1909-11 T206 Billy Purtell
1909–11 T206 Billy Purtell
Chicago White Sox · American League · 350 Only print series
The 1909–1911 T206 Billy Purtell is part of the legendary “White Border” tobacco set — The Monster. This card depicts Billy Purtell, a member of the historic Chicago White Sox (American League), and was printed in the 350 Only series, known with 12 tobacco-brand backs. Across PSA and SGC, roughly 846 examples have been graded, with only 12 in NM 7 or better — a reminder of how tough this issue is in high grade.
About Billy Purtell
William Patrick "Billy" Purtell was a light-hitting deadball-era infielder born January 6, 1886, in Columbus, Ohio. He entered pro ball in 1904 and, after early homesickness that prompted his father to warn him to "keep his contract with Decatur or go to the woodshed," carved out a long career largely in the minors. A third baseman who occasionally played second, Purtell reached the majors with the Chicago White Sox (1908-1910), then played for the Boston Red Sox (1910-1911) and Detroit Tigers (1914), batting .227 with 2 home runs and 104 RBIs across 335 big-league games. His 1910 season was singularly odd: on May 10 against Walter Johnson he became the first player in major-league history to strike out twice in the same inning, and both of his rare home runs that year came on freak caroms, one after the ball struck a goat near the stands. He led AL third basemen in assists (and errors) in 1910 and set a record for the fewest doubles (six) by anyone in 150-plus games. Purtell continued in the minors into the 1920s, later worked as a landscape engineer for Ohio, and died March 17, 1962, in Bradenton, Florida. He is a common, non-Hall-of-Fame subject in the T206 set.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Confirmed backs (12)
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 | 488 | 10 | 29 | 62 | 104 | 80 | 114 | 89 |
| SGC | 358 | 2 | 7 | 33 | 53 | 88 | 68 | 107 |
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 | 149 |
| Sweet Caporal 1910 | 70 |
| Sweet Caporal | 51 |
| Polar Bear | 39 |
| Old Mill | 23 |
| Sovereign 1910 | 20 |
| El Principe de Gales | 9 |
| Cycle 1910 | 8 |
| American Beauty 1910 | 6 |
| Tolstoi | 6 |
| Broad Leaf 1910 | 2 |
| Drum | 2 |
| Unknown back | 103 |
SGC by back
| Back | Graded |
|---|---|
| American Beauty 1910 | 1 |
| Broad Leaf 1910 | 2 |
| Cycle 1910 | 7 |
| Drum 1910 | 1 |
| El Principe de Gales 1909-11 | 6 |
| Old Mill 1909-11 | 19 |
| Piedmont 1910 | 186 |
| Polar Bear 1909-11 | 33 |
| Sovereign 1910 | 11 |
| Sweet Caporal 1910 | 90 |
| Tolstoi 1909-11 | 2 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1909-11 T206 Billy Purtell card?
The Billy Purtell 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 Chicago White Sox player and was inserted in cigarette packs across 12 different tobacco-brand backs.
How rare is this T206 card?
Across PSA and SGC, roughly 846 examples of the Billy Purtell have been graded, with only 12 grading NM 7 or higher, so mid-grade copies are obtainable while high-grade examples are genuinely scarce.
Which backs does the T206 Billy Purtell come with?
The Billy Purtell is confirmed with 12 tobacco-brand backs: American Beauty, Broad Leaf, Carolina Brights, Cycle, Drum, El Principe de Gales, Old Mill, Piedmont, Polar Bear (Scrap), Sovereign, Sweet Caporal, Tolstoi. The back brand is a major driver of both scarcity and value.
Is the T206 Billy Purtell 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 Chicago White Sox 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.