T68 Masters

T68 Miners Extra 5

Factory No. 5, 2nd District of Maryland (Baltimore)

These cards were issued by the American Tobacco Company and printed at Factory No. 5, located at 415 S. Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland, in the heart of the city’s historic tobacco district. The Marburg Brothers facility, later absorbed into American Tobacco, served as the confirmed production site for the T68 “Heroes of History” set featuring the Miners Extra back. Cards marked Factory No. 5, Dist. MD provides a direct link to Baltimore’s role as a major manufacturing and distribution hub during the 1910s, when the city anchored regional production for the American Tobacco Company. Collectors recognize Factory 5, DIST 2 MD. inserts as distinctive both for their geographic placement and the variety of short-cut and regular-length examples documented from this site. As a central node in ATC’s national network, Factory 5 stands as a key location in the T68 story, linking the Baltimore tobacco trade with the broader legacy of American card production during the company’s peak years.

Link to Checklist

A passion for tracing origins

Factory No. 5, 2nd District of Maryland, anchored in the bustling port city of Baltimore, stood at the crossroads of America’s tobacco trade during the early 1910s. As the confirmed insertion site for Miners Extra backs in the T68 “Heroes of History” series, this factory connects collectors to the northern branch of the American Tobacco Company’s vast distribution network—where shipping, manufacturing, and urban commerce converged.

Historic Factory Site

Explore the Baltimore roots of Factory No. 5—established in the former Marburg Brothers facility at 415 S. Charles Street, later absorbed into the American Tobacco Company. The factory’s location in downtown Baltimore placed it within one of the city’s most concentrated tobacco production corridors, closely tied to the city’s port economy and warehousing infrastructure.

Factory Stamp Identifier

Learn to recognize the “Factory No. 5, Dist. MD.” imprint on the backs of Miners Extra T68 cards. This stamp links your card to Baltimore’s historic Marburg production facility and provides collectors with essential confirmation of northern distribution origins within the 1911 release.

Baltimore Distribution Role

Factory 5 served as a vital insertion point for the American Tobacco Company’s mid-Atlantic distribution network. Its proximity to the harbor and dense rail corridors allowed tobacco products and promotional cards to flow efficiently throughout the northeastern United States.

Archival Research

Uncover Baltimore’s industrial past through city directories, Sanborn maps, and government records that trace the evolution of Factory 5, District 2 from the Marburg Brothers’ independent operation into a fully integrated branch of the American Tobacco Company. These archival materials document its role in both local commerce and national card production.

Photo Archive Project

We are building a visual archive of the Factory 5 area—including historic maps, directories, and photographs of the South Charles Street complex. Collectors and researchers are invited to contribute scans, maps, and site photos to help preserve this key piece of Baltimore’s industrial and T68 card history.

Miners Extra Legacy — Baltimore Insertions Confirmed

Factory 5 in Baltimore is confirmed as the exclusive insertion site for Miners Extra backs in the T68 “Heroes of History” series. Surviving examples stamped “Factory No. 5, Dist. MD.” establish a direct provenance to Baltimore’s Marburg facility. While central lithographic printing was done at the American Lithographic Company in New York, insertion occurred locally in Baltimore, making these cards historically important for their geographic rarity and stamp specificity.

Attributed to American Tobacco Company Facility in Baltimore, MD

(Factory No. 5,2nd DIST, Marburg Plant, S. Charles St.)

American Tobacco Company, Baltimore, Maryland

Between 1910–1912, the Miners Extra brand was produced and distributed out of Baltimore, Maryland, at the American Tobacco Company’s Marburg branch facilities on South Charles Street. The Marburg plant had been absorbed into the American Tobacco trust and served as one of the company’s critical Mid-Atlantic production hubs during this era. Surviving directories and Sanborn fire insurance maps confirm the presence of the American Tobacco Company and its Miners Extra operations at this location, linking the brand to Baltimore’s industrial core.

The Marburg site was used for the insertion and distribution of T68 “Heroes of History” cards with Royal Bengals backs, alongside the packaging of Miners Extra smoking tobacco. Factory stamp identifiers reading “Factory No. 5, 2nd Dist. MD.” mark this Baltimore origin, offering collectors a tangible connection to the Chesapeake corridor of American tobacco distribution.

This facility was strategically situated near Baltimore’s shipping routes and railroad lines, ensuring wide circulation of Miners Extra products across the Mid-Atlantic and beyond. Much like Factory 17 in Richmond and Factory 2 in New Jersey, Factory 5 played an integral role in American Tobacco’s nationwide network—its Baltimore production site standing as a reminder of how regional facilities powered national promotional campaigns.

Today, records preserved in Baltimore’s directories, Sanborn maps, and trade ephemera offer collectors a rare glimpse into the city’s role in early 20th-century tobacco marketing and card insertion practices.

“Baltimore stood as a vital artery of America’s tobacco trade, where the wharves fed the factories and every shipment carried the city’s mark of industry.”
— Baltimore Sun, early 20th-century trade commentary

Miners Extra Branding/Insertion Highlights

  • Associated with American Tobacco Company’s Baltimore operations, with production and insertion tied to 415 S. Charles Street (Factory No. 5, 2nd Dist. MD).
  • Inserted into Miners Extra cigarette packs, confirmed by back stamps reading “Factory No. 5, Dist. MD.”
  • Packs prominently featured the E. W. Felgner & Sons Miners Extra branding, reflecting Baltimore’s strong industrial tobacco identity.
  • Packaging emphasized Baltimore identity, with bold branding tying the product to the city’s industrial heritage.
  • Coupons included inside packs extended ATC’s marketing reach—linking smokers to redemption programs and premium offers, and demonstrating ATC’s use of loyalty systems alongside card promotions.
  • Cards found with Miners Extra packs form a distinct Factory 5 subset, separating them from the more widely distributed Factory 2 issues.
  • Reflects ATC’s mid-Atlantic distribution hub during the T68 release, highlighting Baltimore’s role in American Tobacco’s regional logistics and collector card history.

Miners Extra from Factory 5

  • Encapsulated by PSA and SGC Professionally graded Miners Extra examples protect these Baltimore-issued cards and help confirm their role in the T68 “Men of History” set. Note: PSA and SGC do not distinguish between regular and short varieties on labels, so collector documentation is critical in tracking true Factory 5 origins.
  • Verified Factory Origin Cards stamped “Factory No. 5, Dist. MD.” tie directly to the American Tobacco Company’s Marburg facility in Baltimore, confirming their insertion with Miners Extra packs.
  • Regular and Short Variations Factory 5 is the only site to have produced both regular-length and short-cut versions of T68 cards, giving collectors two authentic size formats to pursue within the same brand issue.
  • Set Building Milestones Collectors chasing a complete Factory 5 subset need both the regular and short versions, making these cards foundational to assembling a true Baltimore representation within the broader T68 collection.
  • Factory 5 Print Legacy Miners Extra insertions, paired with cigarette packs and coupons, highlight ATC’s marketing reach from Baltimore. These cards provide one of the clearest examples of how regional tobacco products were used to circulate the T68 set.

Dimensions & Variations: Factory 5 Miners Extra

One of the most distinctive features of the Miners Extra issues from Factory No. 5, 2nd Dist. MD. is the presence of both Regular and Short card versions. Unlike other T68 releases, which were standardized in length, the Baltimore-produced Miners Extra cards show a clear variation in physical dimensions that collectors must account for when assembling a complete Factory 5 subset.

Using the George Washington card as an example:

  • Regular (Long) Version – approx. 2 5/16 inches wide × 3 3/8 inches tall aligning with the standard T68 size distributed across other brands like Royal Bengals.
  • Short Version: 3 1/4″ tall (slightly reduced height, factory cut for smaller packs) reflecting a noticeable trim difference. Despite the smaller format, the artwork and printing quality remain consistent with the regular version, confirming both as authentic ATC productions.

Both the fronts and backs of Washington’s card display this dimensional variance, as shown in the comparison above. The Regular copy provides the full frame, while the Short appears slightly compressed vertically, yet still carries the identical “Factory No. 5, 2nd Dist. MD.” back stamp.

For collectors, these dimensional nuances add another layer of challenge and intrigue. While the Regular is more commonly seen, the Short version is less frequently encountered in high grade, likely due to handling and storage issues with its smaller cut. Completing a paired set of Regular and Short Washington cards—along with other Factory 5 subjects—is a milestone achievement for advanced T68 collectors.

There is an exceptional article about these Regular and Short Miners Extra cards available online. I will publish a link here when I gain the authors approval. However, a quick internet search will get you to the source at this time.

Miners Extra Grading: Authenticity and Collector Challenges

Grading the Miners Extra “Heroes of History” subset presents unique challenges due to the existence of both regular-sized and short-sized versions. As of now, SGC (Sportscard Guaranty Corporation) will only authenticate the short versions, assigning them an “Authentic – Minimum Size Not Met” designation rather than providing a numerical grade. This reflects the uncertainty within the grading community regarding how to handle these dimension variations and whether the short cards were intentional issues or cutting anomalies.

The result is that short versions remain marginalized in grading reports, even though they are widely recognized by advanced collectors as legitimate insertions tied to American Tobacco Company’s Miners Extra brand. Regular versions, meanwhile, are eligible for full numeric grading under PSA and SGC, further emphasizing the distinction in treatment between the two.

Collector Implications

For collectors, this creates both a challenge and an opportunity:

  • Challenge – Short versions are often undervalued or misunderstood due to their lack of numerical grading and inconsistent slab labeling.
  • Opportunity – Collectors with advanced knowledge can acquire and preserve these variations as historically significant anomalies, anticipating that recognition will grow over time.

Future Recognition

As more research and documentation surfaces—particularly through photographic archives, factory distribution studies, and community-led projects—there is strong potential that grading companies will eventually adjust their policies. What is today dismissed as “minimum size not met” could, in the future, become recognized as an intentional factory-issued variation.

For now, Miners Extra shorts remain authenticated but underappreciated, representing a fascinating frontier in T68 scholarship. They serve as a reminder that grading standards evolve, often catching up only after collectors themselves have led the way in documenting the truth. In the mean time there are plenty of Regular Cut Versions to be found.

“The Miners Extra set is more than just a series of tobacco cards, it is a living archive of American History, commerce, and collecting culture. Each Card tells a story, and together they preserve the legacy of a bygone era.”

Collector Reflections