1921/1922 W575 Strip Card Set and Checklist

‘It’s In The Details’

Title W575 Strip
Year 1921 or 1922
Size 2″ x 3 1/4″
Images Black and White
Type Strip
Number in Set
263 (?)

1921/1922 W575 Strip Overview

pw5752schedule2players001.jpg

W575-2

e121

W575-1

The W575 strip card set is comprised of two separate issues known as W575-1 and W575-2. Both issues are black and white but look distinctly different.

These cards are mostly recognized as a 1922 issue but it is believed that printing could have started as early as 1921.

W575-1 is a much larger and more complicated issue. It is also much more popular than its smaller counterpart.

The W575-1 set includes the player’s name, position, and team printed at the bottom. These are a mirror image of the E121 American Caramel cards in terms of design. The checklist also is nearly identical to the one from that set. The big difference is that, instead of an American Caramel advertisement, the backs of the standard W575-1s are blank.

The W575-2 set isn’t nearly as complicated as its W575-1 counterpart. These cards include a replica signature over the player’s black and white image, but nothing printed at the bottom.

W575-1 Back Variations

W575-1 strip cards were also used by a number of companies and advertisers. Instead of having blank backs, these companies had their names printed or stamped onto the backs of these cards and distributed them as sort of an advertisement.

Numerous advertisers used these same cards as indicated by their backs. Known companies producing cards with back advertising include:

These backs utilize either the E121 Set of 80 checklist, the E121 Set of 120 checklist, or the W575-1 blank-backed checklist (which includes cards from both of those sets).

Here are pictures of all of the various backs mentioned above.

Koester’s Bread Cards

Jennings Koester BreadAs if all of that wasn’t confusing enough, the W575-1 set has another wrinkle to it as the Koester’s Bread cards (categorized as D383) used the same design and many of the same players. However, the Koester’s Bread cards are a completely different set.

The most unique aspect of the card, perhaps, is that it is entirely a New York issue. The cards were printed for New York-based Koester Bread and players in the set are either members of the Yankees or Giants. The set was possibly created as part of a promotion surrounding the World Series, which included both of those teams.

A big problem regarding this set is that it can be very difficult to tell them from the regular, blank-backed W575-1 cards. Many of the Koester cards were not printed in the W575-1 set, so any of those would definitely be Koester cards. However, a good chunk were printed in both sets and can be harder to tell.

One distinguishing feature is that many of these cards are on thicker stock and have been cut out from a poster/display. The thicker ones are generally believed to be Koester’s cards and not E121s. However, others were not quite as thick and are believed to have been distributed in the company’s bread products.

This thread has a lot of detailed information on how to tell which cards from which.

These cards are extremely rare. To date, SGC and PSA have graded only a little more than 125 of them.

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.

W575 Strip Checklist

While the W575-2 set can easily be checklisted, trying to determine a completely accurate W575-1 checklist is a shot in the dark. The checklist almost lines up entirely with the E121 sets (Set of 80 and Set of 120) but every single card has not yet been found with a blank back to make it a W575-1.

Even attempts to accurately checklist the W575-1 set have been somewhat hollow. Some cards listed as W575-1 cards can actually be from other issues. For example, some cards classified as W575-1 can actually be Koester’s Bread cards – another blank-backed issue using the same design.

Because of the widespread confusion on pinpointing an exact W575-1 checklist, using the E121 Set of 80 and Set of 120 checklists for the W575-1 checklist (even if certain cards have not been yet found with the W575-1 blank backs) is what I have done below. Therefore, the checklist is a theoretical checklist.

W575-1 Part One (E121 Set of 80 cards)

  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

W575-1 Part Two (E121 Set of 120 cards)

  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

W575-2 Checklist

  1. Dave Bancroft
  2. Johnnie Bassler
  3. Joe Bush
  4. Ty Cobb
  5. Eddie Collins
  6. Stan Coveleski
  7. Jake Daubert
  8. Joe Dugan
  9. Red Faber
  10. Frankie Frisch
  11. Walter Gerber
  12. Harry Heilmann
  13. Harry Hooper
  14. Rogers Hornsby
  15. Waite Hoyt
  16. Joe Judge
  17. George Kelly
  18. Rabbit Maranville
  19. Rube Marquard
  20. Guy Morton
  21. Art Nehf
  22. Del Pratt
  23. Jimmy Ring
  24. Eppa Rixey
  25. Gene Robertson
  26. Ed Rommel
  27. Babe Ruth
  28. Wally Schang
  29. Everett Scott
  30. Henry Severeid
  31. Joe Sewell
  32. George Sisler
  33. Tris Speaker
  34. Riggs Stephenson
  35. Zeb Terry
  36. Bobby Veach
  37. Clarence Walker
  38. Johnnie Walker
  39. Zack Wheat
  40. Ken Williams

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