1909-11 T206 Peter O'Brien
1909–11 T206 Peter O'Brien
St Paul Saints · American Association · 350 Only print series
The 1909–1911 T206 Peter O'Brien is part of the legendary “White Border” tobacco set — The Monster. This card depicts Peter O'Brien, a member of the historic St Paul Saints (American Association), and was printed in the 350 Only series, known with 8 tobacco-brand backs. Across PSA and SGC, roughly 890 examples have been graded, with only 11 in NM 7 or better — a reminder of how tough this issue is in high grade.
About Peter O'Brien
Peter J. O'Brien was a deadball-era second baseman remembered chiefly as a minor-league journeyman, which is exactly how the T206 set captures him — in the uniform of the St. Paul Saints of the American Association. Born June 17, 1877, in Binghamton, New York, the left-handed hitter (he threw right) came up through the small New York-Pennsylvania circuits with clubs such as the Binghamton Bingos and Rome Romans before reaching the majors. He debuted with the Cincinnati Reds on September 17, 1901, and later saw big-league duty with the St. Louis Browns (1906) and, in 1907, both the Cleveland Naps and Washington Senators, where he played his final game on October 2, 1907. His major-league bat never took hold: he finished with a .223 average, 191 hits, 3 home runs and 78 RBIs. He was a far steadier hand in the high minors, manning second base for the Saints, the crosstown Minneapolis Millers, the Indianapolis Indians and several others, and closing out his career around 1912 with a minor-league mark near .254. He died January 31, 1917, in Jersey City, New Jersey, at age 39. As an American Association regular rather than a big-league star, O'Brien is one of the T206 set's more obscure subjects; no documented nickname survives for him, and his SABR biography remains unwritten.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Confirmed backs (8)
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 | 559 | 9 | 37 | 84 | 140 | 99 | 112 | 78 |
| SGC | 331 | 2 | 5 | 40 | 58 | 78 | 59 | 89 |
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 | 298 |
| Sweet Caporal 1910 | 40 |
| Sweet Caporal | 33 |
| Polar Bear | 29 |
| Sovereign 1910 | 28 |
| American Beauty 1910 | 12 |
| Cycle 1910 | 5 |
| Tolstoi | 5 |
| Broad Leaf 1910 | 2 |
| Unknown back | 107 |
SGC by back
| Back | Graded |
|---|---|
| American Beauty 1910 | 8 |
| Broad Leaf 1910 | 1 |
| Cycle 1910 | 3 |
| Piedmont 1910 | 199 |
| Polar Bear 1909-11 | 36 |
| Sovereign 1910 | 31 |
| Sweet Caporal 1910 | 46 |
| Tolstoi 1909-11 | 7 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1909-11 T206 Peter O'Brien card?
The Peter O'Brien 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 Paul Saints player and was inserted in cigarette packs across 8 different tobacco-brand backs.
How rare is this T206 card?
Across PSA and SGC, roughly 890 examples of the Peter O'Brien have been graded, with only 11 grading NM 7 or higher, so mid-grade copies are obtainable while high-grade examples are genuinely scarce.
Which backs does the T206 Peter O'Brien come with?
The Peter O'Brien is confirmed with 8 tobacco-brand backs: American Beauty, Broad Leaf, Cycle, Piedmont, Polar Bear (Scrap), Sovereign, Sweet Caporal, Tolstoi. The back brand is a major driver of both scarcity and value.
Is the T206 Peter O'Brien 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 Paul Saints 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.