1909-11 T206 Joe Doyle (N.Y.)
1909–11 T206 Joe Doyle
New York Highlanders · American League · 350-460 print series
The 1909–1911 T206 Joe Doyle (“N.Y.” pose) is part of the legendary “White Border” tobacco set — The Monster. This card depicts Joe Doyle, a member of the historic New York Highlanders (American League), and was printed in the 350-460 series, known with 7 tobacco-brand backs. Across PSA and SGC, roughly 801 examples have been graded, with only 7 in NM 7 or better — a reminder of how tough this issue is in high grade.
About Joe Doyle
Judd Bruce "Slow Joe" Doyle (1881-1947), a right-handed pitcher out of Clay Center, Kansas, was signed off the sandlots by scout Ted Sullivan for the Fort Worth Panthers in 1902 and climbed through the minors before the New York Highlanders bought his contract in August 1906. He announced himself emphatically, throwing a six-hit shutout of Cleveland in his August 25, 1906 debut, then blanking Washington on two hits in his next start. Over five American League and National League seasons (1906-1910, with the Highlanders and Cincinnati Reds) he went 22-21 with a 2.85 ERA and 209 strikeouts, peaking at 11-11 in 1907. He earned his nickname because he crawled through games at roughly thirty seconds a pitch, deliberately stalling to unnerve hitters; fans dubbed him "the human snail." Today Doyle is famous less for his arm than for his card: the "N.Y. NAT'L" caption error is one of the rarest and most coveted cards in the entire T206 set, with fewer than ten known and one selling for $414,750 in 2012.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Confirmed backs (7)
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 | 496 | 6 | 16 | 34 | 106 | 97 | 118 | 119 |
| SGC | 305 | 1 | 4 | 24 | 50 | 66 | 44 | 116 |
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 1910 | 127 |
| Sweet Caporal | 106 |
| Sweet Caporal 1910 | 106 |
| Polar Bear | 42 |
| Sovereign 1910 | 22 |
| Tolstoi | 13 |
| El Principe de Gales | 9 |
| Old Mill | 8 |
| Unknown back | 63 |
SGC by back
| Back | Graded |
|---|---|
| El Principe de Gales 1909-11 | 6 |
| Old Mill 1909-11 | 4 |
| Piedmont 1910 | 84 |
| Polar Bear 1909-11 | 39 |
| Sovereign 1910 | 21 |
| Sweet Caporal 1910 | 146 |
| Tolstoi 1909-11 | 5 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1909-11 T206 Joe Doyle card?
The Joe Doyle (N.Y.) 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 Highlanders player and was inserted in cigarette packs across 7 different tobacco-brand backs.
How rare is this T206 card?
Across PSA and SGC, roughly 801 examples of the Joe Doyle have been graded, with only 7 grading NM 7 or higher, so mid-grade copies are obtainable while high-grade examples are genuinely scarce.
Which backs does the T206 Joe Doyle come with?
The Joe Doyle is confirmed with 7 tobacco-brand backs: El Principe de Gales, Old Mill, Piedmont, Polar Bear (Scrap), Sovereign, Sweet Caporal, Tolstoi. The back brand is a major driver of both scarcity and value.
Is the T206 Joe Doyle 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 Joe Doyle
More New York Highlanders 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.