1915 Ogden’s Boxers Set and Checklist

Posted on November 8, 2016 by Pre-War Cards

‘It’s In The Details’

Title	Ogden’s Boxers
Year	1915
Size	1 5/8″ x 2 9/16″
Images	Color
Type	Tobacco
Number in Set	50

1915 Ogden’s Boxers Set Overview

Joe Jeanette 1915 Ogden's Boxing This release issued by Ogden’s tobacco company for its cigarette packages in 1915. 50 cards are in the set, which features famous boxers. The set was one of several that Ogden’s created with boxers in it.

Similar to the 1888-89 Allen & Ginter N28 and N29 series, pictures of the athletes stand out as they are set against a plain white background. Pictures are portraits/headshots and the backs have a biography of the subject pictured on the front. Backs also include a card number and indicate that 50 are included in the set.

The cards are quite similar to an earlier Ogden’s issue from 1908 and 1909, simply known as the Ogden’s Pugilists and Wrestlers set. While the cards utilize the same design as those, often confusing collectors, there are many differences between the two releases.

Here’s a comparison of the two sets.

Several of the sport’s stars are found in this release, including Jim Driscoll, Georges Carpentier, and Jess Willard, among several other Hall of Famers. Still, the set is not nearly as star studded as the earlier Ogden’s set that includes the rookie card of Jack Johnson as well as numerous other cards of key boxers and wrestlers.

Willard’s card is notable as it is viewed as a rookie issue of the fighter who defeated Johnson or the title. The only other Willard rookie candidate that I have found that may have been issued earlier is his appearance in the 1909-16 Max Stein postcards series. While not very expensive, his card is typically one of the more valuable ones in the set.