1912 J=K Candy Set and Checklist

Posted on September 2, 2016 by Pre-War Cards

‘It’s In The Details’

Title	J=K Candy
Year	1912
Size	Various
Images	Black and White/Color
Type	Candy/Caramel
Number in Set	100

1912 J=K Candy Overview

J=K2

The 1912 J=K Candy set includes two different types of cards. These issues were printed on the sides of candy boxes, which may be part of the reason they went uncatalogued by Jefferson Burdick in his American Card Catalog. That, however, is unlikely since Burdick did catalog the E271 Darby Chocolates cards, which were also printed on boxes.

The J=K name is certainly an odd one. But that weird abbreviation stood for a candymaker or distributor named J. Koenigsberg, who issued these cards on boxes of candy and jewelry.

One type is a black and white image while the other is in color. Both types contain a player image and his name and team printed along the bottom. The picture is in a decorative frame border with somewhat rounded corners. Many images in the set were used in other popular trading cards at the time, including the popular T206 set.

The black and white cards are considered Type 1 while the color cards are Type 2. The black and white cards are smaller. Black and white cards (Type I – approximately 1 7/8″ by 2 7/8″) were reportedly printed on the backs of the candy boxes while the cards with color were found on the fronts (Type II – approximately 1 7/8″ x 3 1/2″). Because the cards are hand cut from the boxes, exact sizes for them can vary. Both versions are incredibly rare.

A word about dating should be mentioned as well. The set is often listed as a 1912 issue, though that may not be correct. For example, the set includes Chick Lathers, a Detroit Tigers player that did not last long in the majors. Lathers played only parts of 1910 and 1911 before his major league career was over. It is possible that some of the cards were printed slightly earlier.

An Expanding Set

100 cards are believed to be in the set. However, nowhere near that amount of different cards have been found.

Because the cards are so rare (several have only one known card), new ones are being discovered in recent years. Hall of Famer Home Run Baker, for example, was discovered in 2012. And in 2020, a major discovery by Heritage led to eight new cards being added to the checklist, including the legendary Ty Cobb.

One thing is likely certain — the checklist as it is known now is not likely complete.

1912 J=K Candy Checklist

Note that checklisting this set has proved to be incredibly hard. While I have confirmed most cards, note that I have not been able to confirm cards in bold font below. Those cards are listed in hobby checklists but I have not been able to confirm their existence.