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.

A 25-year-old John Gordon Hickman of Mobile is the subject of this beautiful portrait in front of a strong, green background. His white uniform with the black collar flipped up looks crisp, as does his perfectly combed black hair, parted to the side. Centering is northwest on the canvas, with some light diamond cutting leaving the top left corner slightly higher than the right. A small surface abrasion in the bottom right corner and some light soiling along the right edge and lower half keep this card from grading even higher than it already has. The Old Mill (SL) back has some soiling, particularly on the bottom half, with a strong streak right through the center. Luckily, none of these spots affect the front, which retains plenty 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.