T206 Packaging observation/theory
 

Lately I have been collecting and researching T206 packaging and I've noticed that some boxes have Liggett & Myers Tobbaco Co (LMT) on them instead of The American Tobacco Company (ATC). From what I understand, the ATC was dissolved by congress beginning in 1911. The LMT was bought out by the ATC in 1897 and wasn't re-established until after 1911, which correct me if I'm wrong would be after the run of T206's.

What I've noticed from my own observations and from our tobacco packaging tread is T206 tobacco cigarette boxes printed with both ATC on them and LMT. What I'm thinking is the ones with ATC and correct tax stamps are more likely to have contained T206 boxes and those with LMT were made shortly after the T206 run.

Example is the following posts of imags i've borrowed:

Cycle pack with LMT

I'm thinking, and god I wish I had this problem, but I think Leon's Carolina Brights box was made after the T206 run.

Anyone have a CB box with ATC printed on it instead of LMT?

Nice packs guys!

Very cool observation.

In continuance of my quest for knowledge I have researched why the polar bear boxes had p. lorillard tobacco company instead of the ATC. It appears lorillard was controlled by the same owner of the ATC (James Duke) and was sort of the tipping point for congress to dissolve the ATC because of its monopoly. Lorillard was able to continue as its own company after the dissolution and they went on to continue to control polar bear and our T215 friends red cross tobacco.

It seems most of these smaller tobacco companies were all acquired by the ATC but they kept their names but their operations were all streamlined by the ATC trust. By the time they were dissolved each if the companies the ATC trust broke into (Liggett & Myers, ATC, RJ Reynolds and Lorillard) were barely able to function on their own because their reliance on other divisions of the greater ATC. Each company needed to be able to operate on their own entirely.

So all polar bear packs always said Lorrillard tobacco co, but they were actually controlled up until 1911 by the ATC.

These appear up to this point as the only T206 tobacco variety that wouldn't have had "manufactured by the ATC" on it.

Can anyone post a scan of a Lenox or uzit packs sides? I'm curious to see what they said since they were one of the last manufactured by the ATC.