T205 Back Variations - Tobacco Brand

tkd7

I know that there is as much interest in the T206 back variations as there is in the card fronts. Well, maybe not as much interest, but certainly a lot. A chief example is this auction: Amazing T206 back collection. I have tried to collect some T206 back variations myself. The more I read about the issue the more fascinating it becomes.

My question concerns the T205 series. Is there a similar value difference in the T205 back variations? My understanding is the series includes: (in order of least rarity) Piedmont, Sweet Caporal, Sovereign, Honest Long Cut, Hassan, Polar Bear, Cycle, Broad Leaf, American Beauty, Drum and Hindu.

The T205 back variation is seldom discussed as much as T206, either in auctions or in general discussion, but there is a definite difference is scarcity. Just wondering if anyone has looked at the T205 backs as closely. My current T205 collection size (1 card - Hassan) is not a definitive study.

mikeschmidt

Drum, Hindu and BroadLeaf are all pretty tough.

Hindus, I think, command the most money. I think there are probably less than two dozen currently confirmed - although there may be likely more since collectors don't focus as much on the T-205 backs.

I have a really neat George Paskert from the set that has an overprinted Broadleaf back. Neat because error backs on T-205 are very unusual as it is [besides the confirmed variations, that is], and on such a rare back, all the more so.

mikeschmidt

p.s. there was a lot in the recent Mastro auction that had seven T-205 backs, all of Mordecai Brown.

here you go

tkd7

thanks ms. I missed that auction in the catalogue, or skipped by it.

Love of the Game

Shawn Adkins, over on the Net54 board, is doing some great research on T205 back scarcity. According to his research, these are the following back variations:

-Drum
-Hindu
-Broadleaf (Brown)
-Broadleaf (Black)
-Cycle
-American Beauty (Black)
-American Beauty (Green)
-Sovereign
-Honest Long Cut
-Hassan Factory 30
-Hassan Factory 649
-Sweet Caporal Factory 42 (Black)
-Sweet Caporal Factory 25 (Black)
-Sweet Caporal Factory 42 (Red)
-Piedmont Factory 42
-Piedmont Factory 25
-Polar Bear

That's 17 different back variations in total. Shawn is building a database to determine the true scarcity of the different card backs, and is asking T205 collectors to inventory their cards/backs and then get back to him with the info. He's doing great work, and coming up with some interesting findings.

PM me if you'd like his email address.

-Al