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Mr. Mosesthe implication being that it wasn't solely a chewing tobacco. As far as I know the Mayo football players and Yum Yum baseball cards of the 19th century came in tins - as did the later Fatima cards and the Lucky strike bridge favors. There are still a couple of cards for whom the packaging is unknown that definitively held cards including the mono (or mino forget which), drum (forget the label on a certain site and the sacks - no way), hindu (ads only), american beauty (a CORRECT pack), and others. The Cobb/Cobb cards and tins are scarce although I don't think that means they necessarily go together. I honestly believe it makes no difference what semi-artificial group you put the Cobb/Cobb in - the exercise for the purists I guess. If it is in fact found glossy - I'd surmise it was as protection from tobacco. If found in both states and in such limited quantities - I'd say it was an experiment. I always think about the Pirate cards when I think of this card as I believe there's a reasonable chance they were never actually distributed in ANY package. The date issue seems quite important - I'd be less concerned with the printing color as there could be many reasons for that. I have seen many green autographs of his so the back might reflect an affinty for the color? Has the ink found to be the same as used on the sovereign or AB cards? I'm gonna have to read the applicable threads over many times I fear until you guys come to a conclusion 
Perhaps one day a diary or ledger entry will surface and clear it all up but you guys are terrific and I have faith.....