1923 Curtis Ireland Candy Set (E123)

‘It’s In The Details’

Title E123 Curtis Ireland
Year 1923
Size 2″ x 3 1/4″
Images Black and White
Type Candy/Caramel
Number in Set
180

E123 Curtis Ireland Candy Overview

E123 Curtis Ireland BackE123 Curtis IrelandThe E123 Curtis Ireland candy cards are an intriguing issue.

The Curtis Ireland Candy Corporation was a St. Louis-based entity. The cards were issued with the company’s ‘All Star Bar’ product (which was sold for five cents) in 1923. It is not positively known if the cards were distributed outside of Missouri. However, this could have been a very regional set and the surviving population seems to indicate that. To date, the three major grading companies (PSA, SGC, and Beckett) have graded fewer than 200 of these.

Card fronts lack color but include a player image along with a replica signature. Missing from these cards are the popular player names and team names printed along the bottom.

The set includes numerous stars and is believed to have the same checklist as the Canadian V100 Willard’s Chocolate set. The biggest difference between the sets is that the V100 issue includes cards with entirely blank backs while these included a special contest (outlined below). That set is basically the Canadian version of the E123 release. Far more of the Canadian cards are known to exist.

At 180 cards in the checklist, it’s also one of the largest E-Card sets.

E123 Curtis Ireland Candy Contest and Canceled Cards

Backs include a long description of a unique contest for collectors of these cards. The top ten collectors with the most number of different cards during any month would receive a Spalding National League baseball. The ten collectors also having the most of any one card would also receive the same prize.

Starting in April 1923, the company would give away at least 20 baseballs in any given month. Names of winners were printed in the St. Louis Globe-Democrat.

Cards were found in packages of Ireland’s All-Star Bar, which carried a five-cent price tag. Collectors mailing cards in to the contest could also get them back by including a two-cent stamp with their cards. However, the company would mark them ‘Cancelled’ so they could not be used again the following month.

The contest ended in October 1923.

Interestingly, these canceled cards are not known to the hobby and it is not even known if any were even marked as such. Here’s more on the mystery of the canceled cards that don’t appear to exist.

1923 Curtis Ireland Candy Checklist

  1. Babe Adams
  2. Grover Alexander
  3. Jimmy Austin
  4. J.C. Bagby
  5. Home Run Baker
  6. Dave Bancroft
  7. Turner Barber
  8. Jesse Barnes
  9. J.C. Bassler
  10. L.A. Blue
  11. Norm Boeckel
  12. F.L. Brazil
  13. George Burns
  14. George Burns
  15. Leon Cadore
  16. Max Carey
  17. Harold Carolson
  18. Lloyd Christenberry
  19. Vern Clemons
  20. Ty Cobb
  21. Bert Cole
  22. John Collins
  23. Stan Coveleski
  24. Walton Cruise
  25. G.W. Cutshaw
  26. Jake Daubert
  27. George Dauss
  28. F.T. Davis
  29. Charles Deal
  30. William Doak
  31. Bill Donovan
  32. Hugh Duffy
  33. J.A. Dugan
  34. Louis Duncan
  35. James Dykes
  36. H.J. Ehmke
  37. F.R. Ellerbe
  38. E.G. Erickson
  39. Johnny Evers
  40. Red Faber
  41. B.A. Falk
  42. Max Flack
  43. Lee Fohl
  44. Jacques Fornier
  45. Frankie Frisch
  46. C.E. Galloway
  47. W.C. Gardner
  48. E.P. Gharrity
  49. George Gibson
  50. Bill Gleason
  51. Bill Gleason
  52. Hank Gowdy
  53. I.M. Griffin
  54. Tom Griffith
  55. Burleigh Grimes
  56. Charlie Grimm
  57. Jesse Haines
  58. S.R. Harris
  59. W.B. Harris
  60. R.K. Hasty
  61. H.E. Heilmann
  62. Walter Henline
  63. Walter Holke
  64. Charles Hollocher
  65. Harry Hooper
  66. Rogers Hornsby
  67. Waite Hoyt
  68. Miller Huggins
  69. W.C. Jacobsen
  70. C.D. Jamieson
  71. Ernest Johnson
  72. Walter Johnson
  73. James Johnston
  74. R.W. Jones
  75. Sam Jones
  76. J.I. Judge
  77. James Keenan
  78. George Kelly
  79. Peter Kilduff
  80. Bill Killefer
  81. Lee King
  82. Ray Kolp
  83. John Lavan
  84. H.L. Leibold
  85. Connie Mack
  86. J.W. Mails
  87. Rabbit Maranville
  88. Rube Marquard
  89. C.W. Mays
  90. George McBride
  91. H.M. McClellan
  92. John McGraw
  93. Austin McHenry
  94. J. McInnis
  95. Doug McWeeney
  96. Mike Menosky
  97. Emil Meusel
  98. R. Meusel
  99. Henry Meyers
  100. J.C. Milan
  101. John Miljus
  102. Edmund Miller
  103. Elmer Miller
  104. Otto Miller
  105. Fred Mitchell
  106. George Mogridge
  107. Pat Moran
  108. John Morrison
  109. J.A. Mostil
  110. Clarence Mueller
  111. Earle Neale
  112. Joe Oeschger
  113. Bob O’Farrell
  114. J.C. Oldham
  115. I.M. Olson
  116. George O’Neil
  117. S.F. O’Neill
  118. Frank Parkinson
  119. George Paskert
  120. Roger Peckinpaugh
  121. Herb Pennock
  122. Ralph Perkins
  123. E. Pfeffer
  124. Wally Pipp
  125. Charles Ponder
  126. Raymond Powell
  127. D.B. Pratt
  128. Joe Rapp
  129. John Rawlings
  130. E.C. Rice
  131. Branch Rickey
  132. James Ring
  133. Eppa Rixey
  134. Davis Robertson
  135. Edwin Rommel
  136. Edd Roush
  137. Muddy Ruel
  138. Allen Russell
  139. Babe Ruth
  140. Wilfred Ryan
  141. Slim Sallee
  142. Wally Schang
  143. Ray Schmandt
  144. Everett Scott
  145. Henry Severeid
  146. Joe Sewell
  147. Howard Shanks
  148. E.H. Sheely
  149. Ralph Skinners
  150. U.J. Shocker
  151. George Sisler
  152. Earl Smith
  153. Earl Smith
  154. George Smith
  155. J.W. Smith
  156. Tris Speaker
  157. Arnold Statz
  158. Riggs Stephenson
  159. Milton Stock
  160. John Sullivan
  161. H.F. Thormahlen
  162. James Tierney
  163. J.T. Tobin
  164. James Vaughn
  165. Bobby Veach
  166. C.W. Walker
  167. A.L. Ward
  168. Zack Wheat
  169. George Whitted
  170. Irv Wilhelm
  171. Roy Wilkinson
  172. Fred Williams
  173. K.R. Williams
  174. Samuel Wilson
  175. Ivy Wingo
  176. L.W. Witt
  177. Joe Wood
  178. E. Yaryan
  179. R.S. Young
  180. Ross Youngs

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