Now this is definitely not a July issue, but it follows on neatly from yesterday`s set as a quick reference. As for when it was issued, the Wills Works Magazine cites both yesterday,`s and today`s, as being out in July 1907, but the first Test was not played until the 13th to the 19th of December 1907, which seems rather a gap. And also we know that the man on this card was one of those added to the original set, subsequently, when it was announced that they would be on the Test team. So all we really need to know is when the team for the Test were announced. And we know it was probably issued no later than February, as the fifth and final Test was played between the 21st and 27th of February, 1908.
Let us pick up the card story, first, because the listing we added yesterday from the original Wills reference booklet part three continues with the following
- 59. CRICKETERS - Australian Issue
I. 23 .Prominent AUSTRALIAN AND ENGLISH CRICKETERS. Size 64 x 36 m/m. Numbered 51-73 on backs. See Fig. 41.I. Fronts lithographed in colour, subject titles in grey; backs in green, thin board.
Nos. 66-73 were issued in two forms (a) original issue, as cards Nos. 51-65, with grey captions (b) re-issue with red brown captions. The eight subjects are the same in both issues but portraits were changed in the re-issue and numbers altered -
no. - (a) original issue [grey caption to front] - (b) re-issue [red caption to front] 66. - F. L. Fane (Essex) - A.O. Jones, Nottingham 67. - J. B. Hobbs (Surrey) - J. N. Crawford, Surrey 68. - J. Hardstaff (Nottinghamshire) - F. L. Fane, Essex 69. - A..O. Jones, (Nottinghamshire), Captain - J. Hardstaff, Nottinghamshire 70. - J. N. Crawford (Surrey) - R. A. Young, Sussex 71. - R. A. Young (Sussex) - S. F. Barnes, Stafford 72. - S. Barnes (Staffordshire) - J. B. Hobbs, Surrey 74. - J. Humphries (Derbyshire) - J. Humphries, Derby The above eight players were all members of the M.C.C. Team which toured Australia in 1907-8, and the balance of the touring side are represented in the cards under item H. It appears probable, therefore, that item H was issued in 1907, and item I, 1907-8
So there is one thing to discuss from that entry, the numbering, which ends with "74" and skips 73. That is a typing error, as the cards of J. Humphries are both numbered 73.
In the original World Tobacco Issues Index the set is still listed under the large group of "Cricketer Series", but the entry is slightly different. That reads :
- CRICKETER SERIES (A). Sm. ... W62-221
4. 1907-1908 issues. Titled "Prominent Australian and English Cricketers". "Capstan" brand issues. See W/59 H and I.
(i) - Nos. 1/50. Size 66 - 67 x 35
(ii) - Nos.51/73. Size 63-64 x 36
A. Fronts with letterpress in grey. Nos. 51/73
B. Fronts with letterpress in reddish-brown. Nos. 66/73, same subjects as A, different portraits and numbers
As to why we chose the re-issue, well that was because the caption is in a different colour, so it shows the difference more strikingly, but fear not, for here is the original card 71, of our man, R.A. Young, so that technically means both sets are contained in this one listing, and also both are pictured within it.
Now looking at the two I think the reason for the re-issue might have been simply that this first version, with the caption and more importantly the name of the issuer, are extraordinaily light and hard to see. Look back to the top and see how they stand out much clearer. But why they changed the numbers and the order is a bit more hard to fathom - unless the grey fronted ones were sent out to Australia as printed cards by Wills, which we know they were as we have a month date in the Wills Works Magazine, and the re-issue, for which there is no date in that publication, was hastily done in Australia, without the artwork, and maybe when all the cards had been circulated. This theory would both account for the new pictures, and for the new numbering. What do you think?????