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

E121 American Caramel Back

pe121master2 - CopyThe 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:

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

E121 American Caramel Poster Cut Ivy WingoEddie Collins E121 American Caramel Poster CutFinally, 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

  1. Grover Alexander (arms up)
  2. Grover Alexander (arm forward)
  3. Jim Bagby
  4. Home Run Baker (Frank)
  5. Home Run Baker (Franklin)
  6. Dave Bancroft (batting)
  7. Dave Bancroft (jumping)
  8. Ping Bodie
  9. George Burns
  10. George Burns
  11. Owen Bush
  12. Max Carey (batting)
  13. Max Carey (hands on hips)
  14. Cecil Causey
  15. Ty Cobb (manager)
  16. Ty Cobb (mgr.)
  17. Ty Cobb (no manager)
  18. Eddie Collins
  19. Rip Collins
  20. Jake Daubert
  21. George Dauss
  22. Charles Deal (dark)
  23. Charles Deal (light)
  24. William Doak
  25. Bill Donovan
  26. Phil Douglas
  27. Johnny Evers (manager)
  28. Johnny Evers (mgr.)
  29. Red Faber (dark)
  30. Red Faber (light)
  31. William Fewster
  32. Eddie Foster
  33. Frankie Frisch
  34. Bill Gardner
  35. Alexander Gaston (no position)
  36. Alexander Gaston (position)
  37. Kid Gleason
  38. Mike Gonzalez
  39. Hank Gowdy
  40. John Graney
  41. Tom Griffith
  42. Heinie Groh
  43. Harry Harper
  44. Harry Heilmann
  45. Walter Holke (portrait)
  46. Walter Holke (throwing)
  47. Charles Hollarcher
  48. Harry Hooper
  49. Rogers Hornsby
  50. Waite Hoyt
  51. Miller Huggins
  52. William Jacobson
  53. Hughie Jennings
  54. Walter Johnson (hands up)
  55. Walter Johnson (throwing)
  56. James Johnston
  57. Joe Judge
  58. George Kelly
  59. Dickie Kerr
  60. P.J. Kilduff
  61. Bill Killefer
  62. John Lavan
  63. Nemo Leibold
  64. Duffy Lewis
  65. Al Mamaux
  66. Rabbit Maranville
  67. Carl May
  68. Carl Mays
  69. John McGraw
  70. Jack McInnis
  71. M.J. McNall
  72. Bob Meusel
  73. Emil Meusel
  74. Clyde Milan
  75. Elmer Miller
  76. Otto Miller
  77. Guy Morton
  78. Eddie Murphy
  79. Hy Myers
  80. Art Nehf
  81. Charles O’Leary
  82. Steve O’Neill
  83. Roger Peckinpaugh
  84. Jeff Pfeffer (Brooklyn)
  85. Jeff Pfeffer (St. Louis)
  86. Wally Pipp
  87. Jack Quinn
  88. John Rawlings
  89. E.C. Rice
  90. Eppa Rixey
  91. Tom Rogers
  92. Bob Roth
  93. Edd Roush
  94. “Babe” Ruth
  95. Babe Ruth
  96. Babe Ruth (George)
  97. Bill Ryan
  98. Slim Sallee
  99. Ray Schalk
  100. Wally Schang
  101. Ferd Schupp
  102. Fred Schupp
  103. Everett Scott
  104. Hank Severeid
  105. Bob Shawkey
  106. Pat Shea
  107. George Sisler (batting)
  108. George Sisler (throwing)
  109. Earl Smith
  110. Frank Snyder
  111. Tris Speaker (Manager)
  112. Tris Speaker (Manager – Large)
  113. Tris Speaker (Mgr.)
  114. Tris Speaker (Mgr. – Large)
  115. Milton Stock
  116. Amos Strunk
  117. Zeb Terry
  118. Chester Thomas
  119. Fred Toney (trees)
  120. Fred Toney (no trees)
  121. George Tyler
  122. Jim Vaughn (dark cap)
  123. Jim Vaughn (white cap)
  124. Bob Veach (arm in air)
  125. Bob Veach (arms crossed)
  126. Oscar Vitt
  127. W. Wambsganss
  128. Aaron Ward
  129. Zack Wheat
  130. George Whitted
  131. Fred Williams
  132. Ivy Wingo
  133. Joe Wood
  134. Pep Young

Set of 120

  1. Babe Adams
  2. Grover Alexander
  3. Jim Bagby
  4. Dave Bancroft
  5. Turner Barber
  6. Bibb Falk
  7. Carlson Bigbee
  8. L. Bigbee
  9. Joe Bush
  10. Max Carey
  11. Cecil Causey
  12. Ty Cobb (batting)
  13. Ty Cobb (throwing)
  14. Eddie Collins
  15. Wilbur Cooper
  16. Stan Coveleski
  17. Dave Danforth
  18. Jake Daubert
  19. George Dauss
  20. Dixie Davis
  21. Lou de Vormer
  22. William Doak
  23. Phil Douglas
  24. Red Faber
  25. Ira Flagstead
  26. William Fewster
  27. Max Flack
  28. Frankie Frisch
  29. Bill Gardner
  30. Alexander Gaston
  31. E.P. Gharrity
  32. George Gibson
  33. Charles Glazner
  34. Kid Gleason
  35. Hank Gowdy
  36. John Graney
  37. Tom Griffith
  38. Charlie Grimm
  39. Heinie Groh
  40. Jesse Haines
  41. Harry Harper
  42. Harry Heilman
  43. Harry Heilmann
  44. Clarence Hodge
  45. Water Holke
  46. Charles Hollocher
  47. Harry Hooper
  48. Rogers Hornsby (2B)
  49. Rogers Hornsby (OF)
  50. Waite Hoyt
  51. Miller Huggins
  52. Walter Johnson
  53. Joe Judge
  54. George Kelly
  55. Dickie Kerr
  56. P.J. Kilduff
  57. Bill Killefer (batting)
  58. Bill Killefer (throwing)
  59. John Lavan
  60. Walter Mails
  61. Rabbit Maranville
  62. Elwood Martin
  63. Carl Mays
  64. John McGraw
  65. Jack McInnis
  66. M.J. McNally
  67. Bob Meusel
  68. Emil Meusel
  69. Clyde Milan
  70. Elmer Miller
  71. Otto Miller
  72. Johnny Mostil
  73. Eddie Mulligan
  74. Hy Myers
  75. Earl Neale
  76. Art Nehf
  77. Les Nunamaker
  78. Joe Oeschger
  79. Steve O’Neill
  80. Del Pratt
  81. John Rawlings (2B)
  82. John Rawlings (Utl.)
  83. E.C. Rice
  84. Eppa Rixey
  85. Wilbert Robinson
  86. Tom Rogers
  87. Ed Rommel
  88. Ed Rounnel
  89. Edd Roush
  90. Muddy Ruel
  91. Walter Reuthel
  92. “Babe” Ruth (holding ball)
  93. “Babe” Ruth (holding bird)
  94. “Babe” Ruth (montage)
  95. Babe Ruth (holding bird)
  96. Babe Ruth (montage)
  97. Bill Ryan
  98. Ray Schalk (batting)
  99. Ray Schalk (catching)
  100. Wally Schang
  101. Everett Scott
  102. Joe Sewell
  103. Bob Shawkey
  104. Pat Shea
  105. Earl Sheely
  106. Urban Shocker
  107. George Sisler
  108. Earl Smith
  109. Elmer Smith
  110. Frank Snyder
  111. Billy Southworth
  112. Tris Speaker (large)
  113. Tris Speaker (small)
  114. Milton Stock
  115. Amos Strunk
  116. Zeb Terry
  117. Fred Toney
  118. George Topocer
  119. Bob Veach
  120. Oscar Vitt
  121. Curtis Walker
  122. W. Wambsganss
  123. Aaron Ward
  124. Zack Wheat
  125. George Whitted (Brooklyn)
  126. George Whitted (Pittsburgh)
  127. Fred Williams
  128. Ivy WIngo
  129. Ross Youngs

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