1887 Little Rhody Cut Plug National Sports Set (N557)

Posted on September 6, 2016 by Pre-War Cards

‘It’s In The Details’

Title	N557 Little Rhody Cut Plug National Sports
Year	1887
Size	2 1/8″ x 3 7/8″
Images	Color
Type	19th Century Tobacco
Number in Set	10

1887 N557 Little Rhody Cut Plug National Sports Overview

Unlike some other early sepia-toned tobacco issues featuring female athletes such as the N48 or the N508 sets, the N557 Little Rhody set was a full-color set. It is a rare issue featuring various women in assorted sports scenes and poses.

Many different sports from around the world are depicted in the 10-card set. Most are minor, however, and baseball (obviously represented by America) is the only one of the four major sports included. Because of that, it easily commands the most interest from collectors. The others, including a tennis card representing the country of Spain, are desirable but are not as valuable as the baseball issue.

While others are not as pursued as the baseball card, all are incredibly difficult to find. You rarely see them up for auction as many, presumably, are being hoarded by type collectors. PSA, to date, has graded only two copies (neither baseball).

The cards feature colorful pictures of women in outfits for the various sports. Backs are blank with the exception of the brief advertisement of, “Smoke and chew Little Rhody Cut Plug.” Like the N300 May Cut Plug set, they are distinguishable by their unique black backgrounds on the reverse.

Another unique feature is their size. Measuring more than 2″ wide and nearly 4″ tall, these oversized cards are significantly bigger than many 19th Century tobacco cards from the same time period.