Cigarette card

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No. 49 out of a series of 50 "African Fish" cigarette cards released in South Africa depicts a Butterflyfish(Chaetodon zanzibarensis)

Cigarette cards are trade cards issued by tobacco manufacturers to stiffen cigarette packaging and advertise cigarette brands.

1 History
2 Notable cigarette cards
3 Resurgence
4 Notes
5 External links

[edit] History

Beginning in 1875, cards depicting actresses, baseball players, Indian chiefs, and boxers were issued by the Allen and Ginter tobacco company. These are considered to be some of the first cigarette cards.^[1] Other tobacco companies such as Goodwin & Co. soon followed suit.

Some very early cigarette cards were printed on silk which was then attached to a paper backing. Each set of cards typically consisted of 25 or 50 related subjects, for example famous football players, Boy Scouts or British butterflies. They were discontinued in order to save paper during World War II, and never fully reintroduced thereafter.

[edit] Notable cigarette cards

One notable cigarette card is the example of Honus Wagner from the American Tobacco Company's T206 set. Sometimes referred to as "the Holy Grail", one such example sold for over $2 million.

Another notable and sought-after set of cards is the untitled series issued by Taddy and known by collectors as "Clowns and Circus Artistes". While not the rarest cards in existence (there are a number of series in which only one known example remains), they are still very rare and command high prices whenever they come up for auction.

[edit] Resurgence

Doral, an R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company brand, started printing cigarette cards in the year 2000. These are considered to be the first cigarette cards from a major manufacturer since the 1940s.^[2] Although "Carrera's" in the UK issued cigarette cards with "Turf" cigarettes for a short period in the 1950s and 1960s, and through "Black Cat" cigarettes in 1976.^[3], ^[4]. Furthermore, card-like coupons with special offers have often been included in cigarette packets over the years.

The first set of "DORAL Celebrate America" cards featured the 50 states in two releases, 2000 and 2001. Later themes include American festivals, cars, national parks, and 20th century events.

[edit] Notes

^ Shaw, James A.. ALLEN & GINTER'S CHAMPIONS. Retrieved on June 21, 2006.
^ "Doral Revives Collector Cards with Purchase", Brandweek, 2001-01-15. Retrieved on June 21, 2006.
^ Template:Http://www.franklyncards.com/one/cighist.htm
^ Template:Catalogues, for example: Murray Cards (International). Catalogue of Cigarette & Other Trade Cards. 3.ed. (1981)