T207.com

N283 Buchner "Defenders and Offenders"

This unique collection of 200 "offenders" - murderers, confidence men, poisoners, pickpockets, etc. - is, in my opinion, the most interesting of all 19th century non-sport sets. A short biography of each criminal's activity taken from the sensationalist New York Police Gazette is displayed opposite a detailed lithographic portrait. The fragile cards are printed on thin stock that was folded over in the packaging. Because they were redeemable for prizes, these cards are now extremely scarce, with no more than 2 or 3 showing up each year on eBay. The third most expensive redemption prize (after a silk umbrella and a clock) was a full album showing the 200 criminals as well as 10 police "Defenders". It is likely the first ever 'mug shot' book and regularly exceeds $1000 when auctioned.

The police portraits in the book are some of the same ones used in the N288 Police & Fire Chiefs set. Both sets were issued by D. Buchner & Co. of New York City. In the late-1930's, when these cards were first catalogued by Jefferson Burdick, he assigned to them a value of seventy-five cents each, making N283's some of the most highly-valued tobacco cards in the entire American Card Catalog.

The thumbnails below show the 2 different N283 backs (one with a list of prizes, one without), 22 N283 'offenders' cards, and several pages from an A70 album. Click on any thumbnail to see the full image. If you can provide scans of other N283's, please contact me. My thanks go to C. Millburn for the trio of Devine, Wheeler and Fielding, to E. Beachley for Weaver, to D. Epps for Elliot, to G. Galliger for Taylor and Delaney, and to the inestimable T. Boblitt for Day.