Cracker Jack cards are perhaps the most popular of the caramel candy issues from before 1920, being one of the few E-card sets that isn't referred to by its catalog number. In fact, it's possible that only hard-core collectors even remember the E145 designation given to Cracker Jack cards. Inserted one at a time inside boxes of the familiar caramel-coated popcorn and peanut confection, Cracker Jack is among the few sets that featured players from the Federal League, a third major league that played for only two seasons.
Measuring 2 ¼ inches by 3 inches, Cracker Jack cards are larger than most familiar tobacco and caramel card sets of the era, but are printed on thick paper rather than cardboard. A color drawing of a player appears on the front, below the words Cracker Jack Ball Players. A vivid red background also appears on the card. The player's name, city and league affiliation appear within the lower border of the card. One unique feature is the way white colors are simply the paper color, which let the picture bleed into the border. Cards that feature a different shade of white can be easily identified as fakes. Backs feature a card number, biography of the player pictured, and an advertisement stating that there are 144 cards in the complete set.
The players featured in the set are the biggest stars of the day. The set features an assortment of Hall of Famers (including Honus Wagner, who didn't appear in most tobacco sets), managers and even White Sox owner Charles Comiskey. Since Cracker Jack cards were distributed inside boxes in 1914, many are found today with stains from the candy that accompanied them. This makes high-grade examples scarce and expensive.
Key 1914 Cracker Jack Baseball Cards:
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1914 Cracker Jack Baseball Card Checklist
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