1909-11 T206 Frank Arellanes
1909–11 T206 Frank Arellanes
Boston Red Sox · American League · 350 Only print series
The 1909–1911 T206 Frank Arellanes is part of the legendary “White Border” tobacco set — The Monster. This card depicts Frank Arellanes, a member of the historic Boston Red Sox (American League), and was printed in the 350 Only series, known with 9 tobacco-brand backs. Across PSA and SGC, roughly 1182 examples have been graded, with only 21 in NM 7 or better — a reminder of how tough this issue is in high grade.
About Frank Arellanes
Frank Julián Arellanes was a right-handed pitcher born in Santa Cruz, California, in 1882 to a family that traced its California roots to the late 1700s and its origins to Puebla, Mexico. He came up through West Coast ball — San Jose and the Pacific Coast League — before the Boston Red Sox purchased him in mid-1908; he debuted that July and impressed immediately, going 4-3 with a 1.82 ERA and a one-hitter over the Philadelphia Athletics. His best year was 1909, when he went 16-12 with a 2.18 ERA and, working as one of the game's first true relief specialists, led the American League in both saves (8) and games finished (15). Arm and conditioning troubles cut him short, and after a 4-7 start in 1910 Boston shipped him to Sacramento. Over three big-league seasons he was 24-22 with a 2.28 ERA and 148 strikeouts in 409⅔ innings. Often cited as the first Latino player to wear a Red Sox uniform, Arellanes pitched in the minors through 1917 and died in San Jose in 1918, a victim of the Spanish flu pandemic, at age 36. He is a common, affordable subject in the T206 set rather than one of its scarce stars.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Confirmed backs (9)
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 | 730 | 15 | 49 | 106 | 187 | 132 | 136 | 105 |
| SGC | 452 | 6 | 11 | 53 | 91 | 111 | 81 | 99 |
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 | 386 |
| Sweet Caporal 1910 | 70 |
| Sweet Caporal | 61 |
| Polar Bear | 37 |
| Cycle 1910 | 20 |
| American Beauty 1910 | 13 |
| Carolina Brights | 12 |
| Tolstoi | 6 |
| Broad Leaf 1910 | 5 |
| Drum | 1 |
| Unknown back | 119 |
SGC by back
| Back | Graded |
|---|---|
| American Beauty 1910 | 17 |
| Broad Leaf 1910 | 4 |
| Carolina Brights 1909-11 | 3 |
| Cycle 1910 | 7 |
| Piedmont 1910 | 280 |
| Polar Bear 1909-11 | 24 |
| Sweet Caporal 1910 | 103 |
| Tolstoi 1909-11 | 14 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1909-11 T206 Frank Arellanes card?
The Frank Arellanes 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 Boston Red Sox player and was inserted in cigarette packs across 9 different tobacco-brand backs.
How rare is this T206 card?
Across PSA and SGC, roughly 1182 examples of the Frank Arellanes have been graded, with only 21 grading NM 7 or higher, so mid-grade copies are obtainable while high-grade examples are genuinely scarce.
Which backs does the T206 Frank Arellanes come with?
The Frank Arellanes is confirmed with 9 tobacco-brand backs: American Beauty, Broad Leaf, Carolina Brights, Cycle, Drum, Piedmont, Polar Bear (Scrap), Sweet Caporal, Tolstoi. The back brand is a major driver of both scarcity and value.
Is the T206 Frank Arellanes 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 Boston Red 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.