1909–11 T206 Cy Seymour
New York Giants · National League · 150-350 print series
The 1909–1911 T206 Cy Seymour (“Batting” pose) is part of the legendary “White Border” tobacco set — The Monster. This card depicts Cy Seymour, a member of the historic New York Giants (National League), and was printed in the 150-350 series, known with 5 tobacco-brand backs. Across PSA and SGC, roughly 913 examples have been graded, with only 25 in NM 7 or better — a reminder of how tough this issue is in high grade.
About Cy Seymour
James Bentley "Cy" Seymour was one of the deadball era's great two-way stars and, in the words of his SABR biographer, "perhaps the greatest forgotten name of baseball." Signing out of semipro ball, he broke in as a hard-throwing left-handed pitcher with Springfield of the Eastern League in 1896 and was called up to the New York Giants that same season. In 1898 he went 25-19 with a 3.18 ERA and led the National League in strikeouts with 239, but an arm injury ended his mound work (career 61-53, 3.76 ERA in 140 games) and pushed him to the outfield around 1901. Playing center field for Cincinnati, he had one of the era's most dominant seasons in 1905, winning the NL batting crown at .377 while also leading the league in hits (219), doubles (40), triples (21), RBIs (121), and slugging (.559) — missing the Triple Crown by a single home run. Nicknamed "Cy" (short for "Cyclone") by New York writers for his blazing fastball, he retired with a .303 average and 1,723 hits over 1896-1913 (Giants, White Sox, Baltimore Orioles, Reds, Boston Braves). Since 1893, only Babe Ruth has matched his feat of 100-plus pitching appearances and 1,500-plus hits. He died in 1919 of tuberculosis. Not a Hall of Famer, Seymour is nonetheless a well-known star subject in the T206 set.
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 | 552 | 19 | 34 | 71 | 115 | 106 | 120 | 87 |
| SGC | 361 | 6 | 4 | 32 | 61 | 80 | 57 | 121 |
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 | 108 |
| Piedmont 1909 | 107 |
| Sweet Caporal | 55 |
| Sweet Caporal 1909 | 54 |
| Piedmont 1910 | 52 |
| Sweet Caporal 1910 | 36 |
| Sovereign | 15 |
| Sovereign 1909 | 13 |
| El Principe de Gales | 9 |
| Sovereign 1910 | 8 |
| Unknown back | 95 |
SGC by back
| Back | Graded |
|---|---|
| El Principe de Gales 1909-11 | 15 |
| Old Mill 1909-11 | 3 |
| Piedmont 1909 | 150 |
| Piedmont 1910 | 54 |
| Sovereign 1909 | 13 |
| Sovereign 1910 | 16 |
| Sweet Caporal 1909 | 78 |
| Sweet Caporal 1909-11 | 1 |
| Sweet Caporal 1910 | 31 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1909-11 T206 Cy Seymour card?
The Cy Seymour (Batting) 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 5 different tobacco-brand backs.
How rare is this T206 card?
Across PSA and SGC, roughly 913 examples of the Cy Seymour have been graded, with only 25 grading NM 7 or higher, so mid-grade copies are obtainable while high-grade examples are genuinely scarce.
Which backs does the T206 Cy Seymour come with?
The Cy Seymour is confirmed with 5 tobacco-brand backs: El Principe de Gales, Old Mill, Piedmont, Sovereign, Sweet Caporal. The back brand is a major driver of both scarcity and value.
Is the T206 Cy Seymour 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.
Other poses of Cy Seymour
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 2026-08-28.