1921-22 E121 American Caramel Set

‘It’s In The Details’
Title | E121 American Caramel |
Year | 1921-22 |
Size | 2″ x 3 1/4″ |
Images | Black and White |
Type | Candy/Caramel |
Number in Set |
263 |
E121 American Caramel Overview
The 1921-22 E121 American Caramel set is actually two distinct sets. One is classified as a Set of 80 while the other is a Set of 120. The 80-card issue was created in 1921 while the 120-card set is from 1922.
While 200 cards are advertised, with pose variations, there are actually more than 250 different cards in the set.
As was the case from the E120 set, fronts include black and white images with the player’s name, position, and team. Backs were entirely different, though, depending on which set they were from. One stated they were part of a series of 80 cards while the other mentioned the 120-card set.
The backs also advertised that the cards were made only by the American Caramel Company in Lancaster and York, Pennsylvania.
E121 American Caramel and W575-1 Backs/Parallels
In addition to the standard American Caramel Company backs, this set was virtually reproduced to create the blank-backed W575-1 strip card set. The checklists are nearly identical.
On top of that, numerous advertisers used these same cards as indicated by their backs replacing the American Caramel reverse text. Known companies with back advertising include:
- Clark’s Bread
- Gassler’s American-Maid Bread
- Haffner’s Big-Tayto-Loaf Bread
- Henry A. Johnson
- Herpolsheimer’s
- Holsum Bread
- Keating Candy
- Leader Theater
- Lou Gertenrich Candy
- Queen City Cigar Store
- Shotwell Manufacturing Company
- Standard Biscuit (three types)
- Witmor Candy (both horizontal and vertical ads)
These backs utilize either the Set of 80 checklist, the Set of 120 checklist, or the W575-1 blank-backed checklist (the W575-1 set is basically the two sets put together with a few differences).
Here are pictures of all of the various backs mentioned above.
W501 Parallel and Poster Cuts
Finally, the cards found in the W501 set feature the same pictures/players found in E121 and W575-1 sets.
These cards are generally distinguishable by their presence of a small “G–4-22” that is often printed in the top border. There are other W501 cards found without that printing, though they are not recognized by most as W501 cards and instead are usually just classified as W575-1 cards.
Additionally, collectors should be aware that poster cuts of some sort exist for this set as well. Similar to the 19th Century album and poster cards for tobacco cards that exist, at some point, an advertising poster featuring these card is also known. Some of these cards are identifiable today by traces of black ink on them from letters, similar to the poster cuts for the N284 Buchner Gold Coin cards.
Collectors should note that not every poster cut card has black lettering such as this. A find of poster cut cards was made in 2017 and many in the group did not have the lettering as overprint ink had not appeared on them. Thus, it can be very difficult to distinguish between a hand cut E121 card and a card that was truly cut from the poster if it does not have the black overprint ink on it.
Here’s a bit more detail on the poster-cut cards.
E121 American Caramel Checklist
Two sets make up the E121 series. A set of 80 was created in 1921 and a set of 120 was created in 1922. Note that all cards below are not known with each of the various companies with advertising backs discussed above. For the most part, only a few cards for each of the various sets have been found to date and it is unknown how many of the cards in the checklists below (and the W575-1 set checklist) can be found with those various advertising backs listed above.
These are confirmed cards from PSA’s pop report.
Set of 80
- Grover Alexander (arms up)
- Grover Alexander (arm forward)
- Jim Bagby
- Home Run Baker (Frank)
- Home Run Baker (Franklin)
- Dave Bancroft (batting)
- Dave Bancroft (jumping)
- Ping Bodie
- George Burns
- George Burns
- Owen Bush
- Max Carey (batting)
- Max Carey (hands on hips)
- Cecil Causey
- Ty Cobb (manager)
- Ty Cobb (mgr.)
- Ty Cobb (no manager)
- Eddie Collins
- Rip Collins
- Jake Daubert
- George Dauss
- Charles Deal (dark)
- Charles Deal (light)
- William Doak
- Bill Donovan
- Phil Douglas
- Johnny Evers (manager)
- Johnny Evers (mgr.)
- Red Faber (dark)
- Red Faber (light)
- William Fewster
- Eddie Foster
- Frankie Frisch
- Bill Gardner
- Alexander Gaston (no position)
- Alexander Gaston (position)
- Kid Gleason
- Mike Gonzalez
- Hank Gowdy
- John Graney
- Tom Griffith
- Heinie Groh
- Harry Harper
- Harry Heilmann
- Walter Holke (portrait)
- Walter Holke (throwing)
- Charles Hollarcher
- Harry Hooper
- Rogers Hornsby
- Waite Hoyt
- Miller Huggins
- William Jacobson
- Hughie Jennings
- Walter Johnson (hands up)
- Walter Johnson (throwing)
- James Johnston
- Joe Judge
- George Kelly
- Dickie Kerr
- P.J. Kilduff
- Bill Killefer
- John Lavan
- Nemo Leibold
- Duffy Lewis
- Al Mamaux
- Rabbit Maranville
- Carl May
- Carl Mays
- John McGraw
- Jack McInnis
- M.J. McNall
- Bob Meusel
- Emil Meusel
- Clyde Milan
- Elmer Miller
- Otto Miller
- Guy Morton
- Eddie Murphy
- Hy Myers
- Art Nehf
- Charles O’Leary
- Steve O’Neill
- Roger Peckinpaugh
- Jeff Pfeffer (Brooklyn)
- Jeff Pfeffer (St. Louis)
- Wally Pipp
- Jack Quinn
- John Rawlings
- E.C. Rice
- Eppa Rixey
- Tom Rogers
- Bob Roth
- Edd Roush
- “Babe” Ruth
- Babe Ruth
- Babe Ruth (George)
- Bill Ryan
- Slim Sallee
- Ray Schalk
- Wally Schang
- Ferd Schupp
- Fred Schupp
- Everett Scott
- Hank Severeid
- Bob Shawkey
- Pat Shea
- George Sisler (batting)
- George Sisler (throwing)
- Earl Smith
- Frank Snyder
- Tris Speaker (Manager)
- Tris Speaker (Manager – Large)
- Tris Speaker (Mgr.)
- Tris Speaker (Mgr. – Large)
- Milton Stock
- Amos Strunk
- Zeb Terry
- Chester Thomas
- Fred Toney (trees)
- Fred Toney (no trees)
- George Tyler
- Jim Vaughn (dark cap)
- Jim Vaughn (white cap)
- Bob Veach (arm in air)
- Bob Veach (arms crossed)
- Oscar Vitt
- W. Wambsganss
- Aaron Ward
- Zack Wheat
- George Whitted
- Fred Williams
- Ivy Wingo
- Joe Wood
- Pep Young
Set of 120
- Babe Adams
- Grover Alexander
- Jim Bagby
- Dave Bancroft
- Turner Barber
- Bibb Falk
- Carlson Bigbee
- L. Bigbee
- Joe Bush
- Max Carey
- Cecil Causey
- Ty Cobb (batting)
- Ty Cobb (throwing)
- Eddie Collins
- Wilbur Cooper
- Stan Coveleski
- Dave Danforth
- Jake Daubert
- George Dauss
- Dixie Davis
- Lou de Vormer
- William Doak
- Phil Douglas
- Red Faber
- Ira Flagstead
- William Fewster
- Max Flack
- Frankie Frisch
- Bill Gardner
- Alexander Gaston
- E.P. Gharrity
- George Gibson
- Charles Glazner
- Kid Gleason
- Hank Gowdy
- John Graney
- Tom Griffith
- Charlie Grimm
- Heinie Groh
- Jesse Haines
- Harry Harper
- Harry Heilman
- Harry Heilmann
- Clarence Hodge
- Water Holke
- Charles Hollocher
- Harry Hooper
- Rogers Hornsby (2B)
- Rogers Hornsby (OF)
- Waite Hoyt
- Miller Huggins
- Walter Johnson
- Joe Judge
- George Kelly
- Dickie Kerr
- P.J. Kilduff
- Bill Killefer (batting)
- Bill Killefer (throwing)
- John Lavan
- Walter Mails
- Rabbit Maranville
- Elwood Martin
- Carl Mays
- John McGraw
- Jack McInnis
- M.J. McNally
- Bob Meusel
- Emil Meusel
- Clyde Milan
- Elmer Miller
- Otto Miller
- Johnny Mostil
- Eddie Mulligan
- Hy Myers
- Earl Neale
- Art Nehf
- Les Nunamaker
- Joe Oeschger
- Steve O’Neill
- Del Pratt
- John Rawlings (2B)
- John Rawlings (Utl.)
- E.C. Rice
- Eppa Rixey
- Wilbert Robinson
- Tom Rogers
- Ed Rommel
- Ed Rounnel
- Edd Roush
- Muddy Ruel
- Walter Reuthel
- “Babe” Ruth (holding ball)
- “Babe” Ruth (holding bird)
- “Babe” Ruth (montage)
- Babe Ruth (holding bird)
- Babe Ruth (montage)
- Bill Ryan
- Ray Schalk (batting)
- Ray Schalk (catching)
- Wally Schang
- Everett Scott
- Joe Sewell
- Bob Shawkey
- Pat Shea
- Earl Sheely
- Urban Shocker
- George Sisler
- Earl Smith
- Elmer Smith
- Frank Snyder
- Billy Southworth
- Tris Speaker (large)
- Tris Speaker (small)
- Milton Stock
- Amos Strunk
- Zeb Terry
- Fred Toney
- George Topocer
- Bob Veach
- Oscar Vitt
- Curtis Walker
- W. Wambsganss
- Aaron Ward
- Zack Wheat
- George Whitted (Brooklyn)
- George Whitted (Pittsburgh)
- Fred Williams
- Ivy WIngo
- Ross Youngs
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