Michele RB.5 – The Cigarette Card Issues of Abdulla & Co., Adkin & Sons, & E. & W. Anstie
Editor – Eric Gurd
Printer - Parker Brothers, St. Albans, Herts
Date of completion – May 1943
Date of Publication – 1943
Limited Edition of - 400
Original cost – 2/6 post free
Pages – 20
Illustrations – none
Out of Print by – 1950
This was our fifth Reference Book, and the first covering the cards of more than one issuer. It was written by Eric Gurd, author, and editor of our magazine, and it was published in 1943 as a limited edition of 400 copies, once more by Parker Brothers.
This triumvirate was grouped together for a very simple reason, which is clear to see if you look at the original World Tobacco Issues Index, for if you ignore any overseas companies, you are left with Abdulla, Adcock (one set only), Adkin, Ainsworth (one set only), Alberge & Bromet (three sets, but all issued by others), Allman (founded in the 1950s), Amalgamated Tobacco (again founded in 1950s), Anstie, Hy Archer (who was tackled with Hill in RB.2), Ardath (who had enough issues to form RB.6 all on its own), and Associated (who only issued overseas).
Its first mention is in our magazine, "The Bulletin", of December 1941 (Vol.2 No. XXIX) came on the front page, under the heading of Research, where it states that the Research Committee "announce they are now investigating the issues of Abdulla, Adkin, Anstie, Archer and Ardath Tobacco Co. Information relating to any sets not catalogued in recognised catalogues or other data will be appreciated. The findings of the Committee will be published, probably in pamphlet form, after work has been completed."
The work on Abdulla, Adkin and Anstie made up this booklet, RB.5, which was published in 1943 - and that on Ardath became RB.6, the same year. As for Archer, it was considered that they were really part of Hill, whose reference book had already been printed as RB.2, and that at some time when the booklet was updated it would be added in.
Ours was quite a popular booklet, and by the time that our W.D. & H.O. Wills (part IV) Reference Book, RB.16, was published, in 1950, it had joined the ranks of those that were no longer available, though it stated "covered copies out of print. A few un-covered copies are still available"
Many years passed until a new reprint was produced; the decision was made to redo the cover into a plainer green format, but all the interior text remains the same.
[LIBRARY CODE A.05]