1909-11 T206 Fred Tenney
1909–11 T206 Fred Tenney
New York Giants · National League · 150-350 print series
The 1909–1911 T206 Fred Tenney is part of the legendary “White Border” tobacco set — The Monster. This card depicts Fred Tenney, 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 911 examples have been graded, with only 20 in NM 7 or better — a reminder of how tough this issue is in high grade.
About Fred Tenney
Discovered as a left-handed catcher at Brown University, Fred Tenney (1871-1952) made his National League debut for the Boston Beaneaters on June 15, 1894, pressed into emergency duty and catching a full game with a fractured finger. Manager Frank Selee shifted him to first base in 1897, where he became one of the finest defensive first basemen of the Deadball Era, credited with originating the 3-6-3 double play and with playing deep and off the bag as modern first basemen do. He led the NL in assists every year from 1901 through 1907, setting a major-league record of 152 in 1905 that stood until 1949, and helped Boston capture back-to-back pennants in 1897 and 1898. A masterful bunter and place hitter, Tenney batted over .300 seven times and retired in 1911 with a .294 average, 2,231 hits and 1,278 runs over 17 big-league seasons with Boston (1894-1907, 1911) and the New York Giants (1908-1909), also serving as Boston's player-manager. College-educated and combative, he was nicknamed "The Soiled Collegian" for pairing his Brown degree with an aggressive, dirt-stained style of play.
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 | 553 | 17 | 27 | 70 | 141 | 111 | 104 | 83 |
| SGC | 358 | 3 | 6 | 32 | 59 | 92 | 66 | 100 |
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 | 113 |
| Piedmont | 89 |
| Sweet Caporal | 76 |
| Sweet Caporal 1909 | 55 |
| Piedmont 1910 | 49 |
| Sweet Caporal 1910 | 40 |
| Sovereign 1910 | 12 |
| Old Mill | 10 |
| Sovereign 1909 | 9 |
| Hindu | 9 |
| Sovereign | 7 |
| Unknown back | 84 |
SGC by back
| Back | Graded |
|---|---|
| Hindu 1909-11 | 11 |
| Old Mill 1909-11 | 6 |
| Piedmont 1909 | 149 |
| Piedmont 1910 | 48 |
| Sovereign 1909 | 7 |
| Sovereign 1910 | 16 |
| Sweet Caporal 1909 | 90 |
| Sweet Caporal 1910 | 31 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1909-11 T206 Fred Tenney card?
The Fred Tenney 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 911 examples of the Fred Tenney have been graded, with only 20 grading NM 7 or higher, so mid-grade copies are obtainable while high-grade examples are genuinely scarce.
Which backs does the T206 Fred Tenney come with?
The Fred Tenney is confirmed with 5 tobacco-brand backs: Hindu, Old Mill, Piedmont, Sovereign, Sweet Caporal. The back brand is a major driver of both scarcity and value.
Is the T206 Fred Tenney 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 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 2026-07-01.