As this is the first appearance of this set as a Card of the Day, it therefore becomes a home page, or link page, from where you can click the links and see the other versions.
It is first listed in our original reference book to John Player, RB.17, which reads ;
116. 50. INTERNATIONAL AIR LINERS. Small cards. Fronts in colour. Backs in grey, with descriptive text. Special album issued.
- A. Home issue, adhesive backs. With Album clause ("price one penny") and I.T.C. clause. Issued November, 1936
- B. Channel Islands issue, adhesive backs. No Album or I.T.C. clauses. Issued November 1936]
- C. Irish issue, adhesive backs. With Album clause (no price stated) and I.T.C. clause. Issued July, 1937
- D. Overseas issue, non-adhesive backs. No album or I.T.C. Clause. Anonymous issue. issued May 1937.
In our original British American Tobacco booklet it reveals that our card, version "D", was issued through them, not John Player, and in the Channel Islands and Malta. I am rather surprised that there is no mention of there being a giant aeroplane at the bottom of the card, for surely this would be a far better way of identifying the set than "no album or I.T.C. clause". Don`t you think?
By the time of our World Tobacco Issues Index, in 1956, the versions have been separated, so the John Player reference book is the only place you can see them all. Some of the versions are in the John Player section, listed as :
INTERNATIONAL AIR LINERS. Sm. Nd. (50). See RB.17/116 ... P72-166
- A. Home issue, album wording with price "one penny")
- B. Irish issue, album wording without price.
This is a different lettering system to the John Player booklet, where these sets appear as versions A and C.
and our version is removed, added to the back of the book with the anonymous issues, and given a "Z" number. The text there reads :
INTERNATIONAL AIR LINERS. Sm. Nd. (50) See RB.17/116.D ... ZB6-38.