Back to the 60s — The 1860s – Pre-War Collector

Because people know that I collect early trading cards, I’m sometimes asked about the oldest card I have. That has sort of led me on a quest to collect a series of Reward of Merit cards from the 1860s.

What are Reward of Merit cards? These were cards that teachers gave to students. Often, they were designed to be colored in. They were essentially a certificate of sorts for an achievement. ‘Certificates’ are not something that generates interest from card collectors. And truth be told, not all collectors will care about them. But the allure of Reward of Merit cards is that they are often smaller and sized similar to trading cards.

While there are thicker ones, many earlier ones are paper thin. Still, some feature athletes or famous subjects, which makes them desirable.

1860s ‘Bordered’ Reward of Merit cards

Reward of Merit cards did not begin in the 1860s. And they are often hard to date. While some teachers did add dates to them, often there is no indication of exactly when a card was produced or even when it was given.

This particular set that I’ve begun collecting, however, is a little different. The producers of the cards added a date designation of ‘186_’ to the back of each card. The teacher or giver of the card was to fill in the particular year it was given. However, the ‘186_’ makes it clear that these cards were issued at some point in the 1860s.

Further, to date, I have several cards from this set. All of them either have an 1861 or 1862 date. Several were given later, I am sure. But these cards were seemingly printed as early as 1860 or 1861. The cards are paper thin.

There isn’t a formal name for this set and I do not know how many cards are in it. There is no printed name on them and the distinguishing characteristic is an ornate red border. Each card has a printed line drawing and includes a brief description. The back has lines for the person giving the card and the recipient and that aforementioned date line.

Subjects

I first found this set due to a card of the American flag that drew my attention. Early Americana stuff has gotten quite popular and a subset of my overall collection is related to early U.S. ‘stuff’.

The flag is not particularly correct in term of design. Notably, the printed flag features only 24 stars but by 1960, there 33 stars on it. While I would stop short of saying it is the most significant card in the set because a full checklist is not known, based on the other cards I’ve seen, it is the most significant one.

What is interesting is that because the card was printed before the Civil War, the war referenced here is the 18th century American Revolution. The language on the card reads as follows:

Doubtless every boy and girl in the United States has seen the “American Flag,” or, as it is often called, “The Flag of our Union.” It was under the ample folds of this flag, that our forefathers fought the hard battles of the American Revolution.

Each nation has a distinct flag of its own, which the boys and girls of that nation are early taught to admire and respect.

It’s significance, to me, anyway, is that it is seemingly one of the earliest cards that depicts the American flag. Reward of Merit cards date back to the early 1800s so I would not be surprised to see an earlier one. Similarly, there could be earlier ones where the flag is a part of an overall card. But it is the earliest card I have seen to date where the flag is the focal point.

The other two cards I have are related to very general subjects. Both are along the lines of providing guidance.

One is related to labor, calling it the only true nobility. The other is titled, ‘Poor Richard’s Sayings,’ and puts an emphasis on saving money.

In addition to mine, I’ve seen a handful of others with differing topics. But unfortunately, I have never found a complete or even partially complete checklist. How many different cards exist is not truly known.

Blue Variants

In addition to these red frame cards, at least two different types of blue-framed cards exist as well.

Some have the exact same border style as the red ones above. But some have a different style, as shown here.

I picked this card up earlier this year. Again, my interest in it stemmed from the fact that it was an American-themed card. This one features an eagle with an American shield.

Similar to the red-bordered cards, the blue ones focus on a large variety of subjects and carry a consistent theme. The title in in bold font with a short description that follows.

There are a few notable differences with the blue cards.

First, not all have the same backs as the red cards. While some do, some are entirely blank. Second, this second type with a different frame actually includes an artist name on it, Childs JC.

Rarity and Value

These cards are quite difficult to find. And part of that is because they do not have a formal name. The ones I have found, I have run into practically by accident.

That said, I also search for enough cards in the Reward of Merit ‘space’ that I know that finding them is pretty difficult. I have seen other types of Reward of Merit cards much more often than these.

That does not make most of them valuable. With such generic topics, not every collector will be interested in them. Most of the time when I’ve found them, they’ve been available in the $10-$20 range. The more desirable cards with a U.S. theme, though, I would consider to be significantly more valuable. I have yet to come across even a second copy of either card.