T229 Kopec Harley Davidson

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Posted By: Tom

I acquired a card some 10 years back froma SCD auction. It is a card from the T229 Kopec series. The person depicted on the card is named "Harley Davidson". Obviously, there was never anyone of that name associated with the company, as the company was an amalgum of two peoples last names. However, this person did capitalize on the nmame at a very early period in their history. On the card front, he is listed as a champion roller skater as well as being a champion motor cycle rider "having won highest honors in races held at Savannah Georgia in both 1909 and 1920".

Is there a catalogue that has a list of cards from this set? From what I understand, this may very well be a one of a kind card. I am open to offers, but the intriguing prospect of it being a "crossover" collectible for Harley collectors makes me hesitant.

Any thoughts on this card and its place in the set would be greatly appreciated.

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Posted By: warshawlaw

I follow the set because it contains mostly boxers. T229 Kopec are among the rarest of the 20th century tobacco cards (Yeah, Leon, I know; put your Baker away ). I've seen one Davidson sell before, on ebay around three years ago, from a NoCal collector who was liquidating his collection. However, that card was a Pet Cigarettes (Kopec and Pet share the same fronts; Pet cards are rare too, but not as rare as Kopec). Around 5 Kopecs have come to market since I started following the set several years ago, none of them Davidson. The prices they bring vary widely depending on the subject and the manner in which they are marketed. The boxers are the most valuable. I'd have it slabbed and placed with a major auctioneer, if I owned it.

Could you post front and back scans for the folks out here?

There actually was a fellow named Harley Davidson. Believe it or not, there is a roller skating museum and I found it online. It had the following tidbits about Harley Davidson: Apparently, he was the leader of a faction of the Professional Speed Roller Skating association and had a pissing match with another faction of skaters in the January to February 1911 meet, causing Davidson to quit.

Are you sure about that 1920 date? It would blow out the concepts of issue dates on the set.

[Brian-Chidester]

I saw one of these at a card show outside L.A. about ten years ago for a pretty cheap price. I was then only collecting baseball cards, but could now kick myself for not nabbing it. Looks like the same printer who made the Obak T212 series.

[DJR]

.

[quinnsryche]

Holy Crap! That's by far the weirdest card I've ever seen. Looks like something out of Monty Python.

[steve B]

The get-up is pretty typical for the era. The medals for winning various events, and the flag sash indicating a US championship in some sport.

He was also a very competetive bicyclist before motorcycle racing came along. There's a couple of his cycling medals on Ebay right now. A bit pricy, but national championship medals from the US or Canada aren't common. I paid about the same for the US national champions medal I have
http://cgi.ebay.com/c1896-Bicycling-...item3364ce3469

Steve B

[steve B]

And here's what looks like the photo the card was made from
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stateli...sw/4270145893/