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.
Tom Guiheen of Portsmouth wears his crisp white uniform in front of a dark red background for this tough portrait. Centering is north on the canvas, with soft corners and minor edge chipping particularly along the right edge. Some pencil writing on the Old Mill
(SL) back helps explain the card's technical grade, but the bold, dark colors of the front still give this one tremendous 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.