1909-11 T206 Ty Cobb (Portrait - Green)
1909–11 T206 Ty Cobb
Detroit Tigers · American League · 150-350 print series
The 1909–1911 T206 Ty Cobb (“Portrait - Green” pose) is part of the legendary “White Border” tobacco set — The Monster. This card depicts Ty Cobb, a member of the historic Detroit Tigers (American League), and was printed in the 150-350 series, known with 4 tobacco-brand backs. Across PSA and SGC, roughly 1853 examples have been graded, with only 33 in NM 7 or better — a reminder of how tough this issue is in high grade.
About Ty Cobb
Ty Cobb entered professional ball in 1904 with the Augusta Tourists of the South Atlantic League and debuted for the Detroit Tigers on August 30, 1905. A center fielder, he starred for Detroit through 1926 (player-manager 1921–1926) before finishing with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1927–1928. The dominant hitter of the Deadball Era, Cobb won a record 11 (or 12) batting titles, hit over .400 three times, and retired with a .366 career average, 4,189 hits, and 897 stolen bases. His 1911 season was one of his finest—a .420 average while leading the league in runs, hits, doubles, triples, RBI, slugging, and steals. Nicknamed "The Georgia Peach" for his home state, the fiercely competitive Cobb ignited baseball's first players' strike in 1912 after being suspended for attacking a heckler. In 1936 he headlined the inaugural Baseball Hall of Fame class. This green portrait is among the T206 set's most coveted cards.
Sources: Baseball-Reference · SABR
Confirmed backs (4)
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 | 1125 | 27 | 21 | 69 | 139 | 183 | 280 | 406 |
| SGC | 728 | 6 | 7 | 37 | 69 | 120 | 148 | 341 |
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 | 229 |
| Piedmont | 178 |
| Sweet Caporal 1909 | 174 |
| Sweet Caporal | 110 |
| Piedmont 1910 | 83 |
| Sweet Caporal 1910 | 62 |
| Sovereign 1909 | 31 |
| Old Mill | 12 |
| Unknown back | 246 |
SGC by back
| Back | Graded |
|---|---|
| Old Mill 1909-11 | 8 |
| Piedmont 1909 | 350 |
| Piedmont 1910 | 93 |
| Sovereign 1909 | 30 |
| Sweet Caporal 1909 | 192 |
| Sweet Caporal 1909-11 | 5 |
| Sweet Caporal 1910 | 50 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1909-11 T206 Ty Cobb card?
The Ty Cobb (Portrait - Green) 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 Detroit Tigers player and was inserted in cigarette packs across 4 different tobacco-brand backs.
How rare is this T206 card?
Across PSA and SGC, roughly 1853 examples of the Ty Cobb have been graded, with only 33 grading NM 7 or higher, so mid-grade copies are obtainable while high-grade examples are genuinely scarce.
Which backs does the T206 Ty Cobb come with?
The Ty Cobb is confirmed with 4 tobacco-brand backs: Old Mill, Piedmont, Sovereign, Sweet Caporal. The back brand is a major driver of both scarcity and value.
Is the T206 Ty Cobb 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 Ty Cobb
More Detroit Tigers 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.