1909–11 T206 Jake Pfeister
Chicago Cubs · National League · 350-460 print series
The 1909–1911 T206 Jake Pfeister (“Throwing” pose) is part of the legendary “White Border” tobacco set — The Monster. This card depicts Jake Pfeister, a member of the historic Chicago Cubs (National League), and was printed in the 350-460 series, known with 12 tobacco-brand backs. Across PSA and SGC, roughly 900 examples have been graded, with only 17 in NM 7 or better — a reminder of how tough this issue is in high grade.
About Jake Pfeister
John Albert Pfiester (born Hagenbush) was a left-handed pitcher from Cincinnati who reached the majors with Pittsburgh in 1903 after semipro ball and minor-league stops in Spokane and San Francisco. His true stardom came with the Chicago Cubs (1906-1911), the era's dominant club. As a 1906 rookie he went 20-8 with a 1.51 ERA, and on May 30, 1906 he struck out 17 batters over 15 innings, a modern NL record that stood until 1952. In 1907 he went 14-9 and led the National League with a 1.15 ERA. He finished 71-44 in the majors with a 2.02 career ERA, among the lowest in history for pitchers with 1,000-plus innings. Nicknamed "Jack the Giant Killer" for repeatedly beating John McGraw's New York Giants (roughly 15-5 against them), he pitched the famous 1908 "Merkle Game" while injured. He was a two-time World Series champion with the Cubs (1907 and 1908). He is a common subject in the T206 set.
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 | 545 | 14 | 28 | 75 | 141 | 106 | 103 | 78 |
| SGC | 355 | 3 | 5 | 46 | 56 | 84 | 68 | 93 |
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 |
|---|---|
| Sweet Caporal 1910 | 68 |
| Piedmont | 65 |
| Sweet Caporal | 61 |
| Piedmont 1910 | 56 |
| Polar Bear | 50 |
| Old Mill | 29 |
| Piedmont 1911 | 28 |
| Sweet Caporal 1911 | 23 |
| Sovereign 1910 | 17 |
| El Principe de Gales | 17 |
| American Beauty 1910 | 15 |
| Tolstoi | 9 |
| American Beauty | 9 |
| American Beauty 1911 | 6 |
| Cycle 1911 | 6 |
| Uzit | 4 |
| Lenox | 1 |
| Drum | 1 |
| Unknown back | 80 |
SGC by back
| Back | Graded |
|---|---|
| American Beauty 1910 | 8 |
| American Beauty 1911 | 4 |
| Cycle 1911 | 6 |
| Drum 1910 | 1 |
| El Principe de Gales 1909-11 | 7 |
| Lenox 1909-11 | 1 |
| Old Mill 1909-11 | 26 |
| Piedmont 1910 | 75 |
| Piedmont 1911 | 43 |
| Polar Bear 1909-11 | 47 |
| Sovereign 1910 | 12 |
| Sweet Caporal 1910 | 93 |
| Sweet Caporal 1911 | 17 |
| Tolstoi 1909-11 | 12 |
| Uzit 1909-11 | 3 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1909-11 T206 Jake Pfeister card?
The Jake Pfeister (Throwing) 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 Cubs player and was inserted in cigarette packs across 12 different tobacco-brand backs.
How rare is this T206 card?
Across PSA and SGC, roughly 900 examples of the Jake Pfeister have been graded, with only 17 grading NM 7 or higher, so mid-grade copies are obtainable while high-grade examples are genuinely scarce.
Which backs does the T206 Jake Pfeister come with?
The Jake Pfeister 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 Jake Pfeister 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 Jake Pfeister
More Chicago Cubs cards
- George Brown (Chicago)
- Mordecai Brown (Chicago On Shirt)
- Mordecai Brown (Cubs On Shirt)
- Mordecai Brown (Portrait)
- Frank Chance (Batting)
- Frank Chance (Portrait - Red)
- Frank Chance (Portrait - Yellow)
- Johnny Evers (Portrait)
- Johnny Evers (Chicago On Shirt - Yellow Sky)
- Johnny Evers (Cubs On Shirt - Blue Sky)
- Solly Hofman
- Del Howard
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 2026-08-28.