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.

Roanoke's Ray Ryan regally resides on this resplendent representation. Centering is slightly south and west on the canvas, which is unfortunately heavily creased, severely affecting the grade. The colors are gorgeous and the printing is beautiful - both on the front and on the Old Mill (SL) back - but not enough to overcome the cosmetic issues caused by the creasing. This is still an absolutely gorgeous card, though, regardless of the numerical grade.

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.