Just for Red Nose Day, here is the set you expected yesterday, and it is one of the most famous sets in all cartophily. As an added bonus if you look in our original Taddy Reference Book (RB.12) issued in 1948, or the green covered reprint, one of these very cards is the illustration for this set, at figure 6.
In 1950, these cards were listed by the London Cigarette Card Company from 15/- to 45/- a card – this is equal to “The Klondyke Series”, “Natives of The World” and the second and third series of “V.C. Heroes – Boer War” - but the Clowns were actually rarer as all those series, save the V.C. Heroes, could have been bought as full sets, immediately, from stock. To save you wondering, “Klondyke” was £25, “Natives” £60, and the third series of “V.C.” £40.
The mystique about Taddy is what holds their value, for they were founded in 1750, started issuing cards in 1897 (these being T045-010 : T6-1 - the 72 cards of “Actresses – Collotype”), and closed down in 1920 because of a strike by cigarette machine operators, during which the owner hastily threatened to close the company if the workers did not return. And those workers stood together. Meanwhile these cards were printed half way, and just left. They never appeared in the packets, and never went back under the printing process and had the planned backs added. Those cards which exist are all hand cut, plain back, and the legend is they were found, taken, cut from the sheets, and kept as souvenirs, then, much later, offered for sale.