Prior to 2012, it was assumed that Schulte front view was a 150-only subject. However, in REA’s Spring 2012 Auction a near complete (517/524) T206 set was auctioned off that included a low-grade Schulte with Piedmont 350 back. The partial set went for $44,438. It contained many other cool cards including a Cycle 460 Cobb and a Red Hindu Gandil. Still, the price tag was pretty hefty. The Schulte was the crown jewel of the collection, and it no doubt drove the strong bidding.
This new find was quite the head-scratcher for T206 back collectors. This made Schulte front-view an incredibly tough card to categorize. It definitely couldn’t be a 150-only subject anymore, but it didn’t fit neatly into any other category either. At the time, collectors looked to a group of 150-350 series poses referred to as the “Elite 8*” subjects to try and find a fit.
At the time, the Elite 8 subjects consisted of these poses*:
- Dahlen Boston
- Ewing
- Ganley
- Jones, Tom
- Karger
- Lindaman
- Lundgren Chicago
- Mullin horizontal
These 8 poses are unique in that they shared many traits with the 150-only subjects. They were not printed with Old Mill, Sovereign 350 or Sweet Caporal 350 backs. However, each of the 8 was printed with El Principe de Gales backs and Piedmont 350. They are all very tough to find with Piedmont 350 back (some more so than others – probably a subject for another article). Each of these poses was pulled from production early in the Piedmont 350 print run, creating scarcity.
With this new discovery, some people felt Schulte should be the 9th member of this group. The awesome name “Ninja 9” was even floated as a potential moniker. The big problem with putting him in this group is that he wasn’t printed with an El Principe de Gales back. Some collectors posited the theory that this Schulte card could be a proof or printer’s scrap never meant to be released. That is possible, but in my opinion it looks like it was factory-cut. Tough to be sure because the card is in such rough shape, but it doesn’t have any telltale signs of being hand-cut.
For now, Schulte front view is a pose that defies categorization. Until another example with Piedmont 350 back shows up, collectors will be split on what to make of the lone copy. Keep your eyes peeled. Maybe you’ll be the person who finds the next one!
*Today this group is generally thought to include either 11 or 12 poses. Schaefer Detroit, Shaw St. Louis, and Spencer have been added to the 8 mentioned above. Some consider Schulte front view the 12th member of the group.
