1909-11 T206 John McAleese
1909–11 T206 John McAleese
St Louis Browns · American League · 350 Only print series
The 1909–1911 T206 John McAleese is part of the legendary “White Border” tobacco set — The Monster. This card depicts John McAleese, a member of the historic St Louis Browns (American League), and was printed in the 350 Only series, known with 9 tobacco-brand backs. Across PSA and SGC, roughly 865 examples have been graded, with only 19 in NM 7 or better — a reminder of how tough this issue is in high grade.
About John McAleese
John James "Jack" McAleese (1878-1950), an outfielder and sometime pitcher born in Sharon, Pennsylvania, is one of the many obscure commons that give the T206 set its depth. He first surfaced in the majors as a pitcher, making a single relief appearance for the 1901 Chicago White Stockings (later the White Sox): three innings, seven hits, three runs, and then back to the minors. Over a long bush-league career he was converted into a full-time outfielder by 1904, grinding through Eastern League stops in Rochester, Baltimore, and Binghamton, among others. His only substantial big-league work came eight years after his debut, in 1909, when he served as a reserve outfielder for the St. Louis Browns, batting .213 with no home runs and 12 RBIs across 85 games. That season, captured in his lone T206 card, effectively closed his major-league book: he compiled a .213 career average with 57 hits and no home runs. McAleese later managed Greenville, Pennsylvania in 1913 and scouted for the Federal League in 1914 before buying a Youngstown, Ohio hotel. He was not a Hall of Famer and left no championships or titles - a genuine deadball-era journeyman.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Confirmed backs (9)
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 | 523 | 16 | 39 | 71 | 131 | 95 | 108 | 63 |
| SGC | 342 | 3 | 3 | 40 | 64 | 81 | 63 | 88 |
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 | 282 |
| Sweet Caporal 1910 | 69 |
| Sweet Caporal | 35 |
| El Principe de Gales | 16 |
| Tolstoi | 11 |
| Cycle 1910 | 10 |
| Carolina Brights | 9 |
| American Beauty 1910 | 9 |
| Broad Leaf 1910 | 1 |
| Unknown back | 81 |
SGC by back
| Back | Graded |
|---|---|
| American Beauty 1910 | 5 |
| Carolina Brights 1909-11 | 3 |
| Cycle 1910 | 10 |
| El Principe de Gales 1909-11 | 20 |
| Piedmont 1910 | 218 |
| Sweet Caporal 1909-11 | 1 |
| Sweet Caporal 1910 | 77 |
| Tolstoi 1909-11 | 8 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1909-11 T206 John McAleese card?
The John McAleese 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 St Louis Browns player and was inserted in cigarette packs across 9 different tobacco-brand backs.
How rare is this T206 card?
Across PSA and SGC, roughly 865 examples of the John McAleese 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 John McAleese come with?
The John McAleese is confirmed with 9 tobacco-brand backs: American Beauty, Broad Leaf, Carolina Brights, Cycle, Drum, El Principe de Gales, Piedmont, Sweet Caporal, Tolstoi. The back brand is a major driver of both scarcity and value.
Is the T206 John McAleese 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 St Louis Browns 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 2026-08-28.