In 1911, the American Tobacco Company released its sequel to the T206 "White Border" series with the T205 "Gold Border" set. Consisting of 208 different cards measuring 1-7/16" by 2-5/8", the colorful portraits, intricate design and uniquely golden borders made the T205 set an instant classic. Although 198 players are represented, a few multiple poses and some variations account for the higher accepted total. (The American Card Catalog's applied a lower listing number – T205 vs. T206 – simply because "Gold" comes before "White" alphabetically.)

T205 Gold Borders are credited with being the first issue with player bios and statistics on the backs. American League players have a baseball diamond surrounding their portrait image on the obverse with two crossed bats projecting outward from the bottom. National League players have a simple color background with the first-ever use of a facsimile autograph across the bottom. There are even 12 Minor Leaguers included with noticeably different borders. The cards were inserted into various brands of cigarettes including Hassan, Polar Bear, American Beauty, Cycle, Piedmont, Sovereign, Sweet Caporal, Honest, Broad Leaf, Hindu and Drum. Due to common chipping of the edges and the overall fragility of T205s, they are extremely difficult to find in even mid-grade condition.

Presented here is a newly discovered T205 collection that has been stored away in Southern California for well over three decades. Fresh to the hobby, the partial set contains 106 of the 208 cards including five rare Broad Leaf backs. We submitted 15 to SGC for grading and ten came back in the VG/EX 4 to EX 5 range. Here are the graded results:

BROAD LEAF: Beals Becker - SGC EX 5 (highest graded, pop 1); George Paskert - SGC EX 5 (only one higher); Jack Quinn - SGC VG/EX+ 4.5 (highest graded, pop 1); William Bergen - SGC VG/EX 4 (highest graded, pop 2); Russell Blackburne - SGC VG/EX 4 (highest graded, pop 2)

CYCLE: Patrick Moran (No Stray Line) - SGC VG 3 (only one higher)

POLAR BEAR: Mordecai "Three Fingers" Brown (HOF) - SGC PR 1

SWEET CAPORAL: Frank Lang - SGC EX 5 (only eight higher, EX/MT 6 is highest grade); Sherwood Magee - SGC Authentic (Color Added)

PIEDMONT: Fred Clarke (HOF) - SGC VG/EX+ 4.5; Bobby Wallace (HOF) - SGC VG/EX 4; James "Hippo" Vaughn - SGC VG/EX 4; Bill Carrigan - SGC VG/EX 4; Edward Grant - SGC GD+ 2.5; Robert Harmon - SGC GD 2

The 91 raw cards vary in condition from AUTH/PR to EX. They include (alphabetically): Archer PR; Ames GD; Bailey (w/ Sovereign back) GD(MK); Ball VG; Barger (full "B" on cap) VG+; Beck VG; Bell VG; Birmingham FR/GD; Bransfield PR; Bridwell GD; Byrne GD; Camnitz VG-EX+; Crandall ("t" not crossed) GD; Devlin FR; Dooin VG; Doolan (w/ Sovereign back) GD; Patsy Dougherty (White Sox w/ Sovereign back) FR; Downey GD(MK); Dygert VG-EX; Kid Elberfeld FR/GD; Engle GD+; Evans FR (OC, MK); Ewing VG-EX; Ferguson GD; Fletcher GD; Flynn GD; Russ Ford (White Cap) GD; Foxen GD+; Fromme FR/GD; Gardner VG+; Gaspar (w/ Polar Bear back) PR; Goode VG; Dolly Gray (stats on back) FR; Graham (Rustlers) PR; Hartsel VG-EX; Hemphill VG; Hummell FR; Jacklitsch VG; Hugh Jennings (HOF) FR(MK); D. Jones VG; Tom Jones EX; Killian (w/ Polar Bear back) AUTH (Trimmed); Kling PR (MK); Jack Knight VG; Konetchy VG-EX; Krause GD; Kroh EX; LaPorte FR; Arlie Latham (A. Latham on back) GD+(MK); Leever VG+; Lennox PR; Bris Lord VG-EX; Harry Lord VG; Lush GD+; Maddox (w/ Honest Long Cut back) FR; Rube Marquard (HOF) GD; Mattern EX; McBride GD+; McElveen (w/ Polar Bear back) PR/FR; McIntire (Cubs) VG-EX; McIntyre (White Sox) FR; McConnell (w/ Hassan back) VG; Milan GD+; Miller VG-EX; Mullen FR; Danny Murphy EX; Murray GD; Needham PR; O'Leary EX; Oakes VG; Oldring FR; Parent VG; Payne VG; Pelty VG; Phillippe GD; Richie GD; John Rowan VG; Rucker (w/ Polar Bear back) PR; Schaefer FR; Schlei FR/GD; Boss Schmidt (w/ Sovereign back) VG; Schulte EX; Snodgrass GD; Stahl VG; Stanage (w/ Sovereign back) GD+; Stovall FR; Tannehill VG; Turner AUTH (Trimmed); Doc White VG; Wilson FR/GD; Wolter VG-EX