Card of the Day - 2022-04-10

Clue number two was quite an easy one, because it really looks like a chocolate Easter egg!

This set is actually titled of the cards, but , and they are cleverly numbered to match up with the birds in another set, also by Ogden, called "British Birds" first series, and issued a year later in 1905.  The idea with this was so you could display the bird cards on the top row of your slip in album and the eggs on the row directly below. We have not yet featured Ogden`s "British Birds" first series, but you can read about them with our Card of the Day for the 6th of April, 2025

Our set first appears in our original Ogdens reference book, RB.15, issued in 1949. as :

34. 50. BIRDS EGGS (1904) Titled "Birds Eggs" on back, "British Birds Eggs" on front. Numbered on fronts, numbers arranged to correspond with the subjects in item 47. Fronts lithographed in colour. Backs in green, with descriptive text. Two grades of board  (a) white, semi-glossy (b) off white, matt backs. Home issue, 1904 

Strangely these two different boards also occur in the set of "British Birds" which makes me wonder if when the birds were issued the set of eggs were reissued.

Now right beneath these is another set, 

35. 50. BIRDS EGGS (1923)  Numbers arranged to correspond with the subjects in item 49. Fronts printed by letterpress in colour. Subjects cut and perforated to stand out. Backs in green, with descriptive text. Home issue, 1923.
Variety : Cards have been reported with the word "Cut" in centre of back instead of "Push" - possibly cards of an export issue 

In the dark recesses of my mind something prickles about it not being allowed for pre-perforated cards to be exported. And it does say "uncut cards are known" against the eggs, the birds, and with "Children of All Nations", so perhaps in these cases the collector had to make their own cut out fold down cards, and instructions were given on the packet? Do let us know if you can tell us more

In our original World Tobacco Issues Index, the earlier set is under section 4 of the Ogdens listings, for sets described as being "Issues with I.T.C. Clause. All issued in U.K. Small size 67 x 36 m/m, unless stated." - and sub-section 4.A, for "cards issued between 1903 and 1917" . They are described as : 

 BIRDS EGGS. Sm. Nd. (50) ... O/2-9

Whilst the later set is under section 4.B, for "cards issued between 1922 and 1939", and described as : 

 BIRDS EGGS. Sm. Cut-outs. Nd. (50) ... O/2-128

In our updated version of the World Tobacco Issues Index, the first of these sets remains identically described, save a new card code, of O100-406, whilst the later version is slightly different, and reads :

 BIRDS EGGS. Sm. Cut-outs. (uncut cards are known) Nd. (50) ... O100-476

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