1907 Mitchell’s Sports Set and Checklist

‘It’s In The Details’

Title Mitchell’s Sports
Year 1907
Size 1 3/8″ x 2 5/8″
Images Color
Type Tobacco
Number in Set
25

1907 Mitchell’s Sports Overview

1907 Mitchell Sport Golf1907 Mitchell Sport TennisThis rare set was by Stephen Mitchell and Son Company, one of many tobacco firms that was a branch of the Imperial Tobacco conglomerate. Cards were distributed in packages of Mitchell’s Cigarettes in 1907.

The series is simply named ‘Sports’ and includes a variety of generic athletes depicted playing numerous sports. Among those featured are tennis, boxing, golf, and wrestling. Most sports are pictured only a single time but cricket is featured on two cards (cricket and bowling) and there are also a handful of track and field related cards.

Unlike many other UK tobacco card issues that were issued later, this set is quite rare and highly desired. Commons can sell for $10-$20 with the key sports cards being significantly more.

Cards feature colorful pictures on the front, along with the name of the sport and the Mitchell’s Cigarettes name, and a unique back advertisement using a chocolate brown ink, imploring collectors to smoke “Prize Crop Cigarettes.” The card backs also state there are a total of 25 cards in the set, though it does not identify them or offer card numbers.

Like other early multi-sport sets, there are several here that are often of little importance to American sports collectors, such as a few hunting cards.

1907 Mitchell’s Sports Checklist

  1. Archery
  2. Bowling
  3. Boxing
  4. Cricket
  5. Curling
  6. Diving
  7. Football (Soccer)
  8. Fox Hunting
  9. Golf
  10. Hammer Throwing
  11. High Jumping
  12. Hockey
  13. Horse Racing
  14. Hurdle Racing
  15. Otter Hunting
  16. Polo
  17. Quoits
  18. Rugby Football
  19. Sculling
  20. Skating
  21. Sprinting
  22. Swimming
  23. Tennis
  24. Wrestling
  25. Yachting

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