1909-11 T206 Frank Owen
1909–11 T206 Frank Owen
Chicago White Sox · American League · 150-350 print series
The 1909–1911 T206 Frank Owen is part of the legendary “White Border” tobacco set — The Monster. This card depicts Frank Owen, a member of the historic Chicago White Sox (American League), and was printed in the 150-350 series, known with 6 tobacco-brand backs. Across PSA and SGC, roughly 927 examples have been graded, with only 30 in NM 7 or better — a reminder of how tough this issue is in high grade.
About Frank Owen
Frank Malcolm "Yip" Owen was a right-handed pitcher who reached the majors with the Detroit Tigers in 1901 before finding his form with the Chicago White Sox (1903-1909). A durable workhorse of the deadball era, Owen posted a career 82-67 record with a sparkling 2.55 ERA and 443 strikeouts across 194 games. His peak came in a three-season run of 20-plus wins for the White Sox from 1904 through 1906. On July 1, 1905, he made history as the first American League pitcher to throw complete-game victories in both ends of a doubleheader, sweeping the St. Louis Browns. Owen was a member of the 1906 "Hitless Wonders" White Sox, who upset the crosstown Cubs in the World Series; he worked the final six innings of Game 2 in relief of Doc White. His nickname "Yip" derived from his birthplace, Ypsilanti, Michigan (born December 23, 1879; died November 24, 1942). Never a Hall of Famer and largely forgotten today, Owen is a common but genuine deadball subject in the T206 set.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Confirmed backs (6)
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 | 575 | 27 | 37 | 70 | 133 | 107 | 109 | 92 |
| SGC | 352 | 3 | 2 | 40 | 60 | 80 | 58 | 109 |
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 1909 | 131 |
| Piedmont | 106 |
| Sweet Caporal | 82 |
| Sweet Caporal 1909 | 79 |
| Sweet Caporal 1910 | 21 |
| Sovereign 1909 | 15 |
| Piedmont 1910 | 14 |
| El Principe de Gales | 8 |
| Old Mill | 7 |
| Hindu | 3 |
| Unknown back | 109 |
SGC by back
| Back | Graded |
|---|---|
| El Principe de Gales 1909-11 | 6 |
| Hindu 1909-11 | 7 |
| Old Mill 1909-11 | 3 |
| Piedmont 1909 | 165 |
| Piedmont 1910 | 31 |
| Sovereign 1909 | 18 |
| Sweet Caporal 1909 | 87 |
| Sweet Caporal 1909-11 | 1 |
| Sweet Caporal 1910 | 34 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1909-11 T206 Frank Owen card?
The Frank Owen 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 6 different tobacco-brand backs.
How rare is this T206 card?
Across PSA and SGC, roughly 927 examples of the Frank Owen have been graded, with only 30 grading NM 7 or higher, so mid-grade copies are obtainable while high-grade examples are genuinely scarce.
Which backs does the T206 Frank Owen come with?
The Frank Owen is confirmed with 6 tobacco-brand backs: El Principe de Gales, Hindu, Old Mill, Piedmont, Sovereign, Sweet Caporal. The back brand is a major driver of both scarcity and value.
Is the T206 Frank Owen 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.