This set would probably never have been named "The World`s Dreadnoughts" without our ship, though Dreadnought had been a name used by several vessels in the past - and will almost certainly be used in the future, for it is currently being sported by a ballistic missile submarine.
The first ship to carry the motto of "Fear God and Dread Nought" was a galleon and she fought the Spanish Armada during her lengthy career of over seventy years. Another famous Dreadnought was at the Battle of Trafalgar with Admiral Lord Nelson. But these were just single ships, one offs, whereas our Dreadnought saw her name given to a style of heavily armoured battleship all over the world.
Our set was issued just four years after our ship had been launched. In our original Wills Reference Books parts III and IV they appear as W/115. They are described as "25 The World`s Dreadnoughts" Fronts lithographed in colour. Backs with descriptive text. Issued 1910." Already there were several versions known
Home Issue
A) backs in blue-grey with Imperial Tobacco Company and Album clauses
Australian Issue without Imperial Tobacco Company and Album clauses
B) backs in blue-black with "Capstan" advertisement
C) backs in blue-black with "Vice Regal" advertisement
General Overseas Issues
D) backs in blue-black without Imperial Tobacco Company and Album clauses but with "W.D. & H.O. Wills, Bristol & London" at foot
E) backs in blue-black without Imperial Tobacco Company but with Album clauses. Album clause reads "...price 25 c each" No brand advertised and an anonymous issue.
Wills part IV gives a bit more information about E) and says that it was issued in Canada, and is listed on page 141 of Mr. Burdick`s American Catalogue as item C65.
By the time of our World Tobacco Issues Index, published in 1956 the home issue is listed as W62-105 and it simply says "Sm. Nd. (25) see W/115A. This is repeated in our updated version, but the code has changed to W675-138.
Running late tonight, so I will have a look at the overseas versions of this set, tomorrow for they are in different parts of the Indexes.