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.

Fred Merkle is the subject in this portrait with a red gradient background. The colors have remained bold, with his dark hair drawing your attention away from his white New York uniform. Centering is very nice, with corners and edges consistent with the grade. Some creasing exists, particularly on the left side of the card, though does not detract from the beauty of the image. The star of this show is the tough Hindu brown back, though. The printing of the text is dark and bold, with very little soiling on the reverse to steal your attention. A very tough example of one of baseball's most tragic figures.

The lesser-known T206 backs are having a run of late, and of the 39 different backs appearing within the T206 set, Hindu browns are the 14th scarcest, according to our friends at T206Resource.com.

SGC has only graded 9 total examples of this T206 with a Hindu brown back, with only three ever receiving a higher grade than the Good 2 offered here of New York's Fred Merkle.