Now this simply stood for the autograph, or signature, on the document. And in fact there were sixty-six such signatures, representing thirty two different countries. The terms of the treaty required that Germany paid for the damage the war had caused, that it was no longer to own weapons, and that it had to give territories to other nations, worldwide.
However this autograph is rather special, for it is Joseph Chamberlain, the father of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, the man who had to announce the start of the Second World War in 1939.
Some say that this was the first set to have "autographs" in the title, but they are forgetting that Taddy issued a set with that name some years earlier in 1910. Strangely, then, that the Taddy cards are in full colour, whilst these are simply brown gravures.
Our original World Tobacco Issues Index tells us that this is a set of many permutations, which I like as it does give me lots of scope for future cards of the day as well as to replace any doubles that I come across as I work backwards through the index. The listing is :
CELEBRITIES AND THEIR AUTOGRAPHS. Small 70-72 x 41-43. Large 78 x 63. Brown gravures.
1. Nos. 1/25 (25)
Size (A) small (B Large2. No`s 26/50 (25)
(A) Small size, back with numerals (a) 2mm (b) 2 1/2 mm high
(B) Large size, back with numerals (a) 2 1/2 mm (b) 3 mm high3. Nos. 51/75 (25)
Size (A) small (B) large4. Nos. 76-100 (25)
Size (A) small (B) large
This information is repeated in the updated World Tobacco Issues Index but there is a curious omission in that all the 2 1/2s read 2_