Posted By:
Brian Weisner
Hi All,
Here's what we know about the Brands:
1. Piedmont(very popular in the Southest) One of the Standard Brands of the day, selling 10 cigs for 5 cents. Piedmont backs are found on every card in the set except for O'Hara(St Louis)& Ray Demmitt(St. Louis Amer), including Wagner and Plank, even though most experts agree that they were never inserted into packs.
2. Sweet Cap(very popular in Urban areas& very popular with immigrants) The other major standard brand of the day selling 10 cigs for a nickel, like Piedmont was distributed throughout the 3 series. With the exception of the Southern League cards and a few variations, Sweet Cap backs are found on almost every other card in the set.
3. Old Mill(Southern Brand) found in all three series.
4. Polar Bear(The most popular brand of loose tobacco) Polar Bears were issued in the 350 series& 460 series. Polar Bear is the only brand of loose tobacco to contain T206's.
5. Drum (Discount brand 20 cigs for 5 cents) Drum Tobacco was originally sold as loose tobacco in pouches, but was converted to a cigarette brand after being purchased by ATC, who already had the popular Polar Bear Loose brand. Cards were distributed in Drum Cigs in the 350 series only.
6. Carolina Brights(Southern brand) Only in 350 series
7. Lenox Premium brand only found in the 460 series.
8. UZIT only found very late in the 460 series, similair to Lenox
9. Broad Leaf found in the 350 and 460 series, but is very tough in the 460 series.
10. Cycle Standard brand found in the 350& 460 series .
11. American Beauty (Discount brand, 20 cigs for a nickel) found in the 350 and 460 series. Probably the most popular discount brand.
12. ELPD Standard brand found in the 150 and 350 series.
13. Hindu Southern Brand found in all 3 series, appears to have distributed almost entirely in the South.
14. Sovereign Standard brand found in all 3 series.
15. Tolstoi Standard Brand found in 350 and 460 series. Like Lenox, Tolstoi started inserting Military cards into packs early in 1911, making there numbers much smaller in the 460 series.
16. Ty Cobb ( Most people believe they were never inserted into packs, but we'll never know.
As you can see, the Standard brands that are found in all 3 Series are by far the easiest backs to find, while the brands only distibuted in the 350 series (Drum& Carolina Brights) are difficult to find. Lenox and Tolstoi are probably also in the category due to the small number of cards distributed in the 460 series. I could probably talk or type about thsi all day, but my lunch is ready, so see you later. Brian