1920 V2 Cowan Co. Animal Cards #24 Black Bear SGC 3 VG Royal Milk Mell-O-Milk

1920 Cowan Co. V2 Animal Cards #24 Black Bear (Ours Noir) - SGC 3 (VG)

Certification Number: 6001352

Graded and encapsulated by SGC in their current black-insert holder. The label reads 1920 COWAN CO. V2 ANIMAL CARDS, #24 BLACK BEAR, with a final grade of 3 (VG). Cert number 6001352 is printed on the label and matches the slab pictured, which is the exact item you will receive.

CONDITION

Presented honestly at the assigned grade, and a nicer overall look than most survivors from this issue. Wear is consistent with SGC 3 (VG): light corner rounding with a small amount of wear at the lower right, some minor chipping and softness along the border edges, and a few scattered print specks. The front is otherwise clean and bright, with strong color in the bear, the foliage, and the red Cowan's lettering, and the number 24 and bilingual naming are crisp. The printed reverse shows even light toning with the text fully legible edge to edge. Please review the photos closely, as they are of the actual card and form part of the description.

ABOUT THE CARD AND SET

The V2 Cowan Co. Animal Cards were issued in the 1920s by The Cowan Co., Limited of Toronto, one of Canada's best known chocolate and cocoa makers of the period. The set runs 24 cards, each a wide horizontal color illustration of a North American animal named in both English and French. This is #24, the final card in the checklist, listed as Black Bear and Ours Noir, with the Cowan's Royal Milk and Mell-O-Milk Chocolate 5 cent cakes advertising panel at the right side of the front.

The printed back is a big part of the appeal on these. The reverse carries a short bilingual write-up noting that the black bear is found throughout the wilds of Canada, that it raises only one family every two years with two or three cubs at a time, and that it weighs around 250 pounds. Below that sits the original premium offer, inviting collectors to send in a complete set in exchange for a large picture of a fox, beaver, moose, grizzly bear, or wolf, followed by the company imprint for The Cowan Co., Limited on Sterling Road in Toronto. Canadian confectionery issues from this era were distributed regionally and in far smaller numbers than the major American tobacco and gum sets, and complete runs are difficult to put together today. A strong fit for collectors of vintage non-sport, Canadiana, wildlife and bear subjects, or early advertising cards.

SHIPPING

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