill (SL) back is exceptionally clean and bright, and presents incredibly well, but not enough to raise the grade of the card with the cutting error on the front.

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.