1909-11 T206 George Gibson
1909–11 T206 George Gibson
Pittsburgh Pirates · National League · 150-350 print series
The 1909–1911 T206 George Gibson is part of the legendary “White Border” tobacco set — The Monster. This card depicts George Gibson, a member of the historic Pittsburgh Pirates (National League), and was printed in the 150-350 series, known with 6 tobacco-brand backs. Across PSA and SGC, roughly 864 examples have been graded, with only 19 in NM 7 or better — a reminder of how tough this issue is in high grade.
About George Gibson
George Gibson, a bricklayer's son born July 22, 1880, in London, Ontario, broke into pro ball in 1903 with Kingston of the Hudson River League before passing through Buffalo and Montreal, where the Pittsburgh Pirates bought his contract in June 1905. A durable, cannon-armed catcher, he anchored Pittsburgh from 1905 to 1916 (closing his career with the 1917 Giants) and averaged 144 games behind the plate from 1908 to 1910—an unheard-of workload for the Deadball Era. His 1909 season was iconic: he caught 150 games including 134 in a row, then a National League record, and steered the 110-42 Pirates to the pennant and their first modern World Series title, beating Ty Cobb's Detroit Tigers in seven games while catching every game and holding Cobb largely in check as Babe Adams won three times. Nicknamed "Moon" (or "Mooney") after the Mooneys, his boyhood sandlot team, the light-hitting (.236 lifetime) but defensively brilliant backstop later managed the Pirates and Cubs to a 413-344 record, becoming one of the first Canadians to manage in the majors. He is not a Hall of Famer, and his T206 card is a common, widely available issue.
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 | 518 | 16 | 23 | 57 | 115 | 91 | 123 | 93 |
| SGC | 346 | 3 | 8 | 35 | 50 | 68 | 64 | 118 |
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 | 115 |
| Piedmont | 108 |
| Sweet Caporal | 56 |
| Sweet Caporal 1909 | 52 |
| Piedmont 1910 | 40 |
| Sweet Caporal 1910 | 19 |
| Sovereign 1909 | 15 |
| El Principe de Gales | 14 |
| Hindu | 12 |
| Old Mill | 7 |
| Unknown back | 80 |
SGC by back
| Back | Graded |
|---|---|
| El Principe de Gales 1909-11 | 20 |
| Hindu 1909-11 | 11 |
| Old Mill 1909-11 | 7 |
| Piedmont 1909 | 157 |
| Piedmont 1910 | 43 |
| Piedmont 1911 | 1 |
| Sovereign 1909 | 9 |
| Sweet Caporal 1909 | 74 |
| Sweet Caporal 1910 | 24 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1909-11 T206 George Gibson card?
The George Gibson 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 Pittsburgh Pirates player and was inserted in cigarette packs across 6 different tobacco-brand backs.
How rare is this T206 card?
Across PSA and SGC, roughly 864 examples of the George Gibson have been graded, with only 19 grading NM 7 or higher, so mid-grade copies are obtainable while high-grade examples are genuinely scarce.
Which backs does the T206 George Gibson come with?
The George Gibson 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 George Gibson 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 Pittsburgh Pirates 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.