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1893 N142 Honest Duke Cabinets
11 April 2007
Honest Long Cut Tobacco, of the Duke Tobacco Company issued the Honest cabinet cards in 1893. Probably the most popular of 19th century baseball cards, the set is designated as the N142.
These cards are much to be desired for their beauty as their scarcity. Plus, the mystic of Hall of Fame player Delehanty, who is featured on one of the cards, adds a higher level of interest in the set.
The set represents the first cabinet-sized baseball cards distributed. The cards also happen to be the first cabinet set issued prior to 1900.
Each unnumbered card measures 6" by 9-1/2" and portrays a beautiful color lithograph portrait of the player pasted to a piece of card board. The corners of the cards were rounded by the manufacturer.
The word "Honest" is writen in script near the bottom left side of the card front. The player’s name is printed in small caps in the middle of the the lower border, while the word "New York" is shown on the bottom right. The backs are blank.
The value of the cards are appropriate. And owning a full set in excellent condition is a challenge.
An example of the Robinson card (pictured at left) sold at auction in 2004 for almost $15,000.
Consisting of just four baseball cards, the very scarce 1893 Duke cabinets include players G. Davis, E. Delehanty, W. Nash, and W. Robinson. Delehanty was the second person in baseball history to hit 4 home runs in a single game (July 13, 1896).
A Hall of Fame player with somewhat of a temper, Delehanty’s life was cut short when he was at the top of his game, batting near .400 between 1893 and 1899. He drowned near the Niagara Falls after being tossed off the train he was riding (due to being drunk and disorderly). Some say he was tossed by a crossing guard while others think he fell through an open drawbridge.
Whatever the case, the mystery of Delehanty’s early demise certainly hasn’t hurt the value of his Duke/Honest card (or others, for that matter).
Like many cabinets of the day, finding one without tape marks on the card back adds value. A lot of cabinets were taped to an album page.
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