By DB Sikes

The 1911 T68 Heroes of History and Men and Women of History set features a handful of elusive back variations. Among them, Natural Leaf Scrap stands as one of the scarcest. Long discussed in collector circles, its true scarcity is now quantifiable thanks to grading population reports.

The following census integrates all known SGC graded examples (41 total), captured from the official population report screenshots, alongside two PSA 6 confirmations provided by collectors.

Snapshot

• SGC graded population: 41

• PSA graded population: 2

• Combined confirmed population: 43

• SGC ceiling grade: 6 (Rear Admiral Schley), 5.5 (Edwin Booth)

• PSA ceiling grade: 6 (Rear Admiral Schley, Rear Admiral Sampson)

• Most common grade: SGC 1 (over half the population)

Subject-by-Subject Census (SGC + PSA)

Subject	Subset	Grade(s)	Notes
Alexander Hamilton	Men of History	SGC 1, SGC 3	Two graded examples
Alexander the Great	Men of History	SGC 1
Betsey Ross	Heroes of History	SGC 1
Cyrus W. Field	Men of History	SGC 3.5
Edward VII	Men of History	SGC 2.5
Edwin Booth	Men of History	SGC 5.5, SGC 2.5	Second Highest SGC grade observed
Elias Howe	Men of History	SGC 4
Gen. John C. Fremont	Heroes of History	SGC 1
Gen. Wm. T. Sherman	Heroes of History	SGC 2.5, SGC AUTH	Two graded examples
General Grant	Heroes of History	SGC 3
Geronimo	Heroes of History	SGC 1.5
Henry Clay	Men of History	SGC 1.5
Henry VIII	Men of History	SGC 4.5
Horace Greeley	Men of History	SGC 1
James Watt	Heroes of History	SGC 1
John Harvard	Men of History	SGC 4
Julius Caesar	Men of History	SGC 1, SGC 4	Two graded examples
Louis XIV of France	Men of History	SGC 3
Mary, Queen of Scots	Men & Women of History	SGC 1.5
Nero	Men of History	SGC 4
Pizarro	Men of History	SGC 1
President Andrew Jackson	Men of History	SGC 1, SGC 2, SGC 2	Three graded examples (2 SGC, 2 Examples)
Sir Walter Raleigh	Heroes of History	SGC 1
Stonewall Jackson	Men of History	SGC 1, SGC 2	Two graded examples
Victor Emmanuel	Men of History	SGC 2.5
William Shakespeare	Men of History	SGC 1, SGC 3.5	Two graded examples
Davy Crockett	Men of History	SGC 4
Gen. Winfield Scott	Men of History	SGC 4
P.T. Barnum	Men of History	SGC 3, SGC 2	Two graded examples
Queen Elizabeth	Men & Women of History	SGC 5
Rear Admiral Schley	Men of History	SGC 6, PSA 6	Highest SGC Grade, PSA 6 confirmed
Rear Admiral W.T. Sampson	Men of History	PSA 6	PSA 6 confirmed
Richard III	Men of History	SGC 4

Observations

1. Distribution heavily skews low: 24 of the 41 SGC examples sit in SGC 1 holders, confirming these cards rarely survived in strong condition.

2. Ceiling grades diverge by company: SGC reaches as high as 5.5 (Edwin Booth), while PSA has confirmed two 6s.

3. Multiples remain rare: only a handful of subjects have more than one known graded example (Caesar, Shakespeare, Barnum, Stonewall Jackson, Andrew Jackson, Edwin Booth).

4. Naval bias at PSA: both PSA 6s are Admirals, either due to collector preservation or pure chance.

Conclusion

Natural Leaf Scrap is among the most challenging of all T68 back types. With only 43 confirmed graded examples and no subject exceeding two copies, it represents an apex pursuit for master set builders. Even low-grade survivors add weight to a collection, while mid- to high-grade copies such as Admiral Schley (SGC 6), Edwin Booth (SGC 5.5), Henry VIII (SGC 4.5), or the two PSA 6s are true trophies.

Call to Collectors

To strengthen and expand this census, collectors are encouraged to submit PSA scans of any Natural Leaf Scrap graded examples. Every confirmation helps refine the population count and provides the hobby with a clearer picture of this elusive back. Send your scans front and back to sikesdb3@gmail.com