Up for auction is an over 115-year-old piece of sports and collegiate history: a 1909-1910 T51 Murad Cigarettes trading card featuring Johns Hopkins University Lacrosse. The card is part of the “College Series 51 to 75”. Depicted on the card is a vignette of an early lacrosse player in his period-accurate orange-and-white athletic uniform. He is holding a vintage wood and leather lacrosse stick. The background features the university’s historic athletic “JHU” pennant flag alongside the official Johns Hopkins University academic crest/seal. Printed on the card is a credit to the manufacturer, S. Anargyros (New York). During the early 1900s, the American tobacco landscape experienced an explosion of interest in exotic, premium “Oriental” and Turkish tobacco blends. S. Anargyros was a prestigious, New York-based Greek tobacconist renowned for manufacturing high-quality, pure Turkish leaf cigarettes. Their flagship brand, Murad, became a household name and one of the dominant forces in premium cigarettes. Murad advertisements relied heavily on luxurious, bold graphics to highlight their elite standing. To capture the business of high-society smokers, young professionals, and Ivy League academics, S. Anargyros marketed Murad under the tagline “The Metropolitan Standard”. This slogan positioned the brand as the absolute benchmark of urban luxury, sophistication, and taste. The iconic T51 “College Series” was born from this marketing initiative. These premium cards served a dual purpose: they structurally stiffened the soft cigarette paper packs while encouraging immense customer loyalty as smokers raced to collect and complete full sets of their favorite schools. This specific card holds legendary sports value because it catches the Johns Hopkins Blue Jays men’s lacrosse program right during its first golden era. Under legendary player-coach William C. Schmeisser, Hopkins was an absolute juggernaut around the time this card was issued. Johns Hopkins captured consecutive USILA National Championships in 1906, 1907, 1908, and 1909. The card features the vintage orange color that heavily dominated early Hopkins athletics before the program permanently shifted towards its modern blue branding. The card features beautiful, rich color lithography that remains remarkably vibrant for an antique paper item. The intricate border of “Murad” script and hearts frames the imagery beautifully. SOLD
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 
Leave a comment