1909-11 T206 Admiral Schlei (Catching)
1909–11 T206 Admiral Schlei
New York Giants · National League · 150-350 print series
The 1909–1911 T206 Admiral Schlei (“Catching” pose) is part of the legendary “White Border” tobacco set — The Monster. This card depicts Admiral Schlei, a member of the historic New York Giants (National League), and was printed in the 150-350 series, known with 6 tobacco-brand backs. Across PSA and SGC, roughly 951 examples have been graded, with only 35 in NM 7 or better — a reminder of how tough this issue is in high grade.
About Admiral Schlei
George Henry "Admiral" Schlei was a dead-ball-era catcher who played all or part of eight big-league seasons between 1904 and 1911. A Cincinnati native who attended St. Xavier High School and came up through minor-league stops at Louisville, Memphis, and Greenville, he reached the majors with his hometown Cincinnati Reds in 1904 and served as their regular backstop through 1908. A dependable defender rather than a hitter, he led National League catchers in assists (153) and double plays (16) in 1905 and is remembered as the first Reds catcher to wear shin guards. After the 1908 season he went to the New York Giants in the three-way trade that sent star catcher Roger Bresnahan to St. Louis, and he caught for John McGraw's club from 1909 to 1911, the years covered by his T206 cards. Over 640 games he batted .237 with 6 home runs and 209 RBIs and fielded a solid .968. His nickname "Admiral" is generally attributed to the phonetic likeness of his surname to Rear Admiral Winfield Scott Schley, the Spanish-American War naval hero. Schlei never reached the Hall of Fame and is a common, affordable subject in the set.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Confirmed backs (6)
Chip colour marks each back's rarity tier. See the full T206 back rarity ranking →
Population (PSA · SGC)
| Grader | Total | NM 7+ | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 & Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 595 | 30 | 23 | 72 | 137 | 130 | 114 | 89 |
| SGC | 356 | 5 | 8 | 43 | 44 | 93 | 65 | 98 |
NM 7+ bundles grades 7–10; 1 & Auth bundles grade 1, 1.5 & Authentic. Totals are subject-level (summed across all backs). Population as of 2026-06.
PSA by back
| Back | Graded |
|---|---|
| Piedmont 1909 | 129 |
| Piedmont | 97 |
| Sweet Caporal | 87 |
| Sweet Caporal 1909 | 79 |
| Sweet Caporal 1910 | 32 |
| Piedmont 1910 | 21 |
| Sovereign 1909 | 15 |
| Hindu | 10 |
| El Principe de Gales | 10 |
| Old Mill | 9 |
| Unknown back | 106 |
SGC by back
| Back | Graded |
|---|---|
| El Principe de Gales 1909-11 | 11 |
| Hindu 1909-11 | 8 |
| Old Mill 1909-11 | 3 |
| Piedmont 1909 | 152 |
| Piedmont 1910 | 42 |
| Sovereign 1909 | 12 |
| Sweet Caporal 1909 | 98 |
| Sweet Caporal 1909-11 | 3 |
| Sweet Caporal 1910 | 27 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1909-11 T206 Admiral Schlei card?
The Admiral Schlei (Catching) is one of 524 subjects in the T206 "White Border" tobacco set issued 1909-1911, the hobby's most iconic vintage set (nicknamed "The Monster"). It pictures the New York Giants player and was inserted in cigarette packs across 6 different tobacco-brand backs.
How rare is this T206 card?
Across PSA and SGC, roughly 951 examples of the Admiral Schlei have been graded, with only 35 grading NM 7 or higher, so mid-grade copies are obtainable while high-grade examples are genuinely scarce.
Which backs does the T206 Admiral Schlei come with?
The Admiral Schlei is confirmed with 6 tobacco-brand backs: El Principe de Gales, Hindu, Old Mill, Piedmont, Sovereign, Sweet Caporal. The back brand is a major driver of both scarcity and value.
Is the T206 Admiral Schlei valuable?
Value depends heavily on the back brand and the card's grade: common backs in low grade trade modestly, while scarce backs and high grades command strong premiums. Check the current T206 Cards listings and eBay options above for live pricing.
Other poses of Admiral Schlei
More New York Giants cards
Sources: t206resource.com, Baseball-Reference, PSA & SGC population reports, and Inside T206 by Scot Reader. Card data & population compiled and maintained by T206Cards.com. Page last updated 2026-07-01.