Here we have just one of the versions of this most attractive export set. The card is a cut out, if you look along the pony`s outline you will spot the little perforations, and this allows you to push the background away and let him stand up in a three dimensional manner. I am not sure why they did not allow him to have the tree too, but never mind.
Now there seems to be some confusion about this Millbank issue. In our original World Tobacco Issues Index the set has a B. prefixed code, and they are listed as part of British American Tobacco, where it says that these were "Millbank Cigarettes, brand issue, without name of firm. Issued in Canada 1922-23, probably through Imperial Tobacco of Canada." For the description, they have :
ANIMALS. Sm. 66 x 35. Cut-outs. Nd. (60). See X.21/200-37F. Ref USA/C40.
a) Base of back inscribed "1516" (A) with (B) without the words "Printed in England"
b) Base of back inscribed "3971 - Printed in England.
If we go to the back of the book where the X numbers are, it says "ANIMALS - "CUT-OUTS" - The "F" Printing, brand issue inscribed MILLBANK - THE QUALITY CIGARETTE"
However in our updated version of the World Tobacco Index these cards have been moved to the Imperial Tobacco of Canada and re-coded with an I number.
Mr. Park has been amazingly helpful with this set, and also tells us that there are colour differences associated with the 1516 printing, so that you can find the "printed in England" in three colours which are (A) red (B) bluey grey (C) black - and that it also appears in the Burdick Catalogue as C40, where it is valued at just five cents a card. He also supplied the image of this card when I found out the index contained two of these cards, and both were by Wills.
It was also issued by other tobacco manufacturers, and the full list, extracted from RB.21, the British American Tobacco Reference Book, is :
A. Wills` "Havelock" export brand issue
B. Wills` "Specialities, Capstan, Vice Regal and Ribbon Cuts" export brand issue (26 February 2022)
C. Ogden`s "Ruler" export brand issue
D.i. Ogden`s "Tabs" export brand issue - with caption
D.ii. Ogden`s "Tabs" export brand issue - without caption
E.i. Ogden`s unbranded plain back Issue - with caption
E.ii. Ogden`s unbranded plain back issue - without caption
F.i.a. Millbank issue, numbered 1516 at bottom of front - "Printed in England" in red (this version)
F.i.b. Millbank issue, numbered 1516 at bottom of front - "Printed in England" in bluey-grey
F.i.c. Millbank issue, numbered 1516 at bottom of front - "Printed in England" in black
F.ii. Millbank issue, numbered 3971 at bottom of front
G. Kong Beng brand issue
It also tells us that printings A. B., and F. are numbered with series title and descriptive text. However printings C,., D., E., and G. are unnumbered, without series title or descriptive text.
As we feature these cards on our website we will bold the text, and add a link, the clicking on which will let you go off and see them. So far only one has been done though!
By the way RB.15-17 gives the titles of all the cards, though it is known that they vary between the Ogdens, Wills and B.A.T. versions. So here is a list. And look at the ones which have dots before them, because they are ones I cannot track down, and if you have them let us know so I can extract the info..
-
Armadillo - ? - listed in RB.21 listing - possibly "Giant Armadillo" ?
-
Australian Bear - ? - listed in RB.21 listing - possibly "Native Bear" ?
-
Australian Cat - ? - listed in RB.21 listing - possibly "Native Cat" ?
Ass - (Wills Specialities : 27/60)
Badger - Meles Taxus - (Wills Specialities : 46/60)
Beaver - Castor Fiber - (Wills Specialities : 49/60)
Borzoi - or Russian Wolfhound - (Wills Specialities : 1/60)
Brown Bear - Ursus Arctos - (Wills Specialities : 16/60)
-
Camel - ? - listed in RB.21 listing - anyone got one of these?
Cheetah - Cynaelurus Jubatus - (Wills Specialities : 12/60)
Common Hamster - Cricetus Frumentarius - (Wills Specialities : 24/60)
Crested Porcupine - Hystrix Cristata - does not appear in RB.21 listing - (Wills Specialities : 37/60)
Dachshund - (Wills Havelock : 38/60)- (Wills Specialities : 38/60)
Dingo - Mountain Variety - Canis Dingo - (Wills Specialities : 51/60)
-
Dromedary - ? - listed in RB.21 listing - anyone got one of these?
-
European Mink - Mustela Lutreola - does not appear in the RB.21 listing - (Wills Specialities : 36/60)
-
European Musk - ? - listed in RB.21 but possibly the above card mis-described?
Flying Fox - Pteropus Poliocephalus - (Wills Specialities : 52/60)
-
Fox - ? - anyone got one of these?
French Poodle - (Wills Specialities : 41/60)
-
Gemsbok Antelope - ? - listed in RB.21 - anyone got one of these?
Giant Armadillo - Priodon Gigas - listed as simply "Armadillo" in reference books - (Wills Specialities : 47/60)
Giraffe - Giraffa Camelopardis - (Wills Specialities : 23/60)
Gorilla - Anthropopithechus Gorilla - (Wills Specialities : 18/60)
Great Ant Eater - Myrmecophaga Jubata - - (Wills Specialities : 15/60)
Great Dane - (Wills Specialities : 11/60)
Guinea Pig - (Wills Specialities : 50/60)
-
Hare - ? - listed in RB.21 - anyone got one of these ?
Hedgehog - Erinaceus Europaeus - (Wills Specialities : 30/60)
Hippopotamus - Hippopotamus Amphibious - (Wills Havelock : 8/60)
Hyaena - Hyaena Striata - (Wills Specialities : 2/60)
-
Indian Elephant - ? - listed in RB.21 - anyone got one of these ?
Kangaroo - (Micropus Giganteus - (Wills Specialities : 45/60)
Leopard - Felis Pardus - (Wills Specialities : 13/60)
-
Lion - ? - listed in RB.21 - anyone got one of these ?
-
Moose - ? - listed in RB.21 - anyone got one of these ?
Mule - back says "The Mule" - (Wills Specialities : 29/60)
Mountain Zebra - Equus Zebra - (Wills Specialities : 25/60)
Native Bear - Phascolarctus Cinereus - (Wills Specialities : 57/60)
Native Cat - Dasyurus Viverrinus - (Wills Havelock : 54/60) - (Wills Specialities : 54/60)
Opossum - Trichosurus Vulpecula - (Wills Specialities : 60/60)
Orang-Utan - Simia Satyrus - (Wills Havelock : 17/60)
Otter - Lutra Vulgaris - (Wills Specialities : 39/60)
Polar Bear - Ursus Maritimus - (Wills Specialities : 14/60)
-
Porcupine - listed in RB.21 - possibly "Crested Porcupine" ?
Prairie Dog - Cynomys Ludovicianus - (Wills Specialities : 22/60)
Rabbit Bandicoot - Peragale Lagotis - (Wills Specialities : 55/60)
-
Racehorse - ? - listed in RB.21 - anyone got one of these ?
Red Deer - Cervus Elaphus - (Wills Specialities : 9/60)
-
Retriever - ? - listed in RB.21 - anyone got one of these ?
Rhinoceros - Rhinoceros Unicornis - (Wills Specialities : 7/60)
Roe Deer - Capreolus Caproea - (Wills Specialities : 19/60)
Seal - Phoca Vitulina - (Wills Specialities : 32/60)
Shetland Pony - (Millbank : 10/60) - (Wills Specialities : 10/60)
Squirrel - Sciurus Vulgaris - (Wills Specialities : 28/60)
Tasmanian Devil - Sarcophilus Ursinus - (Wills Specialities : 53/60)
-
Tasmanian Wolf - ? - listed in RB.21 - anyone got one of these ?
Tiger - Felis Tigris - crouching - (Wills Specialities : 43/60)
-
Tiger - roaring - ? - listed in RB.21 - anyone got one of these ?
Wallaby - Macropus Greyi - (Wills Specialities : 59/60)
White Rabbit - (Wills Specialities : 35/60)
Wild Cat - Felis Catus - (Wills Specialities : 33/60)
-
Wolf - ? - listed in RB.21 - anyone got one of these ?
Wombat - Phascolomys Mitchelli - (Wills Specialities : 58/60)