1909–11 T206 Heinie Wagner
Boston Red Sox · American League · 350-460 print series
The 1909–1911 T206 Heinie Wagner (“Bat On Right Shoulder” pose) is part of the legendary “White Border” tobacco set — The Monster. This card depicts Heinie Wagner, a member of the historic Boston Red Sox (American League), and was printed in the 350-460 series, known with 12 tobacco-brand backs. Across PSA and SGC, roughly 913 examples have been graded, with only 16 in NM 7 or better — a reminder of how tough this issue is in high grade.
About Heinie Wagner
A product of the New York City sandlots, Charles "Heinie" Wagner was discovered playing semipro ball in Manhattan and reached the majors with John McGraw's New York Giants in 1902. After several seasons in the Eastern League, he landed with the Boston Red Sox in 1906 and spent the bulk of his career there as their regular shortstop, playing in Boston through 1918 (with later stints into 1920). A slick, strong-armed defender rather than a big hitter, Wagner batted around .250 with roughly 845 career hits, and teammate Smoky Joe Wood raved that he'd never seen shortstop played better; Ty Cobb conceded Wagner threw him out on the bases more than any other AL infielder. His nickname "Heinie" was a common tag for players of German heritage, his father being German-born. Named Red Sox captain in 1912, Wagner directed a club that won the World Series that year, and he was part of Boston's championship teams in 1912, 1915, 1916, and 1918. He later managed the Red Sox in 1930. He is a recognized member of the storied T206 set but not a Hall of Famer.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Confirmed backs (12)
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 | 535 | 13 | 36 | 80 | 120 | 82 | 116 | 88 |
| SGC | 378 | 3 | 14 | 50 | 73 | 89 | 48 | 101 |
NM 7+ bundles grades 7–10; 1 & Auth bundles grade 1, 1.5 & Authentic. Half grades fold down for both graders (8.5→8); PSA qualified slabs (OC, ST, PD, MC and the like) are not counted. Totals are subject-level (summed across all backs). Population as of 2026-06.
PSA by back
| Back | Graded |
|---|---|
| Sweet Caporal | 64 |
| Piedmont | 64 |
| Piedmont 1910 | 59 |
| Polar Bear | 51 |
| Sweet Caporal 1910 | 50 |
| Old Mill | 32 |
| Piedmont 1911 | 31 |
| Sweet Caporal 1911 | 21 |
| El Principe de Gales | 16 |
| American Beauty 1910 | 13 |
| Sovereign 1910 | 12 |
| Tolstoi | 8 |
| Uzit | 6 |
| Cycle 1911 | 5 |
| American Beauty | 4 |
| American Beauty 1911 | 1 |
| Drum | 1 |
| Unknown back | 97 |
SGC by back
| Back | Graded |
|---|---|
| American Beauty 1910 | 14 |
| American Beauty 1911 | 1 |
| Cycle 1911 | 3 |
| Drum 1910 | 1 |
| El Principe de Gales 1909-11 | 13 |
| Old Mill 1909-11 | 20 |
| Piedmont 1910 | 88 |
| Piedmont 1911 | 41 |
| Polar Bear 1909-11 | 36 |
| Sovereign 1910 | 9 |
| Sweet Caporal 1909 | 2 |
| Sweet Caporal 1910 | 105 |
| Sweet Caporal 1911 | 27 |
| Tolstoi 1909-11 | 14 |
| Uzit 1909-11 | 4 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1909-11 T206 Heinie Wagner card?
The Heinie Wagner (Bat On Right Shoulder) 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 tobacco packs across 12 different tobacco-brand backs.
How rare is this T206 card?
Across PSA and SGC, roughly 913 examples of the Heinie Wagner have been graded, with only 16 grading NM 7 or higher, so mid-grade copies are obtainable while high-grade examples are genuinely scarce.
Which backs does the T206 Heinie Wagner come with?
The Heinie Wagner is confirmed with 12 tobacco-brand backs: American Beauty, Cycle, Drum, El Principe de Gales, Lenox, Old Mill, Piedmont, Polar Bear (Scrap), Sovereign, Sweet Caporal, Tolstoi, Uzit. The back brand is a major driver of both scarcity and value.
Is the T206 Heinie Wagner 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.
Other poses of Heinie Wagner
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 2026-10-05.