4. 1933 E285 Rittenhouse: The last of the E-Cards
Designed as a deck of 52 playing cards, this set was produced by Rittenhouse Candy Company of Philadelphia--hence the nickname for the series. It is designated as set E285 in the American Card Catalog, Produced in 1933, it is generally considered by collectors to be the last of the caramel (E-card) issues.
The small player image on each card is framed in either a heart, diamond, club, or spade. In addition, the player's name is printed across the bottom of the card. Despite the playing card theme, however, it might prove difficult to use a deck in a game of five card draw, for they measure only about 1-7/16 x 2-1/4 inches.
Card fronts have been found printed in one of three basic ink colors: red, green and blue (see examples at right). Although not common, cards printed on slightly tinted cardstock (green, yellow, etc.) are also known.
The complete 52-card Rittenhouse set includes images of only 46 different players. That is because six players (Frankie Frisch, Don Hurst, Babe Ruth, brothers Lloyd and Paul Waner, and Hack Wilson) are each featured twice in the series.
The backs of the Rittenhouse cards are used to promote two similar but different contests for the collector. The most common of these is the "Letter on Back" promotion. A similar but much less common contest is also promoted using numbers instead of letters. Each contest also includes card back variations that describe the contest and list redemption prizes. Each of these contests are described in further detail below.
"Letter on Back" Contest
The "Letter on Back" contest features a single capital letter on the back of each card that, when combined with other cards, is used to spell out the promoter's name, "Rittenhouse Candy Co." Thus, a completed Letter-on-Back series would display as shown here:
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Full disclosure: Backs with the letter "H" are known to have been short printed for the E285 set. Because we do not have an example for the "H-back" card, we digitally created the one used here. Although not original, we believe it is within a pixel or so of those that were originally produced.
Two variations of the Letter on Back cards are also found that describe the contest, list the redemption prizes, and tell the collector where to send the completed series of card backs.
Letter Back |
Letter Back Variation 1 |
Letter Back Variation 2 |
As seen, the variation backs each offer the collector one of six prizes (with some overlap). Consumers are instructed to check the desired prize and mail the complete series to the company's headquarters in Philadelphia to receive the prize.
"Number on Back" Contest
As indicated earlier, a second contest using numbers rather than letters on the card backs, was also produced. However, the population of Number Back cards is much smaller in today's hobby. Aside from using numbers, this second contest offered a nicer prize (a complete Base Ball Uniform).
As with the Letter Back cards, the Number Back contest rules were detailed on the backs of two variation backs, both of which had to be collected to be able to join together to read the full rules (see scans below).
It was also much more difficult to win in the Number Back contest, since the consumer first had to send the company a postcard with his or her name and address to qualify for a drawing. The lucky winner(s) of the drawing were then required to show that they had collected all 30 numbers to be awarded the uniform.
Number Back |
 
Number Back Variations (Left and Right) |
There is no indication that the cards from either of the two contests were ever canceled and returned to the collector, which may at least partially explain the relative scarcity of the Rittenhouse cards today.
Many Questions Remain
Despite all we have learned about the Rittenhouse card set, there are many questions that remain unresolved.
Unlike many other sets, for example, it is not at all clear how the cards were packaged and distributed. There is little evidence that they were cut from candy boxes, so were they packed inside the box with the candy product? The lack of stains on the vast majority of cards today indicates they were not.
Joanna Walnut Chews |
Further, we cannot associate any specific Rittenhouse product with the cards. We know that the company manufactured several different candy products, but only have an image of one of them, identified as "Joanna Walnut Chews" (see image at right). However, it is not at all certain that this was the candy distributed with the E285 cards, or if perhaps the cards were distributed separately from any specific candy product.
Beginning around 1930, the company operated as a regional partnership between businessmen Sol Block and Sidney Blumenthal, trading under the official name Rittenhouse Candy Company.
By the mid-to-late 1930s, the company's promotional tactics caught the attention of federal regulators. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) began a crackdown across the United States on lottery-style candy marketing aimed at children.
On November 24, 1937, the FTC brought an enforcement proceeding against Sol Block and Sidney Blumenthal. Rather than fighting the government, the partners accepted an uncontested decree of affirmance, which was officially enforced by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia on January 5, 1938. This regulatory shift effectively brought an end to the aggressive, prize-based marketing campaigns that had defined the company's beginnings, leading Rittenhouse Candy to fade from the retail market shortly thereafter.
Note: A Set Profile, Player Checklist and Gallery of Cards for the 1933 E285 Rittenhouse Candy cards is provided on the Old Cardboard website.
Updating the website with checklists and full set galleries for additional vintage sets is an ongoing project, so check back often to check out the latest additions. There are now many thousands of card images on the website and the list continues to grow every month. We welcome and encourage feedback with checklist additions, images of cards missing from our galleries, error corrections and suggestions. Please send all feedback to editor@oldcardboard.com.
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