Pre-War Cards

‘It’s In The Details’

Title	T5 Pinkerton Cabinets
Year	1911
Size	4 3/4″ x 7 3/4″
Images	Black and White
Type	Tobacco
Number in Set	376 (?)

T5 Pinkerton Cabinets Overview

The 1911 T5 Pinkerton Cabinet card set includes black and white images/cards affixed to a larger blank background. They can, however, be also found unmounted. Most of the cards measure just under 5″ x 8″ but some other sizes have been reported as well.

The cabinets include a black and white picture of a player along with his name and team in a white box on various parts of the image. They are basically W530 Pinkerton Scorecards that are mounted. Some of those photos have scorecard backs, some postcard backs, and some blank backs.

It isn’t known exactly how many T5 cabinet cards are in existence but several hundred known players/variations exist. Both major and minor league players were used in the set. These were premium items that could be received in exchange for coupons from the company’s tobacco products.

These are actually cabinet cards unlike others that are classified as that, such as T3, because they are mounted onto a backing. Both cardboard and paper backings can be found. The paper backing to which the pictures are affixed is often damaged because it wasn’t as sturdy as the cardboard versions. Different mounts were used with the most common being an off-white/cream color or a gray one.

Because the mounts used were different ones, there can sometimes be confusion if an image is on a correct Pinkerton mount or if it simply a W530 Pinkerton mounted onto some other random backing. Since the T5s carry a higher value than a W530, buying a T5 with an unknown backing can present some risk.

T5 Pinkerton Cabinets Checklist

Early advertising indicates that 376 of these cabinets were available. Old Cardboard states there are nearly about 400 known today. It is unclear exactly how many there are and the set checklist may never be confirmed.

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