Trying to put some pieces together. It seems possible for Autosales Gum to have distributed these Colgan's Chips related ('proof') cards. First off the tin on the left that Jerome posted indicates that Autosales Gum was the successor to the Colgan's Co, and checking on the internet it appears that they purchased Colgan's at the tail end of 1914.
It would be interesting to know what size those Dentyne wrappers that Tom shared are, especially the dimensions between the 'crease lines' of the wrapper. The 'Square Proof' cards are approximately 1-3/8" x 1-3/4". Looking at the scan, it appears that the dimensions would be proportionally correct for the cards to have been packaged in these wrappers, if of course the sizing matched up.
If Autosales were the distributor of these 'Square Colgan's' cards, the earliest date of distribution would have to be 1915. With this new subject bonanza seen in the REA auction, perhaps it would be interesting to research all the known subjects of this set and see if they were perhaps chosen for inclusion because they were either still active, or if not, perhaps the inactive players were still popular among fans. Without checking, it does appear that the team designations are the same as seen in the regular Colgan's issue, which might make a later (1915 or later) issue date less likely.
Perhaps something for me to do in my spare tire time. If nothing else, the checklist for this set definitely needs a good old-fashioned update.
Brian
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