Rare backs

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Posted By: Chris 

Were rare backs produced in the same number as more common backs? Just wondering if they are rare because less were produced or if they are rare because that type of ciggarettes were not as popular as Piedmont or Sweet Caporal.

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Posted By: 823dek

thankfully Iam not a smoker , but...Uzit , Red Hindu, Drums , etc....must have been like a Tarryton to a Malboro light to a modern day smoker and the taste must have really sucked as you'll see that some of them (rare backs ) came from the same factory.

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Posted By: J Levine

Although they came from the same factory, it does not mean that they were produced in the same numbers. Backs like Drum, Broadleaf, Uzit, etc. were probably produced in much smaller numbers just because the cigarettes were not as popular. Piedmont and Sweet Cap. may have been more popular because of price, advertising, etc. but there is no evidence that Uzit and Drum may have been lower quality cigarettes. I actually think that they may have been higher end cigarettes and sold for more making them less popular and less likely to be collected. My two cents...

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Posted By: Brian Weisner

Hi All,
Here's what we know about the Brands:

1. Piedmont(very popular in the Southest) One of the Standard Brands of the day, selling 10 cigs for 5 cents. Piedmont backs are found on every card in the set except for O'Hara(St Louis)& Ray Demmitt(St. Louis Amer), including Wagner and Plank, even though most experts agree that they were never inserted into packs.
2. Sweet Cap(very popular in Urban areas& very popular with immigrants) The other major standard brand of the day selling 10 cigs for a nickel, like Piedmont was distributed throughout the 3 series. With the exception of the Southern League cards and a few variations, Sweet Cap backs are found on almost every other card in the set.
3. Old Mill(Southern Brand) found in all three series.
4. Polar Bear(The most popular brand of loose tobacco) Polar Bears were issued in the 350 series& 460 series. Polar Bear is the only brand of loose tobacco to contain T206's.
5. Drum (Discount brand 20 cigs for 5 cents) Drum Tobacco was originally sold as loose tobacco in pouches, but was converted to a cigarette brand after being purchased by ATC, who already had the popular Polar Bear Loose brand. Cards were distributed in Drum Cigs in the 350 series only.
6. Carolina Brights(Southern brand) Only in 350 series
7. Lenox Premium brand only found in the 460 series.
8. UZIT only found very late in the 460 series, similair to Lenox
9. Broad Leaf found in the 350 and 460 series, but is very tough in the 460 series.
10. Cycle Standard brand found in the 350& 460 series .
11. American Beauty (Discount brand, 20 cigs for a nickel) found in the 350 and 460 series. Probably the most popular discount brand.
12. ELPD Standard brand found in the 150 and 350 series.
13. Hindu Southern Brand found in all 3 series, appears to have distributed almost entirely in the South.
14. Sovereign Standard brand found in all 3 series.
15. Tolstoi Standard Brand found in 350 and 460 series. Like Lenox, Tolstoi started inserting Military cards into packs early in 1911, making there numbers much smaller in the 460 series.
16. Ty Cobb ( Most people believe they were never inserted into packs, but we'll never know.


As you can see, the Standard brands that are found in all 3 Series are by far the easiest backs to find, while the brands only distibuted in the 350 series (Drum& Carolina Brights) are difficult to find. Lenox and Tolstoi are probably also in the category due to the small number of cards distributed in the 460 series. I could probably talk or type about thsi all day, but my lunch is ready, so see you later. Brian

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Posted By: Julie Vognar

are far inferior in flavor to regular cigarettes. People who think they are too poor to smoke the regular brands will sometimes try the discount brands (I'm talking about NOW), and go back to the regular brands.

The distribution of T206s only concerns discount and regular brands--and I'm hardly surprised that the discount brands became the rare backs! Even at half the price!