Welcome to your new newsletter. Can it be that a week has passed since you met at Salisbury? On which note if anyone would like to tell us of their adventures there, please do, and pictures would also be most welcomed (though not pictures of people, unless the person pictured lets us know that they agree to be immortalised on our site). However if you bought items we would love to see them, and if you bought any rarities then do note that we hope to be cutting the red ribbon and opening our online museum of cartophilic curiosities very soon.
And so to some things that you might like to get involved with this week...
Amalgamated Press / Boys Cinema [trade : magazines : UK] "Famous Film Stars" (1933) Un/12.
Today in 1903 was the birthday of George Francis Beldam, who appeared in many westerns of the late 1920s. If you have never heard of him, he acted under the name of Rex Bel, and was also known as "The Cowboy Kid", which was the name of his first film in 1928.
Some of his other films were "Wild West Romance" (1928) "The Fugitive" (1933) "Fighting Texans" (1933) "Fighting Pioneers" (1935) "Tonto Kid" (1935) and "Dawn on the Great Divide" (1942). He also made other films, including "True to the Navy" in 1930, the female lead in which was Clara Bow; and they married the following year. They had two sons, Tony (aka Rex Bell Jr) who also became a Western star, and George Rex Bell Jr.
Rex Bell Senior did not appear on that many cards,and only one tobacco card, No.161 of Zigarettenfabrik Dresden "Film-Fotos" (1932) which you can find with either "Bulgaria" or "Salem" branding, so maybe that was two cards. For some reason, even today, Germans have a great liking for the Western Cowboy way of life.
This is his first British card, though you can find him on many of what are called "arcade cards" for they were dispensed in gaming style machines where instead of winning money you won a card, usually printed in one colour.
One ephemeral curiosity to look out for is Picturegoer postcard No.760. This is titled "Tom Keane" [sic], but it is not, and you can tell that by looking at card No.710, for both cards are the same picture of Rex Bell.
Our card was issued by Amalgamated Press, with "Boys Cinema" magazine. That was first issued in December 1919, but this set was not issued for many years after that, not until the fourth of February 1933, the cover of which issue showed all the cards.
Thanks for this are due to Mr. Price, and also for making the following list, which gives the issue dates :
- 4th February - Buck Jones
- 11th of February - Ralph Graves with Lila Lee and Jack Holt
- 15th February - Ralph Lynn with Tom Walls
- 18th February - Gary Cooper
- 4th March - Joan Crawford
- 11th March - Tom Mix
- 18th March - Jack Hulbert
- 25th March - Wallace Beery
- 1st April - Joan Blondell
- 8th April - Rex Bell
- 15th April - Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy
- 22nd April - Tom Keene .
17 October 1953 saw the unveiling of Runnymede RAF and Commonwealth Air Forces Memorial, unveiled by H.M The Queen on Oct 17, 1953 in honour of the WW2 airmen who have no known grave. And Runnymede was also the site of the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215 which ensured constitutional freedom to every citizen. You can see the signing of the Magna Carta on W.D. & H.O. Wills "Historic Events" (1912) 11/50, and the same card was also issued by Franklyn Davey in 1924, plus it appears on Typhoo "Interesting Events in British History" 9/25.
Runnymede itself appears on 34/50, Lambert & Butler "The Thames from Lechlade to London". This set was issued with small numerals in 1907 and replaced by a set with larger ones in September 1908. Plain backed cards were also found, at least until the 1950s; The London Cigarette Card Company quoted £25 a set for the "small", £50 for the "large" and odds only of the plains starting at 12/6d each and going up to 35/-, It is also featured on R.& J. Hill "Views of The River Thames" (1924) - Millhoff "The Homeland Series" (December 1933) No.42 - and Pattreiouex "Our Countryside" (1938) No.43, a set which was also issued in the same year by Gallaher, Illingworth, and Peter Jackson. The card does not feature any of the landmarks though, it simply shows two women sitting on a river bank not even looking at a passing swan. You can see that at https://www.hippostcard.com/listing/pattreiouex-vintage-cigarette-card-our-countryside-1938-no-43-runnymede/2053704
Today its National Necktie Day, in Croatia, but why not celebrate it by wearing your brightest or favourite tie. We all got a bit "out of formality" over the last few years, and it would be fun to see people in ties again. Actually tie wearing has a long history, and it all started during the Thirty Years War in the 17th Century, when the French first saw the Croatians, who were wearing neck coverings for warmth and as an extra layer of protection against glancing blows. Now this was actually more of what we call a cravat than what we know as a tie, and in fact the Croatians still call the day "Cravat" Day rather than necktie. However, the really odd thing about this is that the word cravat, or cravate, arose entirely from a mispronunciation of the word 'croate', and that actually meant the Croatian who was wearing the item, not the item itself.
Today is World Ballet Day. The earliest cards I have found are titled "Ballet Queens" and they were issued in America in 1889 by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. The back is backlisted, and it includes just the Christian names of the subjects; so we will probably never know if these girls were artists models, figments of the imagination, or proper ballet queens. You can see a selection of the fronts at https://goldinauctions.com/ItemImages/000017/17769a_lg.jpeg.
American issuers seems to have had a fascination for dance, as Kimball also issued a set called "Dancing Women" and P. Lorillard Company issued "Types of Dances (Actresses)" in the 1880s and Types of the Stage in 1893, from which card 1 is "Amazon Ballet".
For more modern cards have a read of https://balletalert.invisionzone.com/topic/17982-card-collections/ - though sadly the links don't seem to work.
On 20 October 1882 "Bela Lugosi" was born in Hungary, and is today remembered most for playing Count Dracula (in 1931) and for several other horror films. His film career started in his home country, but he had to relocate to Germany in 1919 because of his politicial views, leaving his wife of just two years behind, and then went to America, where he adopted the surname Lugosi in homage to his hometown of Lugos. He started off in the theatre, and played Dracula on Broadway in 1927. There seems no definite link between this and the filmed version in 1931, and he was not seen as the immediate front runner for the leading role.
By this time the films were “talkies” and his heavy accent was seen as both being of great benefit for giving flavour to horror films, but being unsuitable for the leading man parts of the day. One of his greatest "rivals" was Boris Karloff, who had actually been born William Henry Pratt in Surrey, England, and it is true that whenever they acted together Karloff had top billing, even when the on screen time and actual acting roles were clearly slanted in favour of Bela Lugosi, but their great rivalry was almost certainly encouraged by the studios rather than being based on fact. However, there are more actual cigarette cards of Boris Karloff - Carreras Ovals 1933 (41/50) Hignett and Ogden Actors Natural & Character Studies (1933) 27/50. For some modern cards check out : https://www.tcdb.com/Person.cfm/pid/77760/Bela-Lugosi – and his son also appears on a pair of cards – https://www.tcdb.com/Person.cfm/pid/250387/Bela-Lugosi-Jr. but there are no pictures – please send us a scan if you own them...
Bela Lugosi Sr. died peacefully in his sleep, and was buried wearing full Dracula costume. However this was not the original from the 1931 film (or hopefully it wasn’t) as that was offered at auction in 2011. It did not sell, and has since been reoffered, and bought privately by a Hollywood museum. For more fun facts about his life do have a look at
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/84310/12-surprising-facts-about-bela-lugosi
Thursday 21st October is Trafalgar Day - marking Lord Horatio Nelson's victory at the Battle of Trafalgar. Horatio Nelson was born in Norfolk, he was the son of the Rector of Burnham Thorpe, and he was described as "a sickly baby". In fact he was frequently seasick whilst he was in the Navy but he went on to become one of England`s greatest heroes. As far as cards, there are many, but W.D. & H.O. Wills "Nelson Series" is the obvious first choice, according to Wills' own records it was issued in September 1905 (however the London Cigarette Card Company's 1950 catalogue gives July 1905, and quotes sets available at £10 each). It was first recorded in our original Wills part III checklist booklet as W/84. It can be found in two grades of board, white and smooth, better quality, so recorded as "a" or white but slightly rough which is "b". Card 5/50 has two printings, the original was titled "Mainmast of The Victory" whilst the second version has the additional wording "Fragment from" overprinted on the collar at the base of the mast.
He is also card 19/25 of Taddy "Autographs" (1910), do note that the cards say "Series 1" but no series 2 exists; almost certainly this was cancelled by the firm's closure. The earliest picture of this set appears in Cameric "Notes and News", Volume 2 No.2. A similar set was issued in Canada by Tuckett in 1913, this is recorded in the Burdick catalogue under C.113 on page 42. For a spot of humour, Churchman "Howlers" 9/50.
Trade cards include FRY 140 J.S. Fry & Sons "Days of Nelson', a set of twenty five cards issued in 1906. In part 1 of our original British Trade Index these had the code FRY-4 which just shows how many discoveries there have been.
There are a few interlopers, but you can see a goodly collection of cards, including part of the Colombos of Malta seventy card Nelson series, at https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/search/index?filters%5Broot-collection%5D=b50ab6f0-c52b-012f-5986-58d385a7bc34&keywords=nelson#/?scroll=20
Just so that nobody misses my weird tangents, did you know that Richard Basehart played a character called Admiral Harriman Nelson (USN Ret.) in "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea"? Check out https://www.tcdb.com/ViewCard.cfm/sid/123160/cid/8339265/1964-Donruss-Voyage-to-the-Bottom-of-the-Sea-1-Admiral-Harriman-Nelson
and read more about the series, if you are too young to remember it, at https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057798/.
22nd October 1811 was the date of birth of Franz Lizst; and like Bela Lugosi, he came from Hungary. He can be seen on W.D. & H.O. Wills "Musical Celebrities" first series 14/50, and on an Ogdens Guinea Gold card, No.58, where it describes him as "Hungarian Abbe and Great Pianist". His being an Abbe is explained at https://www.berfrois.com/2011/10/abbe-liszt/ - now this, along with his serious expression and unexciting costume, may make you think he was not too exciting a chap - however, a quick read of https://www.classicfm.com/composers/liszt/guides/franz-liszt-life/ will almost certainly change your mind, and explain why Ken Russell thought him a suitable subject for a musical motion picture in 1975, in which he was played by Roger Daltrey.
In 2012 Liszt appeared on a Topps / Allen and Ginter card. It is "Mini Musical Masters" MM12 - see https://www.tcdb.com/ViewCard.cfm/sid/68212/cid/5206464/2012-Topps-Allen-&-Ginter---Mini-Musical-Masters-MM12-Franz-Liszt.
This week's Cards of the Day...
This week we have been remembering the Battle of Hastings, which took place on Saturday, 14 October 1066. A few newsletters ago we spoke of William the Conqueror and we had several cards sent in of Harold II, so we can use them to tell the other side of the story, and a fascinating one it is.
Something that surprised me at first is that many sets of English Royalty, including John Player and Carreras "Kings and Queens of England" (both issued in 1935) plus the 1977 Carreras Black Cat brand issue, start their story with William the Conqueror, the first of the Norman Kings, and an invader who had taken the crown off our own Harold II. However the more I learned, the more I felt that this was an attempt to ignore the Harold story... See what you think as you read on
Saturday, 9th October 2021
![PRI-25 [trade : UK] Primrose Confectionery Ltd “Football Funnies” (1974) 8/25](/sites/default/files/styles/content_aligned/public/2021-10/9%20Oct%20soccer%20star.jpg?itok=Z9UCp51Q)
This set is too late for our most recent Trade Index, which stops at 1970, so the code comes from our vintage version Part Three.
This is a set I have not come across much, and I don't think it is particularly funny for the person run through with the arrow. This card has sometimes been said to represent King Harold, but it almost certainly does not. For starters, the text mentions football between Saxon serfs and Norman soldiers taking place less than a hundred years after the battle, and also because, as we all know, King Harold was struck in the eye, with an arrow which reputedly had a note affixed to it that said "To Harold's Eye".
Or do we? For according to modern research there is no proof of any of this, and even the wording on the Bayeux tapestry does not specifically mention which person is King Harold, it just says the words "Hic Harold Rex Interfectus Est" {Here King Harold was killed] above several people, one of whom just happens to have an arrow in his eye, but the King could equally well be the soldier who has slumped forwards on to his horse's withers, or the one falling to the floor at the horse's hooves. And then there is another theory that none of these people are King Harold, for the Latin word "interfectus" does not only mean killed, it also means destroyed or defeated, so perhaps it means simply what happened to his forces or his kingdom through the Battle of Hastings. Lots to mull over there!
Our original British Trade Indexes say that Primrose Confectionery was based in Argyle Avenue and Farnham Road Slough, the change occurring during the issue of "Space Patrol" in 1970, as that set can be found with four different address variants. According to the reverses they started out in Argyle Avenue offering an album for 9d, then Argyle Avenue was removed, then the album price was altered to a shilling but there was no mention of Argyle Avenue, and finally a new address in Farnham Road was added. It says that you can also find a printing of Popeye which misspells the address and reads "Argyll Avenue". However, a quick search of a Slough A-Z shows that actually this is the correct spelling, it is "Argyll" and not "Argyle". Curiouser and curiouser...
Primrose cards were mostly given away with what we used to call sweet cigarettes but are now sanitised and Americanised to candy sticks; they still remain cigarette shape, but sadly no longer have the great fun of having those lipstick red coloured ends to simulate the shimmering glow of an actual cigarette. If you are just starting out as a Primrose collector, do note that their 1961 "Famous Footballers" set was only printed with "F.B.S.1" not their name - and their "Cowboy" cards (1960) had neither name nor initials. Most of their sets are film and TV tie ins - including Amos Burke / Burke's Law, Andy Pandy, Batman (these being tattoos not cards), Bugs Bunny, Captain Scarlet & The Mysterons, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Dads Army, Dr.Doolittle, The Flintstones, Joe 90, Laramie, Laurel & Hardy, Popeye, Quick Draw McGraw, Space Patrol, Star Trek, Superman, Tarzan, and Z Cars. In 1968, they also produced a set for the Beatles animated adventure movie "Yellow Submarine", and, according to https://pleasuresofpasttimes.com/popt-shop/the-beatles-yellow-submarine-1968-primrose-confectionery-8-5cm-badges-set-of-4/ badges and mirrors were also available. With my "badge dealer" hat on, I can say that what are known as "button" badges and mirrors are not at all dis-similar, all the maker would do is insert a mirrored surface in the back area, rather than the pin and clip for the badge.
Sunday, 10th October 2021
It was also available in large size as two sets of twelve,and he is number 11 of the first series. Why we included him is that his full name was Cyril James Hastings Tolley. He actually appears on several other golf related cards, including Wills "Famous Golfers" (1930) 21/25, the reverse of which tells us he served in the Tank Corps during the First World War, and was decorated for bravery. Actually he won the Military Cross, at Ypres, and you can read more about that at https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/231775-major-cyril-j-h-tolley-17-company-tank-corps-1917/.
Something that you may not realise is that in the 1920s, he brought a court case against Fry`s Chocolate - see https://yourcaptaininfo.blogspot.com/2018/07/cyril-tolley.html.
During the Second World War, he commanded a company of the Royal Sussex Regiment, and after the war he became a Liberal politician. However it is golf that he is most remembered for. He appears in Millhoff "Famous Golfers" (1928) 9/27, Churchman "Prominent Golfers", a series from caricatures by "Mel" (May 1931 - small size) 40/50, whilst in the large size cards, issued in August 1931, he is 8/12. He also appears in Gallaher Ltd "Champions" second series (1935) 47/48, you can see the front at https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person/mp165548 - modern cards are harder to source, but I know he appears on G.B. Cards and T.W. Cards` "Golfing Greats" (1989) a large sized "commercially sold" set of 20 cards.
Monday, 11th October 2021
![O100-215 [tobacco : UK] Ogden `Tab` brand "General Interest" (1900) 91/200](/sites/default/files/styles/content_aligned/public/2021-10/11abbey.jpg?itok=7xVDk6rb)
This card is described as the Battle Abbey auction sale notice from Fleet Street. We did some digging and found out that the Abbey was built on the very site of the Battle of Hastings, under order from the current Pope, Alexander II, as penance and remembrance of those killed by the Norman invaders on that day and also in the times which followed as they conquered the Country, and that the altar was to be placed directly above the spot where King Harold had died. The Abbey was complete by 1094 and remained a religious building until the Dissolution of the Monasteries under Henry VIII, but instead of destroying this one, gave it to a friend, who still demolished the Church and converted other parts into his country abode.
The first time it was sold was in 1721, by a relative of the first owner. The purchaser was an M.P., Sir Thomas Webster. It remained in his family until.1857, when it was sold to Lord Harry Vane, later Duke of Cleveland. On the death of the Duchess of Cleveland in 1901, the estate was bought back by a relative of the Webster M.P. It remained with them until he died in 1923, and then it was sold, but to the British Government, who turned it over to the care of English Heritage. They in turn allowed it to be used as a school with some kind of association with a Canadian base in the Second World War (Canadian records are very hard to access, unfortunately, as I am trying to access them at the moment - the reason is that a lot of them were destroyed). Strangely it is still being used for educational purposes as it is now Battle Abbey School.
Tuesday, 12th October 2021
Here we have the Battle of Hastings, as depicted by F. & J. Smith. It was fought on the fourteenth of October, 1066, between the army of William, the Duke of Normandy, in France, and that of King Harold Godwinson. The location was just seven miles from Hastings, at a place called Senlac Hill, which is now part of the modern town of Battle.
William had a vast force, at least eight thousand men, over half of whom were horsemen, and he had been gathering them since the summer. King Harold had only marched his foot soldiers down from Yorkshire a few days before, after another gruelling battle at Stamford Bridge.
The Battle of Hastings took most of the day, with Harold`s troops forming the classic shield wall and attempting to repel anyone who came near. This was much easier to do against other foot soldiers than men on horses who had a height and weight advantage. Then, at some point, William`s men appeared to be retreating and King Harold`s gave chase; however that led them open to attack by the much faster men on horses.
Then, suddenly, King Harold was dead, struck in the eye by an enemy arrow. And William gained a new name, William the Conqueror.
This is the new home page for this set, as `Albion Gold Flake` is the first brand in an alphabetical listing of all the fifteen brands that you will find on the reverse of these cards - and it is also the first time that this particular set has featured as a Card of the Day, which allows not just the space for expansion, but lets me enter it in the index as a direct link, you can come straight here to link out, rather than having to scroll down a newsletter.
It may also be the home page for F. & J. Smith, but that may make this page much too unwieldy. However for now I will use it to file away biographical references, and expand them if a move takes place.
Sadly we were never given a reference book to the cards of F. & J. Smith, though one was planned, to be shared with fellow Glaswegian Stephen Mitchell. F. & J Smith were real people, brothers, called Finlay and John, and they started this company in 1858, to manufacture tobacco and snuff. That was in premises at London Street in Glasgow, and they remained there until 1883. Then they moved to 33, North Albion Street, a much larger site, and had new premises made especially for them, rising to six storeys, and including warehousing, which they had formerly rented elsewhere. When they moved reference is suddenly made to a third person, John Dunn. but he is proving elusive. At that time they also are said to have employed two hundred people, many of them locals.
Between May and October of 1886 we know they exhibited at the International Exhibition of Industry, Science and Art, in Edinburgh. This was opened on May 6th by Prince Albert. And F. & J. Smith won a gold medal.
The brand on today`s card, `Wild Geranium`, was introduced by F & J Smith Glasgow in 1895. It was available as tobacco and as cigarettes. The tins of tobacco tell us that "This brand is manufactured from a richly perfumed and aromatic tobacco". This is expanded by an advertisement from off the back of some other cigarette cards that were circulated with the brand, namely "Phil May Sketches", which reads : "Wild Geranium Cigarettes. A delicately perfumed Cigarette, of pleasing fragrance; very popular with smokers who prefer a daintily scented Cigarette. Sold by weight and in packets of 10."
We have a little something else to show you here, as F. & J. Smith issued advertisement cards of some of their brands, and one of those showed a packet of the `Wild Geranium` cigarettes.
F. & J. Smith amalgamated with Stephen Mitchell & Sons in 1932, which is why that reference book that never happened would have combined the issues of both companies to such good effect.
Without it, the first mention of this set in cartophilic literature is in the London Cigarette Card Company`s 1950 Catalogue and Handbook pair. The catalogue quotes between 5/- and 15/- for odd cards, and £37 for a set, but does not mention that there is more than one back printing.
Actually there are fifteen back printings, as listed in our original World Tobacco Issues Index. It has been altered, as in this online version you can click each blue link and see that particular back. Most of these are newsletter cards though, so you will need to scroll down until the date given.
BATTLEFIELDS OF GREAT BRITAIN. Sm. Nd. (50) See Ha.475.
15 Backs. .... S84-2
- A. Albion Gold Flake Cigarettes ..... (showing here)
- B. Auld Brig Flake ..................... ..... (Sunday 21 July 2024)
- C. Cut Golden Bar "Twilight" Brand (Sunday 14 April, 2024)
- D. Glasgow Mixture Cigarettes ...... (Thursday 14 December 2023)
- E. Glasgow Mixture Tobacco ......... (Saturday, 23 October 2021)
- F. Goodwill Virginia
- G. Kashan Cigarettes
- H. No.1 Mixture .............................. (Monday 21 September 2024)
- I. Orchestra Cigarettes
- J. Pinewood Cigarettes................... (Wednesday 8 November 2023
- K. Pinewood Mixture .......................(Monday 30 December 2024)
- L. Squaw Thick Black Tobacco
- M. Studio Cigarettes
- N. Sun Cured Mixture ..................... (Sunday 4 May 2025)
- O. Wild Geranium Cigarettes........... (Thursday 22nd May 2025)
The updated version of the World Tobacco Issues Index does vary, but only very slightly. Gone is the reference to Ha.475 whilst brand C. is reduced to "Cut Golden Bar". The rest is exactly as above.
And as this is the home page, we can also have some fun and keep a tally of which backs are known for each number.
- Battle of Ashdown
- Battle of Shrewsbury
- Flodden
- Newbury
- Tewkesbury
- Dunbar
- St. Albans
- Roundway Down
- Evesham
- Newburn
- Mortimer`s Cross
- Alnwick
- Hexham
- Bosworth Field
- Durham
- Lewes
- The Standard
- Towton
- Naseby
- Otterburn
- Northampton
- Hastings
- Barnet
- Worcester
- Edgehill
- Hawarden Castle
- Blore Heath
- Culloden
- Langside
- Wakefield
- Boroughbridge
- Sedgemoor
- The Boyne
- Killiecrankie
- Chalgrove Field
- Harlech Castle
- Stamford
- Marston Moor
- Drogheda
- Dolbadarn
- Homildon Hill
- Pinkie Cleugh
- Preston Pans
- Stamford Bridge
- Cardigan Castle
- Stratton Hill
- Cropredy Bridge
- Landsdown
- Bannockburn
- Basing House
missing
- D. Glasgow Mixture Cigarettes
- E. "Glasgow" Mixture Tobacco
- F. Goodwill Virginia
- G. "Kashan" Cigarettes
- I. "Orchestra" Cigarettes
Wednesday, 13th October 2021
![W675-081 [tobacco : UK] W.D. & H.O. Wills "Kings and Queens" untitled - Wills Cigarettes at base (1902) Un/51](/sites/default/files/styles/content_aligned/public/2021-10/13%20harold%20wills_0.jpg?itok=yOIoGojE)
This set was recorded in the first Wills reference book as W/9 and already there were many distinct versions known. The first set, W675-082A was believed to have been issued in 1897/1898, these are "short" cards with backs in either (a) grey or (b) brown. These were followed in 1902 by W675-082B, "long" cards (2mm higher) which include the addition of the date of death of Queen Victoria, and either are (a) a set of 51 cards with "Wills's Cigarettes" at the bottom, or (b) a set of 50 cards with "Wills's" at the top and and "Cigarettes" at the bottom.
This is the first card we feature which mentions the fact that his father was Godwin, which is the root of where we get Harold II`s alternate name of Harold Godwinson (Godwin's Son). Godwin also had a daughter, Edith who was the wife to King Edward the Confessor. Now Godwin was the Earl of Wessex, and very powerful, as well as ruthless. You can read about him and some of his doings at https://www.hampshire-history.com/earl-godwin-of-wessex/. Some say that it was as a result of these things that Harold may even have been killed, with the Battle of Hastings providing a cover...
Thursday, 14th October 2021
![A495-125 [tobacco : UK] Amalgamated Tobacco Mills brand "Kings & Queens" (1954) 3/25](/sites/default/files/styles/content_aligned/public/2021-10/14%20harold%20amalg%20%281%29.jpg?itok=R5z57hfh)
This is one of the issuers from which it is more usual to buy complete sets than make ones up from odds, most dealers only giving an odds price on fifteen of the forty-four sets.
The exceptions are "Aircraft of the World" (1958) and "Football Clubs and Badges" (1961) of which complete sets are said to be quite scarce.
The football set is quite an interesting one as you will often read that it is the same as was issued in 1958 by Lamberts of Norwich, but that is not the whole story as there are many issuers of this single set, which you can read about at https://cartophilic-info-exch.blogspot.com/2014/02/lamberts-of-norwich-amalgamated-tobacco.html.
One of these issuers is actually more relevant to us than the rest, and they were responsible for two versions. This was the Universal Cigarette Card Company, who issued a standard set with their name on and also issued ones that were used as promotional material for a limited time and invited the collector to "Visit Universal Cigarette Card Co at the Ideal Home Exhibition". Universal Cigarette Card Company are still going strong, since 1946.
This portrait of Harold II with the cloak pinned to his shoulder is used on many of the cards of him, I did try, and fail, to find out from where it came originally. Anyone out there fancy a challenge and can track it down do please let us know
Friday, 15th October 2021
![W675-079 [tobacco: UK] W.D. & H.O. Wills "Coronation Series" (1902) 4/50](/sites/default/files/styles/content_aligned/public/2021-10/15%20coro.jpg?itok=u2p2kSeq)
These were originally given the reference code of W6 in our first reference book to the issues of W.D. & H.O. Wills. You find that whenever there is an actual Coronation of a King or Queen, many issuers bring out sets of Kings and Queens or Coronations. If you look at the side of the text on the reverse you will see that there is an arrowhead design, and this varies, so the set is usually described as having "wide" arrows (2mm across) or "narrow" arrows (1mm across). The cards with the narrower arrows are scarcer.
This was the first coronation to take place in West Minster Church (later to be renamed Westminster Abbey), which had been founded by the current King Edward the Confessor. When he died, childless, there was no immediate heir, though there were several people who could have easily been crowned the next King. However, Harold had already decided it would be him.
One of the reasons he gave was that his sister had been Edward's wife, so that was a blood link between him and the throne. He had also been busily spreading a story that Edward the Confessor had actually secretly named him as the one person that he wanted to follow him on to the throne. Then the moment that Edward died, Harold just said he was the new King and would not be dissuaded. Worst of all he then decided he would be crowned on the very same day the old King was laid to rest. This was not popular, as usually there was a period of grace and mourning between one King and another, and some times this was several months.
So when the text on this card says that instead of waiting for the Archbishop of Canterbury to perform the ceremony of officially crowning him, Harold reached over and just put the crown on to his own head, perhaps he was expecting the whole thing to be interrupted and cancelled at any moment. As it may well have been.
Well there is lots to think about there!
Now if you missed last week`s newsletter, fear not, it is still available for you to digest at https://csgb.co.uk/publications/newsletter/2021-10-08
Have a great weekend, and keep collecting!