1909-11 T206 Red Murray (Portrait)
1909–11 T206 Red Murray
New York Giants · National League · 460 Only print series
The 1909–1911 T206 Red Murray (“Portrait” pose) is part of the legendary “White Border” tobacco set — The Monster. This card depicts Red Murray, a member of the historic New York Giants (National League), and was printed in the 460 Only series, known with 11 tobacco-brand backs. Across PSA and SGC, roughly 848 examples have been graded, with only 14 in NM 7 or better — a reminder of how tough this issue is in high grade.
About Red Murray
John Joseph "Red" Murray — nicknamed for his red hair — starred as a hard-throwing, fleet outfielder during the deadball era. After playing at Lock Haven and Notre Dame, he signed with the St. Louis Cardinals and reached the majors in 1906, then broke out in 1908, appearing in all 154 games and finishing second in the National League in stolen bases (48). Traded to John McGraw's New York Giants (as part of the Roger Bresnahan deal), he became the club's regular right fielder and led the NL in home runs in 1909 with just seven — a total that made him, with Honus Wagner, the majors' co-leader in homers from 1907 to 1909 (21). Renowned for arguably the best throwing arm of his day, Murray also made a legendary leaping, fingertip catch amid lightning at Forbes Field on August 16, 1909, which McGraw called the greatest he ever saw. He played on the Giants' pennant winners of 1911, 1912, and 1913, and over a nine-year career (Cardinals 1906–08; Giants 1909–15 and 1917; Cubs 1915) he batted .270 with 37 homers and 579 RBIs. Not a Hall of Famer, Murray is a common-grade but genuine 1909–11 T206 subject; he died of leukemia in Sayre, Pennsylvania, on December 4, 1958.
Sources: Wikipedia · 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 | 509 | 13 | 28 | 75 | 137 | 93 | 88 | 75 |
| SGC | 339 | 1 | 10 | 51 | 52 | 72 | 71 | 82 |
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 1911 | 101 |
| Piedmont | 81 |
| Sweet Caporal 1911 | 72 |
| Sweet Caporal | 67 |
| Sovereign 1911 | 22 |
| Polar Bear | 20 |
| Old Mill | 14 |
| Tolstoi | 13 |
| El Principe de Gales | 7 |
| Cycle 1911 | 6 |
| Lenox | 5 |
| American Beauty 1911 | 3 |
| Uzit | 1 |
| Unknown back | 97 |
SGC by back
| Back | Graded |
|---|---|
| American Beauty 1911 | 1 |
| Cycle 1911 | 6 |
| El Principe de Gales 1909-11 | 10 |
| Lenox 1909-11 | 6 |
| Old Mill 1909-11 | 13 |
| Piedmont 1911 | 140 |
| Polar Bear 1909-11 | 24 |
| Sovereign 1911 | 14 |
| Sweet Caporal 1911 | 121 |
| Tolstoi 1909-11 | 4 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1909-11 T206 Red Murray card?
The Red Murray (Portrait) 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 Giants player and was inserted in cigarette packs across 11 different tobacco-brand backs.
How rare is this T206 card?
Across PSA and SGC, roughly 848 examples of the Red Murray have been graded, with only 14 grading NM 7 or higher, so mid-grade copies are obtainable while high-grade examples are genuinely scarce.
Which backs does the T206 Red Murray come with?
The Red Murray 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 Red Murray 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 Red Murray
More New York Giants 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.