1909-11 T206 Al Shaw
1909–11 T206 Al Shaw
St Louis Cardinals · National League · 150-350 print series
The 1909–1911 T206 Al Shaw is part of the legendary “White Border” tobacco set — The Monster. This card depicts Al Shaw, a member of the historic St Louis Cardinals (National League), and was printed in the 150-350 series, known with 5 tobacco-brand backs. Across PSA and SGC, roughly 731 examples have been graded, with only 19 in NM 7 or better — a reminder of how tough this issue is in high grade.
About Al Shaw
Albert Simpson Shaw was a journeyman outfielder of the deadball era, born March 1, 1881, in Toledo, Illinois. A former railroad laborer, he entered pro ball in the minors in 1905 with the Springfield Babes of the Class-B Central League before the St. Louis Cardinals purchased his contract. Shaw debuted for the Cardinals late in 1907 and played regularly in 1908 and 1909, appearing in the outfield (chiefly right and center field) in more than 100 games each of those two seasons; it is as a Cardinal that he appears in the T206 set. After several years back in the high minors with Toronto and Jersey City, he returned to the majors in the Federal League, posting his best big-league work: he hit .324 in 112 games for the 1914 Brooklyn Tip-Tops and drove in a team-leading share of runs for the 1915 Kansas City Packers. Across his five major-league seasons he batted .281 with 434 hits. He never won a title or led a league in a major category, and much of his career was spent in the minors. Shaw lived to 93, dying December 30, 1974; in a late interview he named Honus Wagner the finest player he ever saw. He is one of the set's common, obscure subjects rather than a star or scarcity.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Confirmed backs (5)
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 | 442 | 15 | 24 | 42 | 106 | 88 | 95 | 72 |
| SGC | 289 | 4 | 7 | 29 | 35 | 60 | 64 | 90 |
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 | 116 |
| Piedmont | 87 |
| Sweet Caporal 1909 | 64 |
| Sweet Caporal | 47 |
| El Principe de Gales | 21 |
| Hindu | 16 |
| Sovereign 1909 | 13 |
| Piedmont 1910 | 10 |
| Unknown back | 68 |
SGC by back
| Back | Graded |
|---|---|
| El Principe de Gales 1909-11 | 11 |
| Hindu 1909-11 | 12 |
| Piedmont 1909 | 161 |
| Piedmont 1910 | 16 |
| Sovereign 1909 | 9 |
| Sweet Caporal 1909 | 77 |
| Sweet Caporal 1910 | 3 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1909-11 T206 Al Shaw card?
The Al Shaw 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 St Louis Cardinals player and was inserted in cigarette packs across 5 different tobacco-brand backs.
How rare is this T206 card?
Across PSA and SGC, roughly 731 examples of the Al Shaw have been graded, with only 19 grading NM 7 or higher, so mid-grade copies are obtainable while high-grade examples are genuinely scarce.
Which backs does the T206 Al Shaw come with?
The Al Shaw is confirmed with 5 tobacco-brand backs: El Principe de Gales, Hindu, Piedmont, Sovereign, Sweet Caporal. The back brand is a major driver of both scarcity and value.
Is the T206 Al Shaw 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.
More St Louis Cardinals 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 2026-08-28.