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HWA DAH TOBACCO COMPANY, WOMEN IN SPORTS SERIES BASKETBALL CARD (CHINA)
This rare series featuring women’s sports was issued in China sometime in the early 1930s by Hwa Dah Tobacco company. Hwa Dah was a historic Chinese cigarette manufacturer based in Shanghai, operating prominently in the 1920s and 1930s. They primarily produced domestically branded cigarettes designed to compete with Western-owned firms like the British-American Tobacco (BAT) Company. The company is more well known for it’s cards featuring children or “Chinese beauties”, but released a series featuring women’s sports that had 1 card dedicated to basketball. The front of the card simply says “basketball”. The back of the card promotes national brand cigarettes, urging customers to support domestic industry over imported products. It highlights specific packing options, including tins and various packs containing “golden” cigarettes. The card’s index classification number is ZE9-20-2 in the World Tobacco Card Index. It’s variation is referred to as Sundry back. Another variation, thought to be released in Vietnam, has nothing written on front and a blank reverse.
Measurements: 1.5” x 2.5”
early 1930s
