Card of the Day - 2026-03-29

salmon gluckstein heroes transvaal war
SALMON and Gluckstein [tobacco : UK - London] "Heroes of the Transvaal War" (1901) Un/40 - SO41-200 : S16-8 : H.389

Our original World Tobacco Issues Index catalogues the set as ; 

  • HEROES OF THE TRANSVAAL WAR. Sm. 68 x 38. Unnd. (40).See H.389. ...S16-8

The H.389 here is the original London Cigarette Card Handbook, and that entry reads as follows : 

  • H.389. HEROES OF THE TRANSVAAL WAR (titled series). Fronts in colour. Unnumbered series.

    Pre 1919 

        Salmon & Gluckstein - Series of 40. Captions in (a) dark brown (b) light brown. A few subjects only have been seen in the (b) printing

    Overseas

       Star Tobacco Co. of Bombay - Series of 52, with Playing-card insets. Two cards only have been inspected (Nos 20 and 30 below) and it is not known how the card values are distributed over the subjects. 
  1. (a) Col. Baden-Powell
    (b) Maj-Gen. Baden Powell
  2. Col. J.F. Brocklehurst
  3. Gen. Sir Redvers Buller
  4. Lt. Col. J.J. Byron, Australian Artillery
  5. Maj. Lord Edward Cecil
  6. Maj. Gen. Sir H.C. Chermside
  7. Lord Chesham, Yeomanry
  8. Lieut. Gen. Sir C.F. Clery
  9. Capt. C.F. Cox, New South Wales 
  10. Cmd. Egerton
  11. Commander Ethelstone, R.N.
  12. General French
  13. General Gatacre
  14. Col. Greene. Commanding Natal Carabineers
  15. Maj. Gen. Fitzroy Hart
  16. Maj. Gen. Hildyard
  17. Gen. Sir Archibald Hunter
  18. Col. Kekewich
  19. Maj. Gen. Kelly Kenny
  20. Lord Kitchener
  21. Capt. Lambert. Kaffrarian Scouts
  22. Capt. Lambton, R.N., C.B. 
  23. Maj. Gen Lyttelton
  24. Brig. Gen. Hector Macdonald
  25. Col. Mackinnon
  26. Lieut. Gen. Lord Methuen
  27. Col. Plumer
  28. Col Rhodes
  29. Lord Roberts
  30. Maj. Robin. New Zealand
  31. Capt. Scott, R.N,. C.B.
  32. Maj. Gen. Sir C. Holled Smith
  33. Col. Spreckley
  34. Gen. Sir W.P. Symons
  35. Lieut. Gen. Chas. Tucker
  36. Sir Forestier Walker
  37. Gen. Sir Charles Warren
  38. Maj. Gen. Wauchope
  39. Gen. Sir George White
  40. Maj. Gen. Woodgate

We also have the catalogue, uniform with that handbook, which tells us that odds were currently being retailed at between 3/6 and 10/-, with sets at £20. It makes no mention of light or dark brown, so that seems to suggest the light was the result of the ink running down during the printing process. 

The Star Tobacco Co. of Bombay did not appear in the catalogue, but it does appear in our original World Tobacco Issues Index, with our set being recorded as : 

  • HEROES OF THE TRANSVAAL WAR. (A). Sm. 62 x 36. Front 6, with playing-card inset. Back 4, (52). Illustrated in "N & N", Vol.7 No.4 ... S114-3

The curious front and back numbers are explained in the header for the issuer, and you are redirected to the "X" codes at he back of the book. That is but a block, which I will add as soon as the scanner wants to work rather than make odd grumbling noises. 

    Our updated World Tobacco Issues Index catalogues the set as ; 

    • HEROES OF THE TRANSVAAL WAR. Sm. 68 x 38. Unnd. (40).See H.389. ...SO41-200

    That H.389 directs us to an entirely different book. our own handbook. issued in 2003. That entry is rather exciting, as it adds in the cards of the Star Tobacco`s playing card version, as follows 

    • H.389. HEROES OF THE TRANSVAAL WAR (titled series in Salmon & Gluckstein only). Fronts in colour. Unnumbered series.

      Pre 1919 

          Salmon & Gluckstein - Series of 40. Captions in (a) dark brown (b) light brown. A few subjects only have been seen in the (b) printing.

      Overseas 

          Star Tobacco Co. of Bombay - Series of 52, with Playing-card insets. No series title. Values known shown in parentheses below (41 different known)
    1. (a) Col. Baden-Powell
      (b) Maj-Gen. Baden Powell (eight of hearts)
    2. Col. J.F. Brocklehurst (jack of hearts)
    3. Gen. Sir Redvers Buller (nine of hearts)
    4. Lt. Col. J.J. Byron, Australian Artillery (6 of hearts - and - Queen of Clubs)
    5. Maj. Lord Edward Cecil (three of spades)
    6. Maj. Gen. Sir H.C. Chermside (king of hearts) 
    7. Lord Chesham, Yeomanry (ten of clubs)
    8. Lieut. Gen. Sir C.F. Clery (seven of diamonds)
    9. Capt. C.F. Cox, New South Wales (seven of clubs)
    10. Cmd. Egerton (five of diamonds)
    11. Commander Ethelstone, R.N. (six of clubs)
    12. General French (ten of hearts)
    13. General Gatacre (jack of diamonds)
    14. Col. Greene. Commanding Natal Carabineers (five of hearts)
    15. Maj. Gen. Fitzroy Hart (three of diamonds)
    16. Maj. Gen. Hildyard (six of spades)
    17. Gen. Sir Archibald Hunter (four of spades)
    18. Col. Kekewich (king of clubs)
    19. Maj. Gen. Kelly Kenny (two of diamonds)
    20. Lord Kitchener (nine of clubs)
    21. Capt. Lambert. Kaffrarian Scouts (nine of spades)
    22. Capt. Lambton, R.N., C.B. (four of clubs)
    23. Maj. Gen Lyttelton (seven of hearts)
    24. Brig. Gen. Hector Macdonald (eight of spades)
    25. Col. Mackinnon (ace of spades)
    26. Lieut. Gen. Lord Methuen (king of diamonds)
    27. Col. Plumer (eight of diamonds)
    28. Col Rhodes (ace of diamonds)
    29. Lord Roberts (eight of clubs)
    30. Maj. Robin. New Zealand (ten of spades)
    31. Capt. Scott, R.N,. C.B.(five of clubs)
    32. Maj. Gen. Sir C. Holled Smith (five of spades)
    33. Col. Spreckley (seven of spades)
    34. Gen. Sir W.P. Symons (queen of diamonds)
    35. Lieut. Gen. Chas. Tucker (queen of hearts)
    36. Sir Forestier Walker (ten of diamonds)
    37. Gen. Sir Charles Warren (six of diamonds)
    38. Maj. Gen. Wauchope (four of diamonds)
    39. Gen. Sir George White (nine of diamonds)
    40. Maj. Gen. Woodgate (two of spades)

    That means that the cards we have yet to see are : 

    • clubs - two, three, jack, and ace
    • hearts - two, three, four, and ace
    • spades - jack, queen, and king. 

    That probably means that either, just like "Lt. Col. J.J. Byron, Australian Artillery", some people can found on more than one card - or that there are other people who appear in the playing card version but not the Salmon and Gluckstein one. Anyway if anyone can add anything to this, please do !