Posted By:
fkwHi Leon,
I saw a Derby Cigar card a few years back that had extra wide borders on it, well beyond what your card or most others have, and was hand cut (sort of reminded me of one of those extra border W555s). The card had a line where it should be cut, just like the W555s, but it also had more border beyond that line. I am looking for the auction catalog that had it pictured, and if I find it I will post a picture of the card (I think its a Lipset or Festberg catalog). Hope I can find it. Its still up in the air the cards are even from Derby, as there is no identification on the card. If I remember right the reason Derby was thought to be the source of the cards, was because at one time many years ago, some of the cards were found stored in a Derby box. Even Lipset has doubts of cards origin in his 1986 Encyclopedia Vol 3. This is what he writes on page 103, in the "Cinderella/Unknown cards" part of book.
"Finally we place a group of cards that have been associated with Derby Cigars in the Cinderella category. These cards measure 1-3/4" X 2-3/4" and have no printed advertising. One collector has indicated he found one in a Derby Cigar box, which is the appropriate size. If it could be shown more conclusively that these cards were issued in or with Derby Cigars, these cards would be deserving of a separate listing."
My opinion, the cards are not from Derby, but thats just a hunch. They are very rare, and too me have a similar mystery of origin, just like the W555's. Frank