Card Identification Forum

I was able to pick-up a couple tobacco silks today. These are from a 154-silk set titled "National Flags (AAC# S33), produced by the American Tobacco Company, and inserted into packs of Egyptienne Straights Cigarettes.

They contain the same images as the ATC "Flags of all Nations" (T59) set. I'm not a huge fan of tobacco silks, but I know there are those that collect them. My question; should we list them in the database?

I'm on the fence. From a personal perspective, I would like to add them to my trade list. As a database member, I don't know if we should list tobacco premiums.

Thoughts?

Edit: They measure 2 1/8" x 3 1/4" and were issued around 1909-1911.

Your measurements might be off. I got my mother an American one years ago that was either 4 * 6 or 6 * 8.

But I believe it was called a Cigar Blanket, so I could have the wrong thing.

The silk  premiums came in several different sizes. I think the offer was 5 smalls (like the ones pictured) or 1 of the larger ones like you mentioned. The exact offer can be found on a redemption "card" that was inserted into packs of cigarettes along with the small silks.

Here's the redemtion card for the large silk...I've also seen one for a set of the smaller silks.

And the redemption offer for the small silks 

obxyankeefan wrote:

Your measurements might be off. I got my mother an American one years ago that was either 4 * 6 or 6 * 8.

But I believe it was called a Cigar Blanket, so I could have the wrong thing.

Yeah I just looked them up and they seem to come in all differenet sizes depending on which company. And from what you just said sometimes companies had different sizes themselves.

I have the Italy from the very same set. I didn't list it because I couldn't find a checklist and like yourself, I didn't know if I should even list it. Does yours have anything printed on the back? Mine didn't, but COMC labeled it as Poor condition, which doesn't seem accurate other than minor fraying on the edges. But at one point I bought a card on COMC labeled as poor and it had 100% paper loss on the back. (I should have known the price was too good to be true) so I don't know. It's certainly not something I would consider my area of expertise.

I have four of them (Belgium, French Colonies East, Smyrna, and Cape Colony. None of them have anything on the back. The other two silks are in pretty much the same condition as the two in the images I posted (some fraying at the top or bottom). These are also not my area of expertise and I know nothing about how they are graded. The four I have look awesome to me. I paid $2.50 for each them. I don't know if that's good or bad, I didn't even try to bargain. 

That's about what I paid and condition wise the four you have are better than mine. This is my Italy...

Billy...it looks like you have one of the three variations of the Egyptienne Straight versions of this series (there are also Sovereign and Piper Heidsieck versions).

One variation says "Fact. 2153" on the top, one says "Fact. 30", and the version you have with no factory #. The variation with no factory number at the top were attached to the redemption card I listed in my previous post (the first image). 

All of the above courtesy of non-sport.com. 

Interesting...so it's an early parallel, essentially! I bought it because my family has strong Italian roots, and I could afford it, lol. Although to be honest I'd pick up more if I found them where I could judge them in person...and I'll pick up the other versions of Italy someday, probably.

It looks like tobacco silks are a go. Here's a silk baseball series uploaded by Admin.

Billy I think you have a "base" example. The silk you have was actually inserted into packs of cigarettes along with the redemption card. The ones I have appear to be the redemtion type; you could only get them by sending in the cards. 

I have a little more research to do and then I'll add the set and upload the checklist.