1909–11 T206 Tom Jones
St Louis Browns · American League · 150-350 print series
The 1909–1911 T206 Tom Jones is part of the legendary “White Border” tobacco set — The Monster. This card depicts Tom Jones, a member of the historic St Louis Browns (American League), and was printed in the 150-350 series, known with 5 tobacco-brand backs. Across PSA and SGC, roughly 846 examples have been graded, with only 24 in NM 7 or better — a reminder of how tough this issue is in high grade.
About Tom Jones
Thomas Jones (June 21, 1874 – June 19, 1923), born in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, was a slick-fielding deadball-era first baseman who spent eight seasons in the majors. He debuted with the Baltimore Orioles in August 1902, hitting .283 in 37 games, then anchored first base for the St. Louis Browns from 1904 through most of 1909, an everyday regular who typically batted between .240 and .260. Jones was renowned for his glovework, regarded as one of the finest defensive first basemen of his time. On August 20, 1909, the Browns traded him to the pennant-bound Detroit Tigers for Claude Rossman, and Jones started all seven games at first base in the 1909 World Series, which Detroit lost to Honus Wagner's Pittsburgh Pirates, four games to three. He closed his major-league career with Detroit in 1910, finishing at a .251 average over 813 big-league games, then played five more seasons for the Milwaukee Brewers of the American Association from 1911 to 1915. As a St. Louis Browns regular, Jones appears on multiple backs in the T206 set as a solid, common deadball subject.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference
Confirmed backs (5)
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 | 527 | 22 | 27 | 64 | 124 | 92 | 115 | 83 |
| SGC | 319 | 2 | 7 | 36 | 58 | 75 | 55 | 86 |
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 1909 | 130 |
| Piedmont | 109 |
| Sweet Caporal 1909 | 89 |
| Sweet Caporal | 64 |
| Sovereign 1909 | 22 |
| El Principe de Gales | 16 |
| Piedmont 1910 | 14 |
| Hindu | 6 |
| Unknown back | 77 |
SGC by back
| Back | Graded |
|---|---|
| El Principe de Gales 1909-11 | 13 |
| Hindu 1909-11 | 7 |
| Piedmont 1909 | 162 |
| Piedmont 1910 | 10 |
| Sovereign 1909 | 19 |
| Sweet Caporal 1909 | 108 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1909-11 T206 Tom Jones card?
The Tom Jones 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 5 different tobacco-brand backs.
How rare is this T206 card?
Across PSA and SGC, roughly 846 examples of the Tom Jones have been graded, with only 24 grading NM 7 or higher, so mid-grade copies are obtainable while high-grade examples are genuinely scarce.
Which backs does the T206 Tom Jones come with?
The Tom Jones is confirmed with 5 tobacco-brand backs: El Principe de Gales, Hindu, Piedmont, Sovereign, Sweet Caporal. The back brand is a major driver of both scarcity and value.
Is the T206 Tom Jones 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.