This is a readers card, who noticed the similarity between it and the card by Clevedon Confectionery that we featured on Sunday.
The text on today`s card and Sunday`s is almost identical, but parts have been excised. The top is entirely the same, word for word, right until you get down to "The Albert Medal in Gold and The Albert Medal". Then Sunday`s card just closes with "The former 1st class and the latter 2nd Class", whereas ours closes with "The former (Ist class) is worked in gold and bronze and the latter (2nd class) entirely in bronze. Any subsequent acts of gallantry may be recorded by bars, and recipients can use the letters A.M. after their name.". So did Clevedon copy their words off the back of the older sets, and when they ran out of space (because they used a horizontal format) just condense what was left?
I was just going to add this scan as part of the listing for the Clevedon set, but when I started looking it up I found it to be a very tangled tale, as our version is branded for De Reszke, and that is a brand by Millhoff. However you will not find it under their name in our original World Tobacco Issues Index, because, as the listing for Millhoff in there tells us, "For brand issues inscribed "De Reszke Cigarettes" and cards inscribed with both Millhoff and Phillips names, see under Godfrey Phillips."
So I then returned to the library, and found our original Godfrey Phillips reference book, (RB.13, issued in 1949), where their version of this set is described as :
- 43. 25. BRITISH ORDERS OF CHIVALRY AND VALOUR. Small cards, size 67 x 37 m/m. Fronts printed by letterpress, order in colour on black background. Backs in sepia, with descriptive text. Issued in export brands , 1939. Similar series issued by United Kingdom Tobacco Co.
Strangely, you may think, there is no mention of Millhoff. This is even stranger when you discover that in the 1950 London Cigarette Card Catalogue the set was not listed under Millhoff, instead it is under Godfrey Phillips, recorded as :
- 25. BRITISH ORDERS OF CHIVALRY AND VALOUR. (1939). Ha.599
A. Back "Godfrey Phillips Ltd., and Associated Companies"
B. Back "De Reszke Cigarettes" (no maker`s name)
No prices appear for either of these versions, which only means they had insufficient stock at that present time to allow for mass orders. They did, however, offer the United Kingdom Tobacco version, as :
- 25. BRITISH ORDERS OF CHIVALRY AND VALOUR. (Nov.1936) - "The Grey`s Cigarettes"
Ha.599 odds sets
2d. * 4/6
The asterisk tells us that "Special offers of sets of these series appear in our Abridged Catalogue" (and I bought the 1939 one of those at the Convention this weekend....)
The entry Ha.599 takes us to the original London Cigarette Card Handbook, where the entry is :
- Ha.599 BRITISH ORDERS OF CHIVALRY AND VALOUR. (titled series) Front in colour. Numbered series of 25.
Phillips - A. Back "Godfrey Phillips Ltd., and Associated Companies"
B. Back "De Reszke Cigarettes" (no maker`s name)
United Kingdom Tobacco Co. - Back "The Greys Cigarettes" without maker`s name.
Anyway, back to our original World Tobacco Issues Index, and to Godfrey Phillips, where their entry reads
- BRITISH ORDERS OF CHIVALRY AND VALOUR. Sm. Nd. (25). See Ha.599 ... P50-98
This text is repeated under the listing for United Kingdom Tobacco Co., where it is catalogued with the issues circulated with "The Greys" brand, the only difference is the card code, of U10-8. If you look at those cards, they are identical on the reverse, the same shield with the set title, and bugler on galloping horse, but at the bottom the inscription reads : "THE "GREYS" CIGARETTES"
Oddly, in our updated World Tobacco Issues Index, these are listed under Millhoff, in section 1.C, for "The DeReszke brand issues. Cards inscribed "De Reszke Cigarettes", or "De Reszke Minors Cigarettes" without name of firm. Period 1934-39", and catalogued as :
- BRITISH ORDERS OF CHIVALRY AND VALOUR. Sm. Nd. (25). See RB.113/43 ...M699-420
The Phillips version reads the same as this, but the card code is P521-424. However, the United Kingdom version is altered, to read
- BRITISH ORDERS OF CHIVALRY AND VALOUR. Sm. Nd. (25). See RB.113/43 ... U450-520
A. On creamish board, type-faces as Set P521-424, "A Series of 25" measuring 13 m/m.
B. On brownish board, type-faces changed, "A Series of 25" measuring 12 m/m.
The cards in the various series are as follows. At the moment there are abbreviations, but only whilst I hunt through for the missing cards, namely
- (M) Millhoff
- (P) Phillips
- (U) United Kingdom
- (C) Clevedon
- Victoria Cross (M)(P)(U)
- The Most Noble Order of the Garter (M)(P)(U)
- The Most Noble and Most Ancient Order of the Thistle (M)(P)(U)
- The Most Illustrious Order of St Patrick (M)(P)(U)
- The Most Honourable Order of the Bath (M)(P)(U)
- Order of Merit (M)(P)(U)
- Most Exalted Order of the Star of India (M)(P)(U)
- The Most Distinguished Order of St Michael & St George (M)(P)(U)
- The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire (M)(P)(U)
- The Royal Victorian Order (M)(P)(U)
- Order of the British Empire (M)(P)(U)
- The Order of the Companions of Honour (M)(P)(U)
- Distinguished Service Order (M)(P)(U)
- Imperial Service Order (M)(P)(U)
- The Order of St John of Jerusalem in England (M)(P)(U)
- The Albert Medal (M)(P)(U)
- Distinguished Service Cross (M)(P)(U)
- Conspicuous Gallantry Medal (M)(P)(U)
- Distinguished Service Medal (M)(P)(U)
- Military Cross (M)(P)(U)
- Distinguished Conduct Medal (M)(P)(U)
- Military Medal (M)(P)(U)
- Distinguished Flying Cross (M)(P)(U)
- Air Force Cross (M)(P)(U)
- Distinguished Flying Medal (M)(P)(U)