E270 Red Border size

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Posted By: John S

I recently picked up a small lot of Colgan's that included a E270 red border. The red border looked smaller in comparison to the E254's. I measured the E270 and it had a 1 3/8" diameter compared to the 1 7/16" of the E254's. I measured a couple of my other red borders. They also
were 1 3/8". The one E270 Tin Top that I have measures 1 7/16", just like the E254's.

Anyone else ever noticed this?

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Posted By: Frank Wakefield

John, that is most interesting. I've wondered whether Mr. Colgan tried a cinnamon flavored gum, hence the red borders, and that the E254s either continued to be distributed, or that the Tin Tops replaced the regular cards.

I have a couple of red borders. I'll get to them in a day or two and check.

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Posted By: Rhett Yeakley

The Red Border set is definately slightly smaller than the E254 and Tin Top sets.

The Red Border set is a very peculiar set. There are only 2 players not found previously found in E254 (both Louisville guys pictured below) and doesn't really offer much in the way of new photos or anything like that but the cards are physically VERY different than the other sets. They are on thick paper with a very thin & brittle layer on back that results in tharacteristic chipping on the back border that plagues the set.

Exclusive players:



Among the most peculiar cards in the set are the select few that are drastically different in that the characteristic name & team are not on the sides of the head but have the name and team on their chests. I have seen only 3 players that exhibit this characteristic name/team difference. Those with this odd style are Ty Cobb, Johnny Hughes, and one of the Murch variations (can't recall which, but think it was the Indianapolis version). There are probably others like this in the set but those are the only 3 I can confirm. Pretty interesting set, also striking is the unexplained absence of a Wagner (especially considering that Wagner is perhaps the most common of all E254's and is among the easier Tin Tops as well).

Odd front style:


-Rhett

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Posted By: Frank Wakefield

Here are 2 red border Colgans laying atop the regular Colgans. On each you can see a bit of the regular Colgans underneath.

The red border Colgans are ever so slightly smaller that the E254s. My one "tin top" Colgans seems to be the normal size, the size of E254s.

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Posted By: Frank Wakefield

Hey Rhett,

Here's my E254 Sullivan, with Louisville. I take it this isn't the J. Sullivan that is on your E270 red border. Are the guys depicted really Sullivans? If so, they must be different Sullivans.

Frank.

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Posted By: Rhett Yeakley

Frank, your Sullivan is Suter Grant Sullivan. He was a pretty old man at the time of the Colgans sets as he was in the majors for 2 years (1898-1899). He then played in the minors until 1910 mostly with Kansas City and Louisville. I can't find record of him with Omaha (statistically) but he was produced as such in the E254 and E270 Red Border sets. Here are his two E254's...


The Omaha version is a pretty tough Colgan to find (not that the Louisville is all that plentiful either).
-Rhett