1913 T200 Fatima Baseball Cards

Product Details

Issued by Fatima Cigarettes, 1913 T200 Fatima Baseball cards are from late in the tobacco era. As a result, a few players appear who never managed to appear on another card. The first names of two players - Herman of the Cincinnati team and Inglis of the Cubs - are unknown. Perhaps the most significant player in the set was Pittsburgh star Honus Wagner, who didn't appear in many tobacco sets.

Each card in 1913 T200 Fatima Baseball is a team photo, and all of the sixteen teams then in the major leagues at the time was included in the set. While the different teams are clear because of the players, all teams are listed as either the Americans or Nationals, depending on the league. This can seem a little confusing at first since several cities had teams in both leagues.

Unlike most tobacco cards known to hobbyists, T200 cards are actually glossy photos on paper stock. Nearly every person on the team, from the players and manager down to the mascot, are identified by their last names either above the specific player or inside a box below the picture. The 16-card checklist features a total of 369 managers, players and mascots, including 33 Hall of Fame inductees. A Fatima ad splits the team's city and league. Backs of the cards feature details on how to obtain the larger-sized cards.

There are two different sizes of 1913 T200 Fatima Baseball cards, but both are identified by the same catalog number. However, some hobbyists refer to the larger-sized cards as T200 Premiums. There is a definite difference between the two. Smaller cards measure 2-5/8 inches by 4-3/4 inches, and the large ones measure 13 inches by 21 inches. The small cards were included inside tins of Fatima cigarettes. The larger versions were mailed to smokers who sent in 40 Fatima coupons in exchange for the team of their choice. The oversized cards are virtually identical to the small cards except they do not feature the Fatima advertising on the front. Also, the backs of the T200 Premiums are blank.

With the smaller version of the set, there are distinct levels of scarcity in 1913 T200 Fatima Baseball. The Boston Braves (NL) card is the toughest, followed by the New York Yankees (AL) and St. Louis Browns (AL). The Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Cardinals, both in the American League, are also tough. The most commonly found teams are the Philadelphia Athletics (AL), Boston Red Sox (AL), New York Giants (NL), Brooklyn Dodgers (NL), Cleveland Naps (AL) and Cincinnati Red (NL). All the larger cards are incredibly scarce overall, but no specific card is any more rare than the others.

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