Athanassacopoulo Toccos Film Stars

Issuing Company: Athanassacopoulo Bros., Alexandria, Egypt Country of Issue: Egypt Year of Issue: 1920s to early 1930s Color/B&W: B&W (Brown Tone) Number of Cards in Set: Card Size: 1 3/4" x 2 3/4" (1-160); 1 3/4" x 2 7/8" (501-1300) Issued as insert with what product: Cigarettes

Notes: Checklist incomplete. Three groups of these cards have been seen, the first numbered from 1 to approximately 160, the second from 501 to 1300, and the third numbered in the 1300s and 1400s.

Cards numbered from 1-160 are slightly smaller than the higher numbered cards and the back design is a bit different. The lower numbered cards have "Cigarettes Toccos" written at the top of the backs, while the higher numbered cards have "The Toccos" written at the top of the backs.

Some higher numbered cards from this set are also known, numbered in the 1300s and 1400s (lowest known is 1302 and highest known is 1461). These higher numbered cards have additional text in French at the bottom of the backs. Two different wordings are known.

Cards from this set have been seen with the bottom film star identification and number chopped off.

Cards from this set are generally found with a brown tone and a dull finish, though cards have been seen with a black and white tone and glossy finish (#1118, #1128, and #1133 seen in black and white glossy).

Card #1139 shows a topless photo of Josephine Baker. There is very little nudity in movie star cards from around the world, and this is one of the few examples I have seen. Nudity is sometimes shown in cigarette cards of unidentified "beauties" from some areas of the world, but very seldom on identified movie stars.

Athanassacopoulo is not mentioned anywhere on the cards.

Thanks to Richard Minns for providing many names for this checklist.

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