1970s Balkan Sobranie Smoking Mixture 100g Unopened Ring Pull Tin

Few names in the history of pipe tobacco carry the mystique of Balkan Sobranie.

For generations, the old white label Smoking Mixture stood among the defining tobaccos of the English pipe smoking tradition. Long after the original mixture disappeared, its reputation endured, remembered by those fortunate enough to have smoked it and pursued by later generations who knew it only by reputation. It became one of the great lost names of the hobby, a tobacco against which later Balkan mixtures would inevitably be measured.

Offered here is an unopened 100 gram ring pull tin of The Balkan Sobranie Smoking Mixture dating to the 1970s.

The famous white label carries the old mountain scene and caravan artwork, together with the words that became inseparable from the legend of the blend:

“Blended with the Finest Yenidje”

The tin retains its period U.S. distributor label for James B. Russell Inc., 180 South Van Brunt St., Englewood, New Jersey 07631. Together with the ring pull construction, 100 gram format and period Sobranie labeling, these details place the tin in the 1970s era, consistent with the established dating framework for surviving Sobranie tins.

The label itself describes the mixture as:

“A blend of the choicest matured Virginia and finest Oriental tobaccos. It contains a high percentage of the finest Yenidje Leaf.”

That reference to Yenidje lies at the heart of the old Balkan Sobranie story. Here was a mixture from an era when particular Oriental tobaccos were proudly named on the package, and when the famed leaf of Yenidje was woven directly into the identity and reputation of the blend.

The presentation is equally evocative of its period. The tall cylindrical form, translucent protective overcap, untouched ring pull and richly illustrated paper label belong to a style of tobacco packaging that has nearly vanished. It is the sort of object that once stood on the shelf of a proper tobacconist, waiting for a pipe smoker who could hardly have imagined that decades later the same mixture would become one of the most sought after tobaccos in the collecting world.

The tin remains unopened, with the original ring pull intact beneath the removable plastic overcap. Some movement of the contents can be heard when the tin is gently handled. The tin shows age related exterior wear, including scattered oxidation spots and a small dent. Please review all photographs carefully, as they form an important part of the condition description and show the actual tin being offered.

A rare opportunity to acquire an unopened 1970s 100 gram ring pull tin of the legendary Balkan Sobranie Smoking Mixture, complete with its period U.S. distributor label and unmistakable white label presentation.

This auction contains tobacco.  If you live in certain states, you will be unable to purchase this product.