1909–11 T206 Bill Milligan
Jersey City Skeeters · Eastern League · 350 Only print series
The 1909–1911 T206 Bill Milligan is part of the legendary “White Border” tobacco set — The Monster. This card depicts Bill Milligan, a member of the historic Jersey City Skeeters (Eastern League), and was printed in the 350 Only series, known with 11 tobacco-brand backs. Across PSA and SGC, roughly 1010 examples have been graded, with only 19 in NM 7 or better — a reminder of how tough this issue is in high grade.
About Bill Milligan
William Joseph "Billy" Milligan was a left-handed pitcher born in Buffalo, New York, in 1878. A diminutive 5-foot-7 southpaw, he reached the majors briefly with Connie Mack's 1901 Philadelphia Athletics in the American League's inaugural season, then resurfaced with John McGraw's New York Giants in 1904. His big-league work was slight — 0 wins and 4 losses with a 4.81 ERA and 11 strikeouts across 11 games — though he swung a respectable bat, going 6-for-24 (.250) with a home run. Milligan built his real career in the minors, most notably winning 21 games for the Buffalo Bisons of the Eastern League in 1903, the season that earned him his shot with the Giants. He closed his career back in the Eastern League with the Jersey City Skeeters — the team shown on this T206 card — retiring after the 1910 season with a minor-league record of 82-68 and a .263 batting average over nine seasons. Milligan died in his native Buffalo in 1928. As a career minor-leaguer at the time of issue, he is one of the T206 set's many obscure Eastern League subjects.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference
Confirmed backs (11)
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 | 602 | 16 | 33 | 85 | 157 | 102 | 113 | 96 |
| SGC | 408 | 3 | 12 | 44 | 82 | 77 | 57 | 133 |
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 1910 | 262 |
| Sweet Caporal 1910 | 63 |
| Sweet Caporal | 52 |
| Sovereign 1910 | 39 |
| Polar Bear | 36 |
| Old Mill | 22 |
| Cycle 1910 | 10 |
| El Principe de Gales | 9 |
| American Beauty 1910 | 7 |
| Broad Leaf 1910 | 3 |
| Carolina Brights | 3 |
| Unknown back | 96 |
SGC by back
| Back | Graded |
|---|---|
| American Beauty 1910 | 9 |
| Carolina Brights 1909-11 | 2 |
| Cycle 1910 | 4 |
| Drum 1910 | 1 |
| El Principe de Gales 1909-11 | 7 |
| Old Mill 1909-11 | 16 |
| Piedmont 1910 | 206 |
| Polar Bear 1909-11 | 36 |
| Sovereign 1910 | 39 |
| Sweet Caporal 1909-11 | 1 |
| Sweet Caporal 1910 | 87 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1909-11 T206 Bill Milligan card?
The Bill Milligan 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 Jersey City Skeeters player and was inserted in cigarette packs across 11 different tobacco-brand backs.
How rare is this T206 card?
Across PSA and SGC, roughly 1010 examples of the Bill Milligan 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 Bill Milligan come with?
The Bill Milligan is confirmed with 11 tobacco-brand backs: American Beauty, Broad Leaf, Carolina Brights, Cycle, Drum, El Principe de Gales, Old Mill, Piedmont, Polar Bear (Scrap), Sovereign, Sweet Caporal. The back brand is a major driver of both scarcity and value.
Is the T206 Bill Milligan 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 Jersey City Skeeters 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.