1909-11 T206 Carlos Smith
1909–11 T206 Carlos Smith
Shreveport Pirates · Texas League · Southern Leaguer print series
The 1909–1911 T206 Carlos Smith is part of the legendary “White Border” tobacco set — The Monster. This card depicts Carlos Smith, a member of the historic Shreveport Pirates (Texas League), and was printed in the Southern Leaguer series, known with 2 tobacco-brand backs. Across PSA and SGC, roughly 568 examples have been graded, with only 8 in NM 7 or better — a reminder of how tough this issue is in high grade.
About Carlos Smith
Carlos Randolph Smith (born August 30, 1878, in Lincoln County, Mississippi; died July 3, 1955) was a right-handed-hitting outfielder who spent his entire career in the minor leagues, playing professionally from at least 1902 through 1913. His best seasons came in the Pacific Coast League: between Seattle and Portland in 1903 he collected 252 hits in 193 games (.322), and for the 1904 Seattle Siwashes he batted .283 with a league-leading 52 doubles. He then starred for Birmingham in the Southern Association from 1905 to 1908 before joining the Shreveport Pirates of the Texas League, the club shown on his card, where he hit .322 in 1909 and .245 in 1910. Smith won Cotton States League batting titles in 1911 (a .401, .602-slugging season for the Hattiesburg Woodpeckers) and 1912 (.349), doubling as a player-manager for several Class D clubs. He never reached the majors. As a Southern League subject, his T206 card belongs to one of the set's scarcer regional subsets.
Sources: Baseball-Reference
Confirmed backs (2)
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 | 325 | 6 | 14 | 34 | 77 | 63 | 70 | 61 |
| SGC | 243 | 2 | 1 | 20 | 27 | 61 | 58 | 74 |
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 | 165 |
| Old Mill | 106 |
| Unknown back | 54 |
SGC by back
| Back | Graded |
|---|---|
| Old Mill 1909-11 | 96 |
| Piedmont 1910 | 147 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1909-11 T206 Carlos Smith card?
The Carlos Smith 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 Shreveport Pirates player and was inserted in cigarette packs across 2 different tobacco-brand backs.
How rare is this T206 card?
Across PSA and SGC, roughly 568 examples of the Carlos Smith 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 Carlos Smith come with?
The Carlos Smith is confirmed with 2 tobacco-brand backs: Old Mill, Piedmont. The back brand is a major driver of both scarcity and value.
Is the T206 Carlos Smith 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.
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.