A Look at Presidential Trading Cards
1952 Bowman U.S. Presidents #1 Washington Takes Command
Early Tobacco Cards | Non-Tobacco Card Sets | Topps x Presidents | Campaign-Trail Cards | Presidential Parody Cards
For as long as there have been cards, The Hobby has been driven by personalities. Unsurprisingly, some of the most famous people in the history of America, its 46 Presidents, occupy their own place in the world of card collecting.
Presidents have been present in The Hobby since its 19th-century beginnings. For history buffs who are drawn to collecting cards, it’s a natural fit. After all, even though the story of the presidency is still less than 250 years old, there are only 45 people to chase. Collecting these historical figures is a fun chase and a great way to capture American history. Below, we look at some of the cards and sets that feature our commanders-in-chief through the years.
Early Tobacco Cards of Presidents
1880 Thomas H. Hall Between the Acts Cigarettes N342-1A Chester A. Arthur
Tobacco cards, which date back to the 1870s, were quick to capitalize on the fame and notoriety of political figures, placing them in packs alongside athletes and celebrities almost right away. In 1880, Thomas H. Hall issued cards that included candidates for the presidential election. VP candidate Chester A. Arthur appeared in this set as a VP; he would go on to serve as president after James Garfield was assassinated in 1881.
1885-1889 Allen & Ginter Presidents of the United States N51 John Adams
Beloved vintage brand Allen & Ginter also got in on the act, featuring cards of Presidents as far back as 1885, including the second President John Adams, in sets made for Virginia Brights Cigarettes.
1889 Allen & Ginter World Sovereigns Series N34 President of the United States Grover Cleveland
By 1889, President Grover Cleveland was portrayed in a color portrait as part of the World Sovereigns series, which included Queen Victoria of England and Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany.
1910 S77 Mogul Cigarettes U.S. Presidents #SGC-A James Madison
A 1910 tobacco card release featured a twist on the medium. The 1910 S77 Mogul Cigarettes Silk Card set featured 24 portraits made on silk, each featuring an early American president. James Madison (pictured above), Andrew Jackson, and George Washington are a few standouts.
Presidents Get Their First Non-Tobacco Cards Set
1932 US Caramel Company Presidents Abraham Lincoln
While US presidents have been prevalent in tobacco card sets for decades, the first set of non-tobacco trading cards devoted to US Presidents appeared in 1932. Released by the US Caramel Company, the cards included a portrait image of the President set against a simple, full-block color backdrop. Lincoln and Washington, in particular, remain covetable cards from this offering.
1932 US Caramel Company Presidents Abraham Lincoln
The card backs are interesting artifacts as well. Starting with the name, each President’s nickname is then printed underneath. A short bio follows, along with the promotional campaign of the Caramel Company itself. Card buyers received a free candy with each purchase, and the card back also stated that customers could collect all 31 pictures and send them back to the company to receive a one-pound box of assorted chocolate. The collector would have their cards returned along with the sweets. A retro redemption!
It wasn’t the last time food and presidential cards would cross paths—in 1976, to celebrate the country’s bicentennial, Bel-Art produced a 40-card Know Your Presidents set that was placed inside loaves of bread.
1976 Bel-Art Know Your US Presidents Colonial Bread Franklin D Roosevelt #31
Topps Goes Presidential
1956 Topps US Presidents Martin Van Buren Card #11
The first set of president cards from Topps was the 1956 Topps US Presidents, a reissue of the 1952 Bowman set [checkout the #1 George Washington at the top of the article]. While the cards remained the original size of the earlier Bowman release (meaning they were slightly narrower than a typical Topps card of the era), the card backs were redesigned, using blue print instead of black. Both sets feature all 33 presidents who had served up to the time of release.
1964 Topps The Story of John F. Kennedy #52 John F. Kennedy Jacqueline Kennedy
The 1964 Topps The Story of John F. Kennedy was another step in the development of presidential cards. Released in honor of President Kennedy shortly after his assassination, the 77-card set features photos capturing important moments in the life and career of the 35th US President. Moving beyond the portraiture that traditionally defined presidential cards, this set aimed to tell the story of the man. Cards show Kennedy delivering speeches, spending time with his family, and meeting the Pope.
Topps On the Campaign Trail
1972 Topps US Presidents #36 Richard M. Nixon
1972 Topps US Presidents reissued the images used in the debut 1956 set while adding cards for the presidents who served in the meantime (JFK, LBJ, Nixon). The 1972 cards remain illustration-driven; what makes the set unique is the addition of a series of cards that uses photo-forward, campaign-style design.
1972 Topps US Presidents #40 George McGovern
In addition to a candidate card made for 1972 Democratic Party Nominee George McGovern, the 1972 set features a group of other candidates that McGovern beat to the nomination before losing the general election to President Nixon. This list includes Hubert Humphrey, Shirley Chisholm, Edmund Muskie, George Wallace, and Ted Kennedy (although he did not run).
Another fascinating inclusion in 1972 was numbered mini-campaign poster inserts distributed in packs. These showcased of-the-era campaigns like “All the way with LBJ” but also retro posters such as the famous “I Like Ike” from Dwight Eisenhower’s campaigns in the 50s.
1972 Topps US Presidents Campaign Posters #5 Dwight D. Eisenhower
Presidential Parody
2015 GARBAGE PAIL KIDS 30TH ANNIVERSARY GARBAGE PAIL PRESIDENTS #1A CALVIN STOOLIDGE
Presidents have always been ripe for parody and satire, whether it’s Mark Twain or Stephen Colbert doing the bit. Topps got into the act with its 30th Anniversary 2015 Garbage Pail Kids President insert, featuring Calvin Stoolidge, Richard Triton, and Bill Slick-Ton. Although GPK had featured presidents in earlier releases, this was the first full release.
Whether they’re paying homage or poking fun, the history of presidential cards is a long and storied one, befitting the scale, scope, and fame of the highest office in the land.
