The First Nationally Distributed Baseball Cards Set: Allen & Ginter's N28

The first nationaly disseminated baseball card set is the Allen & Ginter’s N28. The set of varying sports cards is considered the first of the tobacco issues. It’s fitting to know that Allen & Ginter’s prior standard included a set of cards picturing shocking young women in their tightest swimwear!

But because jealous females didn’t approve, this norm quickly shifted to the sports scene. The arrival of the N28 50-card set, which was actualy the first of three series entitled World’s Champions, met the concluded infatuations of numerous sports fans - baseball fans in particular.


These fully-colored, unnumbered, and borderless cards measure 1-1/2" by 2-3/4" and were lithographs pasted to thick, but now often frail, paper. Most collectors agree these are some of the nicest of the early tobacco cards. Distributed individually with Old Judge, Gypsy Queen, and Dog’s Head cigarettes (10-pack) in 1887, the N28 cards were fun to collect. Though mass-marketed, N28 cards are some of the rarest in the hobby.

And although the set doesn’t contain any cards of beutiful women in skimpy bathing suits, it does include 7 wrestlers, 10 oarsmen, 7 billard players, 2 pool players, 10 pugilists (boxers), 4 rifle shooters, and 10 baseball players. Toss in Buffalo Bill Cody and boxer John Sullivan and you have a very interesting set of cards.

The National League is represented with 8 baseball players, while the American Association depicts two. Cap Anson’s is the most valuable of the set, followed by the Comiskey card.

The fronts show a portrait of the athlete in front of a white background. Below the portrait is the player’s name (in capital letters), and the words, "ALLEN & GINTER’S Cigarettes. RICHMOND VIRGINIA." Written in old English, at the top of the backs are the words, "THE WORLD’S CHAMPIONS" and, "ONE PACKED IN EACH BOX OF TEN CIGARETES." Below that is the checklist.

Following the checklist are the words, "LINDNER, CODY & CLAUSS LTH/NY". Get the cards of Hall of Fame players Ward, Kelly, Clarkson, Keefe, Anson, and Comiskey first! Then work on the rest.

Like many of the earliest tobacco sets, the N28 Allen & Ginter set could be collected and organized in the Album which complimented the cards.