Pre-War Cards

‘It’s In The Details’

Title	N352 Consolidated Cigarette / Paxi Cigarettes
Year	1888
Size	2″ x 3 1/4″
Images	Color
Type	19th Century Tobacco
Number in Set	100

N352 Consolidated Cigarette / Paxi Cigarettes Overview

The 1888 N352 Consolidated Cigarette set is one of the rarer baseball cards in the industry. 100 subjects (baseball and non-baseball) are mentioned on the back so it might seem like a plentiful issue. However, only a few different cards have been discovered to date.

Part of the reason that few may exist is that they are crude in nature. Die-cut issues from the R&S set have been attached to what appeared to be blank fronts. An advertisement (printed in blue ink against a cream colored background) for the Consolidated Cigarette Company along with their New York address exists on the backs.

The cut images on the fronts are believed to be scraps from sheets of illustrations from Raphael Tuck.

As stated on the backs, these “Fine colored relief cards” were packaged with Paxi brand cigarettes. 100 subjects are advertised from various sports and backgrounds. Sports issues include baseball, tennis, and football players with jockeys, fencers, track and field athletes, and others.

Barring a large find in the future, it is unlikely that a complete checklist for this rare set will ever be confirmed. A potential checklist (or most of one, anyway) could be assembled given the checklists for the R&S die-cut cards are known.

Cards from this set are surprisingly expensive. A jockey card in nice condition appeared on eBay in March 2021 and fetched just under $700.

N352 Consolidated Cigarette / Paxi Cigarettes Checklist

A full checklist is not known. However, the known cards I have seen are listed below.

1. Baseball player – Boston pitcher
2. Baseball player – Pittsburgh batter
3. Baseball player – Pittsburgh pitcher
4. Cricket player – Red and white uniform
5. Jockey – Pulling himself
6. Jockey – Seldom out of the Saddle
7. Jockey – Why shouldn’t I do?
8. Tennis – Stopping balls
9. Track and Field – Flat Race

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