This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/14/2008
In 1888 Allen & Ginter Cigarettes of Richmond, VA inserted small pack stiffeners into their packs of cigarettes that included lithographed images of well known personalities of the time. The 1-1/2” X 2-3/4” cardboard stiffeners were virtual works of art with the ascribed subject cast against a white background flanked at the bottom by period calligraphy and text. The issue contains immense color, a result from the fine German ink employed in their production, while the reverses of the cards carry a checklist of the issue. It goes without saying but the Baseball players contained in the issue (10) surely enjoy the largest following while other contemporaries of note surely would include Annie Oakley as well as Buffalo Bill Cody. The set offers an overall strong grade with several of the subjects having been graded. About half of the cards from within the set have a small residue of clean glue on the back from having been placed in an album. The cards grade the following with a note regarding the back glue where available: Graded Cards: Caruthers SGC 70 (5.5) EX+, Clarkson SGC 70 (5.5) EX+, Mulvey SGC 60 (5) EX, Cody SGC 60 (5) EX, Dempsy SGC 50 (4) VG/EX Un- Graded cards: Oakley VG/EX (glue), Sullivan VG/EX (back damage), Comiskey EX, Bennett EX+ (slight glue), Kelly EX+ (glue,pencil), Ward EX/MT (glue), Anson (appears NM/MT but has been deemed by SGC as trimmed even though it measures and appears unaltered,) Keefe EX/MT, Glasscock EX+. The remainder of the set appears to range from VG/EX to EX/MT with about half of the cards showing signs of slight glue on the reverse. A scintillating offering that doesn’t come to market in complete form.