18th Century Boxing Token & Rare Tobacco Cards John L. Sullivan Jack Johnson Boxer Joe Louis Cigarette Cards

Click Here To See More

I have a fantastic piece of boxing history; an 18th century boxing medal/token, depicting a pioneering boxer and I’ll be discussing it later in this blog.

Who was the first boxing super star? I bet a whole host of great boxers from the past sweep through your mind: Joe Louis, Jack Dempsey, Gene Tunney, Jack Johnson or John Lawrence Sullivan. Actually, this great sport dates back thousands of years, with the earliest depictions of fist fighting appearing on relief carvings from the Bronze Age. The first English bare knuckle boxing champion was James Figg in 1719 and this was about the same time the word “boxing” was initially used. Early fights had no written rules and there were no weight divisions, round limits or referees. The first boxing rules, called the Broughton’s rules, were introduced by heavyweight champion Jack Broughton in 1743 to protect fighters in the ring.

One of greatest boxing matches in living history, between Thomas Johnson and Isaac Perrins , was held in 1789. It was such a momentous event that two medals, one representing each participant, were struck to commemorate it. I own the medal featuring the winner of the fight, Thomas Johnson. The obverse of the medal shows the bust of Johnson. The reverse is inscribed with the words “Science and Intrepidity”, because Johnson was well known for using his brain to outwit bigger and more muscular opponents, which was unusual for that time. He was thought to have earned more money during his reign as champion than any other fighter until John L. Sullivan almost a century later. Jack Anderson, a modern historian of the sport, has summarised the early boxing writers as agreeing the period of Johnson’s reign as champion “rescued the declining sport and heralded the beginning of a golden age”.

Click Here To See More

Thomas Johnson (Iohnson) Boxing Medal / Token (Inscribed: “Bella! Horrida Bella!” and “Science and Intrepidity”), 1789

Tobacco card featuring John L. Sullivan, Allen & Ginters, circa 1887

Famous Boxers (featuring Jack Johnson), Cohen Weenen & Co., 1912

A Gallery of 1935 (featuring Joe Louis), Stephen Mitchell & Son

Boxing Personalities (featuring Gene Tunney), WA & AC Churchman, 1938

Sporting Champions (featuring Jack Dempsey), 1922

If you would like to find out more about the boxing memorabilia and tobacco cards featured in this blog please click here.
Thank you for reading my blog and I hope you found it interesting!

Click Here To See More

Rare 1900’s Harry Houdini $2000.00 Trading Card Memorabilia 1924 Frys Magic Tricks and Puzzles Cigarette Cards

Click Here To See More

Trading cards and cigarette cards were issued on a huge array of subjects, including that which has fascinated mankind since the beginning of time, magic. As with many card collecting subjects, there are certain cards that fetch colossal amounts of money. With baseball cards it’s Honus Wagner, one of which was the first card to exceed $1M, on eBay. With magic cards, the most sought after celebrity is Harry Houdini. His magic is still working after all these years as his cards conjure up nearly $2000.00 for a 1902 Ogden’s Guinea Gold card depicting him and almost £100.00 for a rare 1922 Boy’s Cinema (periodical) Famous Heroes card featuring this legendary man.

Although I, unfortunately, don’t have any Houdini cards in my collection, I do have a very rare Fry’s Tricks and Puzzles (Black Back), issued in 1924, just two years before Houdini’s death. This set includes fifty tricks/puzzles: disappearing coins, playing cards that produce smoke rings, dancing paper fairies, impossible handcuffs, bringing paper snakes to life and many more. One card also includes the politically incorrect act of creating silhouettes of different ethnic groups out of a candle and screwed up newspaper, not recommended these days. The backs of the cards in this set, as well as describing each trick and puzzle in detail , also advertise Fry’s “Cube Block Chocolate”, priced at just six pence each.

Click Here To See More

Ogden’s Guinea Gold , New Series 1 B (featuring Harry Houdini), 1902

Boys Cinema , Famous Heroes (featuring Harry Houdini), 1922

JS Fry & Sons Ltd , Tricks and Puzzles (Black Back), 1924 (50 cards)

Includes:Sixpence and Card Trick, Mr, Roly Poly, The Surplus Spill, The Fairy Dancers, Chalk Line Puzzle, Handcuff Puzzle, The Mesmerised Match Box, The Miraculous Apple, The Travelling Cubes of Sugar, Can you Count?, The Wandering Ace, The Q Trick, To make Smoke Rings, The Rising Flood, Pricking the Garter, The Vanishing Coin, A Square Puzzle, The Floating Needle, Cut String Restored or Vanishing Knot, The Magic Match, Gravity Dafied, Bottle Coin and Match Trick, The Disappearing Shilling, Philosphy Cheated, The Magic Bond, The Travelling-Coin, The Mesmerised Walking Stick, The Vanishing Egg, The Penetrating Smoke, The Indestructible Star, The Penetrable Matches, The Erratic Egg, The Magic Ring, The Restored Handkerchief, The Torn Paper Puzzle, The Cut Finger Joke, The Incombustible Handkerchief, The Revolving Serpent, Hot is it done?, The Watch Trick, The Ridiculous Rings, The Magical Adhesion,The Cigarette Joke, The Wonderful Designer, The Tantalising Cork, The Magic Penny, The Intoxicated Wine Glass, One Two Three Gone, The Restored Slip of Paper

If you would like to find out more about the magic and Harry Houdini cigarette cards featured in this blog please click here.
Thank you for reading my blog and I hope you found it interesting!