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Up for sale is an absolute museum-grade, 2-document matched historical transaction archive from 1900, chronicling the Gilded Age American tobacco and cigar trade. This perfectly intact packet features an original Traylor, McDonald & Company "Fine Cigars" Commercial Billhead Invoice paired alongside its matching Lithographed Corporate Cigar Check, tracking a wholesale tobacco shipment from the industrial canals of Cincinnati, Ohio, to the historic Rozier Pharmacy in Sparta, Georgia.
At the turn of the century, Cincinnati was a powerhouse of cigar manufacturing. This unified set represents an elite visual asset with incredible multi-market crossover appeal for collectors of vintage tobaccoriana/cigar advertising, allegorical check lithography, federally registered tobacco factory history (Factory No. 5, 1st Dist. Ohio), and early Southern pharmacy heritage.
Document 1: 1900 Traylor, McDonald & Co. Cigar Billhead (9" x 6")
The Street Sign Header: Features a striking, highly creative corporate logo where the words "Fine Cigars" are beautifully engraved to mimic a heavy Victorian metal street corner sign hanging from an ornate, left-side iron scrollwork bracket.
The Transaction Ledger: Headmarked from their facility at 103 & 105 Canal Street, the document is filled out in period hand-ink script tracking a wholesale collection trade draft for $17.00 issued against the Rozier Pharmacy.
Document 2: Matching 1900 Lithographed Corporate Check (9" x 4")
The Winged Cupid & Tobacco Bales Vignette: The left flank of this gorgeous check is packed with high-detail engraving art. It explicitly depicts a winged Cupid/Cherub figure perched atop three large, bound bales of raw tobacco.
The Named Cigar Box Details: The foreground features two massive, realistic tobacco leaves bound at the stems with a flowing ribbon. Layered directly over the leaves are three open, highly detailed display boxes showcasing their premium flagship cigar lines, with the branding explicitly clear: "Flor De Columbia," "Traylor Matchless," and "The Magistrate."
Federal Tax Stamp Identification: The lower margin of the vignette proudly prints their official government tax house marking: “Factory No. 5 First Dist. Ohio.”
The Settle Narrative: Made out for the identical sum of $17.00 to the Rozier Pharmacy, hand-signed by the firm executives, and perfectly mirroring the billhead ledger.
Condition:Both documents are in excellent antique condition for being 126 years old, maintaining superb paper crispness, deep ink contrast, and excellent structural integrity. Standard uniform light age-toning and expected clean office fold lines are present from original turn-of-the-century bank file storage. The magnificent street-bracket logo, winged Cupid vignette, named cigar boxes, handwritten ink scripts, and executive signatures all remain exceptionally bold, sharp, and beautifully defined for museum-grade framing or archival display. Please review the high-resolution photos to evaluate the fine visual details.Will ship both pieces securely together in an acid-free protective sleeve with heavy rigid backing to ensure a safe delivery to your collection.
