Leather Premiums
A National Cigar History Museum Exclusive
© Tony Hyman
Based on research and categorization by the editors of
THE WORLD TOBACCO INDEX published in five volumes
between 1956 and 1990, and J. R. Burdick’s
THE AMERICAN CARD CATALOG published in 1960.
Unless otherwise noted, all items pictured are in the NCM collection.
Basic Facts
Of the five basic pictorial give-aways (cards, satins, flannels, leathers and buttons) less is known about leathers than any of the others. They were expensive, short-lived (1912-1914) and not very popular. About 20 different sets are known and described in THE WORLD INDEX.
Like other pictorial give-aways of the 20th century, leathers were primarily distributed by makers of Oriental brand cigarettes, but who gave what away isn’t always clear. The individual leathers are typically described as “anonymous” meaning they were not marked with the name of a particular brand.
A 1913 flyer from TURKISH TROPHIES, an S. Anargyros brand, advertises that customers may exchange coupons by mail for Hamilton King Girls (King was a pop artist of the day), Baseball Players, National Flags, Actresses, Actors, College Mascots, College Shields with Seals, Generals or Indians mounted on 6” x 8” cards, 7” x 9” silks, or 10” x 12” leathers in “natural hide shape.” It is quite likely that some of these roughly 200 patterns were never ordered in leather. If you’re a fan of Gertrude Vanderbilt (one of the offerings) would you rather have a lovely sharp photo or her image printed on a cow’s-pelt-shaped back? Which way would you want your Hamilton King Coney Island pin-up? Or Ty Cobb, Tris Speaker and Nap LaJoie?
To further complicate matters, the most authoritative source of information about Satins, Flannels and Leathers, THE WORLD INDEX, doesn’t list those large TURKISH TROPHIES hides among those known at the time that volume went to press in 1976.
THE WORLD INDEX listings of leathers cover 16 very detailed pages, noting the colors of leather and whether or not the design or border was embossed or just printed. In addition to the natural hide shape, leathers were issued rectangular, pennant, or as hearts, clubs, diamonds and spades. Pennants come with and without sticks.
ALL LEATHERS CATALOGED BY COLLECTORS AS OF 1976
• 155 college seals can be found, with all six shapes represented. Spade-shaped are the most rare, with heart-shaped next. A collection that included all variations would be in excess of 300 leathers.
• A huge variety of college pennants exists as well, with 122 basic designs and large numbers of variants in size, printing, staffs, attached ribbons, embossing and the like. Whew!
• 48 state seals and 8 mayoral, territorial and Indian Nation seals also come in rectangular and pennant shape, with variations.
• 94 Mottoes and Quotations, some in two styles, make up an interesting set of the philosophies of a bygone era: “Every fish that escapes appears greater than it is” “Better to wear out than rust out” “He who begs timidly courts a refusal” “Assertion is no proof.” “Be slow to promise, quick to perform” “He who would gather roses must not fear thorns” “If you wish a thing done go, do not send” “It is not want, but abundance, that makes avarice” “My only books were woman’s looks, and folly all they taught me” “The absent are always in the wrong” “Think much, speak little, and write less”
• Two sets of girls; first are 9 unnamed portraits, second is “probably 26” (though only 15 were known) women standing with a letter of the alphabet. G,I,M,P,R,S,T,U,X,Y and Z had not been found when the INDEX was compiled.
• 15 Breeds of Dogs in embossed rectangles.
• 21 National Flags on staffs, with two gold cords.
• 23 College Pennants and college emblem and yell.
• 20 College Buildings and Shields.
• 96 College Buildings without shields, in three different size sets, some printed, some embossed, some with decorated backgrounds, some in gold, some silver.
• 160+ College Pennants, some with just names, others with seals, are treated as two different sets in the WORLD INDEX.
• State seals are noted as a pennant-shaped series, but no information is known other than one had been found.
• 19 Comic Designs were reported, but researchers acknowledge scanty information and poor examples to study.
• 14 College Fraternity Seals have been found, printed or embossed rectangles.
• Only 5 Movie Firm Personalities were identified, Harry Myers, Charles Ray, Mack Sennett, Edith Storey, and Wallie Van. I’ll bet you’ve only heard of one of the five...aaaahhh, fleeting fame.
ABOVE: College related leathers were the most popular, frequently rectangular.
LEFT: The Hamilton King girls offered in 1913 by TURKISH TROPHIES in “natural hide shape” were not included in the 1976 listing reproduced above. Not overly attractive as girlies go, they are rare and bring in excess of $100 when found. Neither are in the NCM collection.
Leathers. Insert? or send-away premium? The answer is neither. The clue is that blue strip glued to the bottom of the envelope which originally contained one or more of the leathers pictured below.
That blue fragment is all that remains of a paper band which attached the envelope to a package of cigarettes. Technically, they were not “inserts” because they were outside the package, banned by law after 1914 from being inside with the cigarettes. How many originally came in each envelope? ¿Quien sabe? (Who knows? Who cares?)
BELOW LEFT: A selection of the available variations can be seen in the pennant wheel:
embossed borders, printed and embossed seals, gold printing, silver printing, seals alone, seals with name, name alone, name with background and seven different colors.
Pennants approximately 2.5” long.