1909–11 T206 Nap Lajoie
Cleveland Naps · American League · 350-460 print series
The 1909–1911 T206 Nap Lajoie (“With Bat” pose) is part of the legendary “White Border” tobacco set — The Monster. This card depicts Nap Lajoie, a member of the historic Cleveland Naps (American League), and was printed in the 350-460 series, known with 11 tobacco-brand backs. Across PSA and SGC, roughly 1538 examples have been graded, with only 47 in NM 7 or better — a reminder of how tough this issue is in high grade.
About Nap Lajoie
Napoleon "Nap" Lajoie signed with Fall River of the New England League in 1896 and was sold that August to the Philadelphia Phillies, where the graceful French-Canadian shifted to second base and became the American League's first genuine superstar. He starred for the Phillies (1896-1900), jumped to Connie Mack's Philadelphia Athletics (1901-1902), then anchored Cleveland (1902-1914) before finishing back with the A's (1915-1916). A right-handed hitter of effortless power, he batted .338 with 3,242 hits over 21 seasons. In 1901 he won the AL's first Triple Crown, posting a modern-record .426 average with 14 home runs and 125 RBIs, and he claimed additional batting titles in 1903, 1904, and a disputed 1910 crown against Ty Cobb. So beloved in Cleveland that the club was renamed "the Naps" in his honor, Lajoie remains the only active player to have a team named for him. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1937 and is among the T206 set's marquee Hall-of-Fame subjects.
Sources: Baseball-Reference · SABR
Confirmed backs (11)
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 | 859 | 39 | 33 | 90 | 162 | 159 | 182 | 194 |
| SGC | 679 | 8 | 7 | 60 | 81 | 141 | 131 | 251 |
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 |
|---|---|
| Polar Bear | 114 |
| Sweet Caporal | 102 |
| Sweet Caporal 1910 | 101 |
| Piedmont | 82 |
| Piedmont 1910 | 76 |
| Piedmont 1911 | 55 |
| Old Mill | 43 |
| Sweet Caporal 1911 | 26 |
| Tolstoi | 25 |
| Sovereign 1910 | 21 |
| El Principe de Gales | 12 |
| Cycle 1911 | 7 |
| American Beauty 1911 | 4 |
| Uzit | 2 |
| Unknown back | 189 |
SGC by back
| Back | Graded |
|---|---|
| American Beauty 1911 | 3 |
| Cycle 1911 | 3 |
| El Principe de Gales 1909-11 | 12 |
| Lenox 1909-11 | 1 |
| Old Mill 1909-11 | 36 |
| Piedmont 1910 | 151 |
| Piedmont 1911 | 73 |
| Polar Bear 1909-11 | 124 |
| Sovereign 1910 | 25 |
| Sweet Caporal 1909-11 | 3 |
| Sweet Caporal 1910 | 180 |
| Sweet Caporal 1911 | 51 |
| Tolstoi 1909-11 | 14 |
| Uzit 1909-11 | 3 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1909-11 T206 Nap Lajoie card?
The Nap Lajoie (With Bat) 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 Cleveland Naps player and was inserted in cigarette packs across 11 different tobacco-brand backs.
How rare is this T206 card?
Across PSA and SGC, roughly 1538 examples of the Nap Lajoie have been graded, with only 47 grading NM 7 or higher, so mid-grade copies are obtainable while high-grade examples are genuinely scarce.
Which backs does the T206 Nap Lajoie come with?
The Nap Lajoie is confirmed with 11 tobacco-brand backs: American Beauty, Cycle, 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 Nap Lajoie 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 Nap Lajoie
More Cleveland Naps 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.