This is the start of a curious tale. It begins with our Directory of British Issuers, reference book RB.7, which was published in 1946. In there, we have an entry which reads :
Bocnal Tobacco Co.
9, Bonhill Street, London E.C.2.
Founded 1934.
(Also Fifteen Tobacco Co. Ltd.)
Now Amalgamated Tobacco Corporation, Luton.
"Proverbs" series presumed to be issued abroad.
[brands...] "Newgent" Cigarettes (sold only through newsagents). "Plane", "Mills", "Clifton", "Corktip", "Fifteens" , "Supertips".
Several of these brands need a bit more chatting about.
The first one, "Fifteens", never seem to have carried cards, and their packets carry not a single reference to Bocnal, just "The Better Blend - The Big Cigarette with the Big Reputation. Fifteens Tobacco Co. Ltd. London, England."
As far as "Plane", "Corktip" and "Mills", all these were used, later, by Amalgamated Tobacco - the "Mills" being in a winged circle above each of the other two names on both the fronts and backs of their packets. We also know that Amalgamated Tobacco was using the "Mills" brand as early as 1951, and in South Africa, for it appears on a card of Vic Toweel that they issued to mark his fight with Boland in 1951.
Now I have seen a packet of "Yanks" (sic) Cigarettes, and it is actually spelt "Yanx", but I have not seen the Vic Toweel card to find out if that is spelt that way too and there was an error in translation between the sender of this information and whomsoever tapped it in to the World Tobacco Issues Index. .
Our original World Tobacco Issues Index, issued in 1956, tells us that our company was ;
The Bocnal Tobacco Co. London.
Founded 1934. Later became "The Amalgamated Tobacco Corporation, Luton". Cards issued 1938
- LUMINOUS SILHOUETTES OF BEAUTY AND CHARM. Sm. 66 x 36. Cream-yellow on black background. Back in shades of grey to grey-brown. Nd. (25) ... B80-1.
- PROVERBS UP TO DATE. Sm. 67 x 36. Nd. (25) ... B80.2
The exact same text appears in our updated World Tobacco Issues Index, but the sets have new card codes, B502-200 for the silhouettes, and B502-300 for the proverbs - which were featured as our card of the Day for the 31st of March, 2025, where you can read more about them.
I actually have a "New Issues Report" for this set, (actually for both sets, so they must have been issued very close to each other). This comes from The London Cigarette Card Company magazine "Cigarette Card News", the edition being dated August 1938, which reads :
"BOCNAL TOBACCO CO. "Luminous Silhouettes of Beauty and Charm". Twenty-five small cards. This firm are newcomers to the ranks of card issuers. The series is a novelty one, black-and-white silhouettes of sporting scenes which become luminous in the dark.
As for The Amalgamated Tobacco Corporation, Luton, which Bocnal became, they also have a home page, with our card of the day for the 25th of September, 2024 - which is where this story continues...