1886 McLaughlin Coffee XXXX Calendar Trade Card

Posted on September 15, 2016 by Pre-War Cards

‘It’s In The Details’

Title	McLaughlin Coffee XXXX Calendar Trade Card
Year	1886
Size	2 1/8″ x 3 3/8″
Images	Color
Type	Trade/Coffee
Number in Set	1

1886 McLaughlin XXXX Coffee Calendar Trade Card Overview

McLaughlin’s XXXX Coffee brand produced a wide range of trade cards in the late 1800s. Most were non-sports subjects but several featured various sports, including baseball.

Some trade cards are difficult to date to a specific year. That isn’t the case here since some of them double as a calendar. The backs of some have an 1886 calendar meaning it was certainly produced no later than that year.

However, while Frank Keetz named this as the McLaughlin XXXX Coffee Calendar Trade Card, it is important to note that some have blank backs as well. It is unknown if other types of backs exist.

The front includes a baseball scene with children. Three are shown sitting on a fence with the McLaughlin’s XXXX Coffee name printed onto it while two are participating in a game (a batter and a catcher). The trade card was designed by Shober and Carqueville Lithograph Company, a firm based in Chicago.

Collectors should note the size of these as the cards are much smaller than most trade cards of that era.