This item actually proves a connection between the Burning Man Festival and cigarette/trade cards, for at the festival, though there are all kinds of goods and services on offer, you can only use money to pay for ice and coffee, for everything else you have to barter, trade, or exchange.
And though today it has become frequented by the rich and famous, those wonderful ways of yore still persist as the only way business is done.
The link to cards is that all non commercial cards were also given away, you could not, at least not until catalogues came along, buy cards, hence small children waiting outside newsagents, and collectors had to swap.
Now I may be looking in the wrong place but I cannot find this card in our original Ogden`s reference book, RB.15, issued in 1949. However they do turn up in mixed lots, and I have been asked about them; sadly the limit of my knowledge appears below, which is scant. So if anyone does know more, please do tell.
The front is pictorial, showing a maiden carrying tobacco leaves on her head, The final badge of the columns, on each side, says "SEE BACK FOR PARTICULARS", and below that, in the bar, it must be noted that in the wording "OGDEN`S PREMIUM COUPON", the word Premium does not mean it is better, it simply means prize or reward.
Underneath that is the printer`s name, and that is a big surprise, as it is "Waterlow and Sons, Limited, London Wall, London, E.C." also known as probably the world`s most renowned engraver of bank notes, postage stamps, and stocks/bonds/share certificates. They were founded in 1810, and bought in 1961 by De La Rue, who we know better for making playing cards.
The reverse gives us a closing date for redeeming the coupon (January 30th, 1905), though we know that the scheme started earlier, for you can find a similar card on which the date of expiry is January 30th, 1903 - but the address on that is different, it is Boundary Lane, Liverpool. Ours is Chatham Street. Presumably there is also a card which carries the expiry date of January 30th, 1904, with either of these addresses.
It also tells us that if you sent a penny stamp to the address given, Ogden`s would send, in return, a list of presents and full particulars of the scheme. Now I have not been able to find out what these presents were, but if anyone knows, again, do tell.