Coontown C-931 / C-934 Trade Cards Set and Checklist

Posted on October 1, 2016 by Pre-War Cards

‘It’s In The Details’

Title	Coontown Trade Cards (C-931 and C-934)
Year	Unknown
Size	2 3/4″ x 4 1/2″
Images	Color
Type	Trade Card
Number in Set	6

Coontown Trade Cards (C-931 / C-934) Overview

Coontown C931 Curling Trade Card These trade cards are an early sports issue that served as an advertisement for various companies. Several sports are included in the set but the most desired card is one picturing a football game.

The cards feature a group of African Americans playing various sports. The derogatory name of ‘Coontown’ is printed at the top as the name of a fictitious town for African Americans. Other captions give more information about the scene pictured. The scenes are also exaggerated in nature with images that are mostly considered to be offensive.

Specific companies printed their own information in a blank area in the lower right portion of the card.

The cards were printed in color but they have been found with varying degrees of intensity. Some appear bright while others are more muted. These trade cards are rare and not easily found.

There are at least two versions of these cards. A more common version has C-931 in the corner while a second version has C-934. C-934 cards are more colorful and appear to be rarer. Again, though, both types, however, are quite difficult to find.