1909-11 T206 Ernie Howard
1909–11 T206 Ernie Howard
Savannah Indians · South Atlantic League · Southern Leaguer print series
The 1909–1911 T206 Ernie Howard is part of the legendary “White Border” tobacco set — The Monster. This card depicts Ernie Howard, a member of the historic Savannah Indians (South Atlantic League), and was printed in the Southern Leaguer series, known with 3 tobacco-brand backs. Across PSA and SGC, roughly 532 examples have been graded, with only 8 in NM 7 or better — a reminder of how tough this issue is in high grade.
About Ernie Howard
Ernie Howard was a deadball-era minor leaguer best remembered as the player-manager of the Savannah Indians in the Class C South Atlantic League — the "Sally League" — around 1909, with rosters also listing him at Savannah in 1910. Baseball reference records place his birth on September 17, 1881, in Mississippi, and his surviving statistical record is entirely minor-league; there is no evidence he ever appeared in a major-league game, making him one of the T206 set's true minor-league obscurities rather than a big-league star. His most enduring footnote is a link to a legend: in 1909 a young Shoeless Joe Jackson played at Savannah, and when Jackson and teammate Ed Lauzon left the field mid-game to eat peanuts in the grandstand, manager Howard famously wandered over to join them — earning Jackson a $50 fine and Howard and Lauzon suspensions. As card #220, Howard belongs to the coveted 48-card Southern League subset, printed only with Piedmont, Old Mill, and the especially scarce Hindu backs that make these regional cards among the toughest and most prized in the entire set.
Sources: Baseball-Reference
Confirmed backs (3)
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 | 303 | 7 | 18 | 43 | 78 | 58 | 52 | 47 |
| SGC | 229 | 1 | 2 | 23 | 30 | 44 | 49 | 80 |
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 |
|---|---|
| Old Mill | 130 |
| Piedmont 1910 | 98 |
| Hindu | 16 |
| Unknown back | 59 |
SGC by back
| Back | Graded |
|---|---|
| Hindu 1909-11 | 14 |
| Old Mill 1909-11 | 120 |
| Piedmont 1910 | 95 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1909-11 T206 Ernie Howard card?
The Ernie Howard 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 Savannah Indians player and was inserted in cigarette packs across 3 different tobacco-brand backs.
How rare is this T206 card?
Across PSA and SGC, roughly 532 examples of the Ernie Howard 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 Ernie Howard come with?
The Ernie Howard is confirmed with 3 tobacco-brand backs: Hindu, Old Mill, Piedmont. The back brand is a major driver of both scarcity and value.
Is the T206 Ernie Howard 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 2026-07-01.