Let’s start this by welcoming you aboard the magical mystery tour, and that it truly is…
So at first I went to the World Tobacco Issues Index, and in the header for Teofani it says “For Anonymous series believed to have been issued by the firm see Sets under ZA-7…(etc) – ZA7-7 reads: "VIEWS OF LONDON. Sm. 68 x 38. Grey black gravure. Back inscribed “Issued with these World Famous Cigarettes” Nd. (50). See Ha.577"
Now that is the set we had yesterday so I thought I was in the right place, however the description didn’t really fit because today`s cards are not numbered, and the backs are plain, but I wondered if the number may have been on the back. Anyway Ha.577 says “VIEWS OF LONDON. (titled series). Front in brown photogravure. Numbered series of 50. Hill. A. Small size B. Large size - Teofani – Anonymous cards, inscribed “Issued with these World Famous Cigarettes”
However it turns out I did not go far enough, because today`s card is listed as ZJ5-15, under “Anonymous Issues (3) – with plain back” - and catalogued as :
LONDON VIEWS (A) Sm. 58 x 32. Black and white. Unnd. (12). See Ha.620. Issued abroad by Teofani group..
That let me find it in our updated World Tobacco Issues Index too, coded as ZJ05-450. The text is the same but it changes the handbook reference to the updated H.620 and not the original Ha.620. The handbook references can be a bit confusing because originally it was the London Cigarette Card Company Handbook, in two parts, H. being for the older pre-1920 cards, and Ha. being for the 1920-1940
The question is why there should be two sets associated with Teofani that are so similarly named and produced? Why not just reissue the set of fifty overseas?