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Specs
Year: 1947
Title: Bond Bread Jackie Robinson
Size: 2-1/4″ by 3-1/2″
Number in Set: 13
Overview
Thirteen unnumbered cards make up the 1947 Bond Bread Jackie Robinson set. However, Bond Bread likely issued these cards over several years (1947-1950). You can read more about that research over on Net54Baseball.com. Ultimately they found photos that Bond Bread used on the cards that were taken well after 1947. The following photo was taken in 1949, for example, and used for the “Jackie Robinson Sliding” card.


All the cards in the set feature Robinson in different action and portrait poses. The cards use black and white photographs and have rounded corners (the photo on the card) with a white border. The cards have three different backs, but each has a Bond Bread advertising logo and a quote from Jackie Robinson.
The researchers on Net54Baseball also wrote about how Bond Bread likely distributed the cards.
The first card was the Portrait-Facsimile card with the bio back. This card was first seen in Harlem in June / July of 1947, and was distributed by grocery store owners, and also in promotional packages with two slices of bread and coupons.
It should be noted that, as early as June of 1947, African-American newspapers in all major baseball U.S. cities began running advertisements promoting Jackie’s endorsement deal with Bond Bread, and also the availability of the promotional card. This is quite interesting, as it was initially believed that Branch Rickey would not allow Jackie to sign an endorsement deal until the season was over, as he didn’t want it to be a distraction.
Come September of 1947, the card’s distribution expanded to every major city from Montreal to St. Louis. This Bond Bread set should no longer be considered a regional set for that very reason. As such, the Bond Bread facsimile-signature card should be considered Jackie’s true rookie card / first nationally distributed rookie card.
In the summer of 1948, the next batch of 6 cards were distributed to all major baseball cities (targeting black communities). These cards included: Glove in Air, Leaping No Scoreboard, Fielding No Ball in Glove, Fielding Ball in Glove, Awaiting Pitch and Batting White Sleeves. The Glove in Air and Leaping No Scoreboard were limited in their distribution, which is why they are far scarcer than any other card in the set.
In the summer of 1949, the remaining 6 cards were released. These cards included: Sliding (photo taken during the July 2, 1949 game against the Giants), Leaping Scoreboard, Batting No Sleeves, Throwing, Running Down Baseline and Running to Catch Ball. The Throwing and Batting No Sleeves cards were also limited in distribution, which makes sense given their scarcity.
As such, it is now known that the Jackie Robinson Bond Bread set was not a regional issue, but instead, was distributed to all major baseball cities (Montreal, Detroit, New York, St. Louis, etc. etc.), and it’s official release date should be 1947-1949, with the bio card being the lone 1947 release and his first nationally distributed baseball card, and the other 2 groups of 6 being released in 1948 and 1949 respectively.
CharleyBrown on Net54Baseball.com
This rare coaster advertising Bond Bread, featuring Jackie Robinson, is a related collectible to the set issued in 1947.

Example


Key Cards
PSA has graded 340 total cards across the set, but The Holding Glove in Air card has the fewest. That said, the Facsimile Autograph card is going to set you back the most money, even though Bond Bread likely printed it in vastly greater numbers than any other card.
Checklist
Jackie Robinson Awaiting Pitch
Jackie Robinson Batting, No Shirt Sleeves
Jackie Robinson Batting, White Shirt Sleeves
Jackie RobinsonFielding, Ball in Glove
Jackie Robinson Fielding, No Ball Visibile
Jackie Robinson Leap, Scoreboard in Back
Jackie Robinson Leaping, No Scoreboard
Jackie Robinson Portrait, Facsimile Autograph
Jackie Robinson Portrait, Holding Glove in Air
Jackie Robinson Running Down Baseline
Jackie Robinson Running to Catch Ball
Jackie Robinson Sliding
Jackie Robinson Throwing