1920-21 W516 IFS Strip Card Set and Checklist

‘It’s In The Details’

Title W516 Strip
Year 1920-21
Size 1 3/8″ x 2 7/16″
Images Color
Type Strip
Number in Set
30

W516 IFS Strip Card Overview

w516-1-2-07-hornsby

Five variation sets, each containing the same 30 players, make up the W516 IFS series. The sets have differences such as names written crudely by hand or are typed. Other differences include reversed images and the card numbers are not all the same.

The one constant in the set is that each card has an IFS (International Feature Service) copyright. Because some of the cards were reversed, the copyright can also be seen with a reverse.

Fronts include color images and player names, positions, and teams. Backs are blank.

Here are the five types of the W516 issues:

  • W516-1-1: Handwritten information at bottom
  • W516-1-2: Same as W516-1-1, but with reversed images
  • W516-2-1: Typed information at bottom and different numbering with reversed images from W516-2-3
  • W516-2-2: Handwritten information at bottom but with W516-2-1 numbering
  • W516-2-3: Typed information at bottom with standard images (opposite of W516-2-1)

In addition to these five types, Old Cardboard cites a similar issue that is unclassified and called the “Blue and Orange” set. The cards used the same images as the ones in this set but have only orange backgrounds with blue ink, different font for the names, and no team, position, number, copyright.

Here are pictures of the 30 different players in the set.

L.A. Becker Cards

w516 becker backs pictureWhile uncommon, a significant number of cards have been found with a mysterious message and the name L.A. Becker.

The message invites collectors to save their ‘tablet fronts’ to win a prize.

While unclear, it appears to be a message to students of some sort with L.A. Becker as the teacher. Numerous mysteries still abound regarding these cards and the identity (and even gender) of Becker are uncertain.

Despite the writing, though, these cards are collected by some. Typically, their value will exceed that of a regular common card. How many exist is, as you would expect, entirely unknown.

Here’s more information on these mysterious cards.

W516 Strip Card Checklist

Note that while the 30 players are the same ones in the five variation sets, there are two different sets of numbering as indicated below.

W516-1-1, W516-1-2

  1. Babe Ruth
  2. Heinie Groh
  3. Ping Bodie
  4. Ray Schalk
  5. Tris Speaker
  6. Ty Cobb
  7. Rogers Hornsby
  8. Walter Johnson
  9. Grover Alexander
  10. George Burns
  11. Jimmy Ring
  12. Jesse Barnes
  13. Larry Doyle
  14. Art Fletcher
  15. Dick Rudolph
  16. Benny Kauff
  17. Art Nehf
  18. Babe Adams
  19. Wilbur Cooper
  20. Roger Peckinpaugh
  21. Eddie Cicotte
  22. Hank Gowdy
  23. Eddie Collins
  24. Christy Mathewson
  25. Clyde Milan
  26. M. Kelley
  27. Ed Hooper
  28. Pep Young
  29. Edd Roush
  30. George Bancroft

W516-2-1, W516-2-2, and W516-2-3

  1. George Burns
  2. Grover Alexander
  3. Walter Johnson
  4. Rogers Hornsby
  5. Ty Cobb
  6. Tris Speaker
  7. Ray Schalk
  8. Ping Bodie
  9. Heinie Groh
  10. Babe Ruth
  11. Roger Peckinpaugh
  12. Wilbur Cooper
  13. Babe Adams
  14. Art Nehf
  15. Benny Kauff
  16. Dick Rudolph
  17. Art Fletcher
  18. Larry Doyle
  19. Jesse Barnes
  20. Jimmy Ring
  21. Dave Bancroft
  22. Edd Roush
  23. Pep Young
  24. Harry Hooper
  25. M. Kelley
  26. Clyde Milan
  27. Christy Mathewson
  28. Eddie Collins
  29. Hank Gowdy
  30. Eddie Cicotte

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