This set is included because it was actually issued in October 1925, one hundred years ago to the month. And though it was the only home issue, that month was quite a hectic one for W.D. & H.O. Wills, who also issued several other issues overseas, namely "Pirates & Highwaymen", "Railway Engines", and "Ships Badges". The home issue of "Ships Badges", by the way, was the set which this replaced; it had been circulated first in June 1925. And today`s set was ousted by the third series of "Do You Know", in February 1926.
Coincidentally though, October is one of the months when you are most likely to see a heron in flight. And I actually saw one only this week with my own eyes, in West Park in Pinner.
Actually it is a much more interesting set than the name suggests, and, like here, really brightly coloured. It is not given much of a description in our original Wills reference book part four though, only :
- 254. LIFE IN THE TREE TOPS. Fronts printed by letter press in colour. Backs in grey, with descriptive text. Issued 1925.
A. Home issue. Wills` name and I.T.C. Clause at foot
B. General Overseas Issue. Anonymous backs.
By the time of our original World Tobacco Issues Index, in 1955, the description had shrunk, a bit, to just :
- LIFE IN THE TREE TOPS. Sm. Nd. (50). See W/254.A ... W62-155
The General Overseas Issue is removed to the back of the book, under anonymous issues (1) with letterpress on back - and sub section 2.B, which contains overseas issues through British American Tobacco, where it is given the card code of ZB6-42.
And that remains identical in our updated version, save new card codes, of W675-194 for the home issue, and ZB07-450 for the General Overseas Issue.