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Posted By: MEWheat

Thanks for the responses. I've also received private responses to my request for information, one of which I am posting (with permission) below. Thanks Brian & Mike at BMW Cards,

"...I have been studying these for many years and now believe that the numbered cards (thin stock, Type I) were printed in Canada for distribution only in the United States. The unnumbered (thick stock, Type II) were also printed in Canada but only distributed in Canada. To this day, almost every single Type I we have purchased from original collections are based in the United States and you only see Type IIs in Canada. Several veteran collectors and dealers have confirmed this.

William Neilson's company began modestly in the late 19th Century as an ice cream maker and by the middle of the second decade of the 20th Century was the world's largest manufacturer of chocolate candy. The dawn of the 1920s was also the beginning of trading card inserts in Canadian candy and the Neilson bar was no exception. Based on this early success with premiums, my belief is that the product was exported to the United States with very limited success.

Type IIs are at least twice as easy to find and typically in much nicer shape than the thin stocked and very fragile Type Is. No known scarcities exist. I would place a significant premium on any Type I in EX or better condition and a Type II in EM or better shape..."

Thanks again for the responses.

MEWheat