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.

Shreveport's Carlos Smith stands stoically in this portrait in front of a beautiful light pink background. The very of-the-era "S" logo surrounded by a diamond made of bats is displayed proudly on Smith's chest. Centering is just ever so slightly southeast on the canvas, with rounded corners and soft edges consistent with the grade. Some soiling and surface abrasions on the front surface keep it from grading higher. The text on the Old Mill (SL) back is dark and bold, but more soiling on the reverse help contribute to the card's technical grade. Even still, this is a gorgeous, tough example from the set.

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.