T215 Pirates group in Mastro Live Auction

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Posted By: mr. moses

that in 1995 or 1996 Martin Murray (or his partner) suggested to me either ownership or first hand knowledge of 90 sumptin Pirate cards. As it was an overseas issue and available within a more sophisticated English market - it is not unreasonable to assume that a dedicated collector and large dealer - could accumulate that many. It is unusual though that given the extremely low population figures and no more than a handfull of duplicates known to date - that one could have that many rare cards all different without some possible suggestion they were obtained contemporaneous to their original issueance. If they came in packs of smokes distributed to servicemen perhaps a soldier went around collecting them. Maybe one person smoked all the packs. The implied condition suggests other plausible explanations as I assume when you are at war there wasn't much time for top-loaders. Of course maybe it was the supply Sergeant who never left the comfort of an office.... The truth is I'm not even sure the cards were ever actually distributed. I'm not looking for ghosts or scandals where there are none. I just am UNAWARE of literature relating to the card's distribution or other confirmation such as company literature - witnessed opening of a vintage pack with a card in it and the like. If the cards were never actually distributed might that not allow for such a grouping? Other things have survived just because an artist or printer might have liked them. Is it an accepted fact that they were distributed? I have no doubt they are real (yes I know - they're real and they're spectacular) yet there is quite a mystique surrounding them as with all obscure issues. Can anyone add something substantive about the issue?