1909-11 T206 Arlie Latham
1909–11 T206 Arlie Latham
New York Giants · National League · 460 Only print series
The 1909–1911 T206 Arlie Latham is part of the legendary “White Border” tobacco set — The Monster. This card depicts Arlie Latham, a member of the historic New York Giants (National League), and was printed in the 460 Only series, known with 10 tobacco-brand backs. Across PSA and SGC, roughly 825 examples have been graded, with only 8 in NM 7 or better — a reminder of how tough this issue is in high grade.
About Arlie Latham
Walter Arlington "Arlie" Latham (1860-1952) began playing for money as a teenager in New Hampshire and broke through in 1883 as the regular third baseman for the American Association's St. Louis Browns. A speedy, pesky leadoff man, he starred on four straight Browns pennant winners (1885-1888) and led the AA with 109 stolen bases in 1888. Over 17 major-league seasons -- chiefly with St. Louis and Cincinnati -- he batted .269 with 1,836 hits, 1,481 runs, and 742-plus stolen bases across 1,629 games. Nicknamed "The Freshest Man on Earth" (and "The Dude") for his relentless clowning and insults hurled from the base line, Latham was so disruptive that the rule makers created the coaching box; he is credited as the first full-time base coach in big-league history. He appears in T206 because he was John McGraw's coach for the 1909 New York Giants, and in cameo appearances that year, at age 49, he became the oldest man ever to steal a major-league base -- a record that still stands. He was never elected to the Hall of Fame.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Confirmed backs (10)
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 | 492 | 8 | 27 | 58 | 126 | 95 | 89 | 89 |
| SGC | 333 | 0 | 6 | 43 | 65 | 68 | 68 | 83 |
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 1911 | 84 |
| Sweet Caporal 1911 | 66 |
| Piedmont | 63 |
| Polar Bear | 50 |
| Sweet Caporal | 49 |
| Old Mill | 41 |
| Tolstoi | 23 |
| Sovereign 1911 | 20 |
| Uzit | 8 |
| Lenox | 6 |
| American Beauty 1911 | 5 |
| Cycle 1911 | 2 |
| Unknown back | 75 |
SGC by back
| Back | Graded |
|---|---|
| American Beauty 1911 | 5 |
| Cycle 1911 | 2 |
| Lenox 1909-11 | 8 |
| Old Mill 1909-11 | 30 |
| Piedmont 1911 | 121 |
| Polar Bear 1909-11 | 35 |
| Sovereign 1911 | 17 |
| Sweet Caporal 1911 | 99 |
| Tolstoi 1909-11 | 11 |
| Uzit 1909-11 | 5 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1909-11 T206 Arlie Latham card?
The Arlie Latham 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 10 different tobacco-brand backs.
How rare is this T206 card?
Across PSA and SGC, roughly 825 examples of the Arlie Latham have been graded, with only 8 grading NM 7 or higher, so mid-grade copies are obtainable while high-grade examples are genuinely scarce.
Which backs does the T206 Arlie Latham come with?
The Arlie Latham is confirmed with 10 tobacco-brand backs: American Beauty, Cycle, Lenox, Old Mill, Piedmont, Polar Bear (Scrap), Sovereign, Sweet Caporal, Tolstoi, Uzit. The back brand is a major driver of both scarcity and value.
Is the T206 Arlie Latham 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 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.