So this was a bit of a trick card, being not the John Player set issued in this country, but the Wills version issued overseas.
The differences are that the issuer`s name changes, but stays in the same position - and that the John Player version has the title and number on the front of the card. And you can see the John Player version of this card for yourself online, courtesy of the George Arents Collection at the New York Public Library
The odd thing is that the Player was issued almost a decade before, in 1904.
In our original Wills reference book part III our version is listed as :
54. 50. BRITISH EMPIRE SERIES. Fronts lithographed in colour ; backs in brown with descriptive text. Australian issues, about 1913.
A. With "Capstan" advertisement on backs.
B. With "Havelock" advertisement on backs.
C. With "Vice Regal" advertisement on backs.
D. No brand advertised (anonymous issue)Similar series issued by Player - none of the varieties known in the Player issue have so far been recorded in the above issues, Plain backed cards are known, but it is not clear whether these are printer`s material or part of a regular issue.
Now according to the records of the British American Tobacco these sets were issued in a rather odd way, for in April 1912 the set appeared in packets of "Capstan" and "Havelock" - but then in May 1912 it lists that this set was issued in packets of "Capstan" and "Vice Regal". It could be that the "Capstan" set was reprinted, but there are no variations reported so either they ran out of stock or they just decided keep it going a bit longer and changing nothing. Or this second date could be a mistake in the records, a simple double entry, when someone looked quickly and only saw the "Havelock" recorded with the first date rather than taking their time and reading the whole line. Sadly we will almost certainly never find out now.
By the time of our original World Tobacco Issues Index, quite a while after these original Wills books were published, the set is recorded as :
BRITISH EMPIRE SERIES. Sm. Nd. (50). See W/54.
A. "Capstan" back.
B. "Havelock" back. Brand issue.
C. "Vice Regal" back.
I am not sure why only the "Havelock" is listed here as a brand issue, for surely all three are? And as for D, the anonymous issue, well that is missing from this listing - you will have to search for that at the back of the book, coded as ZA3-4 - "BRITISH EMPIRE SERIES. Sm. Nd. (50). See W/54.D"
This text is repeated in our updated volume, including the original Wills code; and the anonymous is still at the back, as ZA03-200.