Numbers Assignment Chart

Before delving into this page too far, it should be noted that David Charles has been a top notch collaborater on the Post cereal football numbering system. His insight and recognition have proven invaluable in the process of compiling the data and testing theories behind Post's methods for numbering the panels.

Reviewing the rules from the previous page that Post tried to follow in order to assure a reasonable distribution of cards on the panels of their cereal products is probably a good idea before jumping into how the assignment process occurred. The rules were:

1) Don't put more than one player from a team on the same panel
2) Don't put the same player on the same cereal brand
3) Offer each player on at least two separate cereal products

The bulleted list here precedes a number assignment chart that visually details how every card in the 1962 Post cereal football promotion was placed on each product. There will also be sections of the chart shown as the card assignments are explained row by row.

Starting in Row 2, the arrow at the end of a row indicates which direction the number assignment progresses

Cereal products are listed vertically, left to right, in the first row

Each number assignment is made under the product title, i.e. cell B2 (PT18), cell D2 (PT12), etc.

Contiguous panels are outlined vertically

Non-contiguous panel numbers are shaded with the same pattern or use a diagonal mark

Italicized numbers with a strike-through have been switched from one panel to another

Numbers highlighted in yellow were assigned and then deleted before the panels went to production

Row 2 — Cards 1-19 are assigned to the cereal products in columns B-AK.
Row 3 — Cards 20-38 are assigned to the cereal products in columns B-AK.
Row 4 — Cards 39-53 are assigned to the cereal products in columns B-AK. Notice #54, Darris McCord and #55, Jim Martin highlighted with yellow in cells AF4 (RK10) and AH4 (OF10). As explained on a previous page, Post decided to reduce the card count on both the RK10 and OF10 boxes by one. This is reflected for each RK10 and OF10 box panel by a number in yellow. There were six RK10 and four OF10 panels resulting in ten cards being eliminated. An explanation for each row will detail each card deletion. McCord was intended to be on a Rice Krinkles panel. Rice Krinkles panels' card counts were reduced to allow for expanding the header on the back panel that promoted the Action Toys packaged inside the Krinkles box. McCord's card was the one supposed to be in the upper right (3rd) position on the panel, but was eliminated. Martin was intended to be one of six cards on the first OF10 panel. McCord's card #54 was also printed on a SCCF10 panel shown in the top chart in cell AC16. This panel was duplicated by an OF15 panel, meaning McCord's card could be found on two boxes as a double print. The cards look nearly identical, but will be differentiated under the Master Set tab. Martin's card #55 was printed on a SC14 panel shown above in Z16. This was the only panel his card appeared on—a true single print.

The asterisk in AJ4 is an open slot. Post chose not to assign a number to what would have been the first card on the second Grape Nuts 11 oz. panel. Notice also that the columns used to assign GN11 and GN16 card numbers are reversed from the standard large size first followed in order by lower weight boxes. Skipping ahead just a little, using the top chart and still in column AJ we will find that the next GN11 panel is made up of the two most rare cards in the set—#74, Sam Baker and (moving down vertically) #93 Dave Baker. Sam Baker is known for having a black and red asterisk version. This occurred when a player was traded after the decision to include them in the set had been made. In Sam Baker's case his card has received the notoriety of having two different colored asterisks, forever designating his cards as "variations" in the guides. In reality, the real reason he has two cards is that one was on this GN11 panel and another on a P10 panel (U17). The red and black asterisk situation was simply something that happened when Post's art department did the mock ups for production of the cards. The red asterisk is always on the P10 and the black asterisk always on the GN11. Sam Baker's #74 card followed that of #73 Jim Ray Smith and preceded #75 Paul Wiggin in the 200 card set. Sam's card is out of alphabetic order indicating that he may have been a late replacement for an originally scheduled Browns' player that should have fallen alphabetically between Smith and Wiggin. The likely choice for that slot alphabetically was Tom Watkins, a 1961 rookie running back who was traded to the Lions on March 29, 1962 in the Milt Plum/Jim Ninowski deal. It is apparent by checking transaction dates of cards with asterisks that Post used a date somewhere around the end of March as a cutoff point for designating those players. Watkins trade date may have played a role if he was originally supposed to be in the card set instead of Sam Baker. Sam Baker had been traded on December 30, 1961. If Watkins was removed late in the process and Baker inserted, it might explain the two different colored asterisks for Baker and Ninowski—Post could have been in a rush to get their camera ready mock ups done and missed the fact that different color asterisks had been used.

Dave Baker was also out of order as #91 Bruce Bosley and #92 John Brodie were before Baker's card #93 and #94 Tommy Davis followed. The San Mateo (California) Times reported on March 23, 1962 that Baker was being drafted by the Army and would be serving a two-year stint. Baker was a Pro Bowl selection at defensive back in 1959 and intercepted 21 passes in his short three season career. Whether or not it had anything to do with honoring his military service, Post chose to keep Baker's card in the football promotion. If Post had left Baker as card #91, didn't manipulate the positions of the 11 and 16 oz. Grape Nuts products and didn't skip a slot after #55, Baker's card would have been placed on the first Sugar Coated Corn Flakes panel—a cereal expressly marketed for kids. Whether this influenced Post or not, they did switch the numbering positions of the large and small boxes of Grape Nuts and also intentionally left one slot open before card #56. The bottom line of these manipulations is that Post created a panel with the two scarcest cards in the set on the second GN11 box. Post knew that GN11 boxes were one of their slowest sellers and may have figured that it would be beneficial to have the two Baker cards on a low volume product.

Card number 56 is assigned to the last cell in this row (AK4) as a Grape Nuts 16 oz. card.



Row 5 — Cards 57-75 are assigned to the cereal products in columns B-AK.
Row 6 — Cards 76-94 are assigned to the cereal products in columns B-AK. Both GN11 panels are now complete and column AJ will not be filled in the succeeding rows.
Row 7 — Cards 95-112 are assigned to the cereal products in columns B-AK.
Row 8 — Cards 113-130 are assigned to the cereal products in columns B-AK.
Row 9 — Cards 131-148 are assigned to the cereal products in columns B-AK.
Row 10 — Cards 149-166 are assigned to the cereal products in columns B-AK. All three GN16 panels are complete at this point and column AK will no longer be filled. Card #164, Art Hunter, is eliminated from the second Rice Krinkles panel in order to get the card count down to four. Hunter was printed only on GNF12 (cell P26) and T310 boxes as a double print.
Row 11 — Cards 167-183 are assigned to the cereal products in columns B-AH.
Row 12 — Cards 184-200 are assigned to the cereal products in columns B-AH. A complete set of 200 cards minus #54, #55 and #164 has been completed at this point.



Row 13 — Assignment of numbers starts over with #1 beginning in column AH, proceeding in reverse through column B ending the row with #17. Card #1, Dan Currie is eliminated from the sixth position of the second OF10 panel bringing that panel's card count down to five. Card #2, Boyd Dowler will be replaced by #168, Ed Meador, in the second position on the third Rice Krinkles panel, after assignment of #168 is made in cell AF26. Card numbers 9 (Max McGee) and 10 (Tom Moore) are reversed in order to prevent #9 from being printed as a 10 oz. Raisin Bran card for the second time (see S2 for the first instance). Instead, #9 McGee's second card is printed on a 14 oz. Raisin Bran back panel. This is the only instance in the set where Post printed all of one player's cards on the same brand of cereal. It was likely at this point or soon after that Post decided they did not want this to occur again.

Row 14 — Assignment of numbers 18-33 continues with #18 in column AH, proceeding right to left through column B. Card #18, Bob Gaiters is eliminated from the first position of the third OF10 panel bringing that panel's card count to five. Card #19, Roosevelt Grier is removed from the third position of the third Rice Krinkles panel. Column AA is skipped and card number 21 is assigned to the next column (Z). Looking on down the row, one can see that #27 Kyle Rote will land in RB14 column R if the skip does not take place. It appears Post may have put the skip in this place to avoid the same problem they had with #9 and #10 on the previous row.

Row 15 — Still working from right to left, numbers 34-50 are assigned. Numbers 35 and 36 are reversed to accommodate the fact that #35 Jimmy Carr was already placed on the first RK10 panel. Numbers 45 and 44 are paired up and swapped with #43 Bobby Walston and #42 Leo Sugar to avoid #45 Ed Khayat and #44 Chuck Weber from being placed on the same Grape Nuts Flakes size boxes as they were during the assignment of the first 200 cards. Card #47 Gail Cogdill is assigned to the seventh position of the second BF16 panel. Card #47 will later trade positions with #198 Norman Snead when it is assigned to the last BF16 panel. As Post neared the end of numbering the cards, they ran into several situations where two players from the same team were assigned to the same panel. They solved this problem by swapping assignments from other panels, as they did here. Thus, the 47/198 designation as shown above. This row used up the 14 cards required for two 18 oz. Post Toasties panels.

Row 16 — Again starting at right, assignment of numbers 51-66 are made with an odd twist to the assignment of #63 in K-L16. Cards #53 and #54 are switched so that #53 Dan Lewis will not be assigned twice to a Sugar Coated Corn Flakes back panel. Everything proceeds as normal until cells L16 and I16—the columns used for GNF16 and BF11. Galen Fiss, #62 if assigned to GNF16 would be on his second box of that cereal brand and size. So, #62 and #63 are reversed. 1962 was a time before computer spreadsheets, so the chart Post used for number assignments was written in pen or pencil. Handwriting is often not as clear as one would like. The number 63 when written by hand can resemble the number 65. Row 17's explanation details where number "63" was moved in favor of #70. The bottom line was that Milt Plum on #70 was moved to L16 and assigned as a GNF16 in the first position on the third panel. Post Toasties 8 oz. assignments were completed with this row.

Row 17 — From right, moving left, #67-#81 are assigned with some swaps occurring in this row. The second number in the row is #68, John Morrow ending up as the first assignment to the fourth RK10 panel. Morrow's Rice Krinkles card was the one eliminated from this panel to reduce the panel size to four cards. Morrow appeared on 8 oz. Alpha-Bits and Crispy Critters boxes, duplicate prints of each other. Both boxes were common border panels, making it extremely difficult to find Morrow's card with a full border. Two cards to the left, #70 Milt Plum, is slotted to be assigned to a Sugar Crisp 9 oz. panel. Since #70 was part of the first SC9 panel assignment, the card is swapped with #71 Ray Renfro, putting #70 on a 14 oz. Sugar Crisp box. This again breaks the rule of a player being on two boxes of the same cereal brand. So Post, now realizing they have the same problem above with #63 above in the GNF16 column, switches #63 and #70. When the number 63 is handwritten in Z17, somebody mistook the "63" for a "65" and Mike McCormack ends up with an extra card. Post would realize that #63 Bob Gain had only one card and assigned #63 near the end of the numbering process as we'll see later. In cells I17 and H17, #79 and #80 are slated to be assigned—one to each Bran Flakes size. However, they have already been slotted on previous Bran Flakes panels. Post chose to swap #79 and #80 with #87 and #88 from the next row (18). The last number assigned in row 17 is #81, Gino Marchetti to a PT12 panel. As with the BF16 switch in row 15, two Redskins ended up on the fourth PT12 back panel, so #199 Andy Stynchula would trade places with Marchetti. This row ended assignment of numbers for RB10 panels.

Row 18 — Right to left again, #87 and #88 are swapped with #79 and #80 as explained in row 17. Even though the previous row was supposed to be the last row for RB10 cards as all four panels of four cards each had been assigned, it appears Post temporarily lost track of this fact and wrote #90, Johnny Unitas in the RB10 column (S18). This would be corrected shortly. Numbers 91 and 92 were placed normally in the RB14 (R18) and GNF12 (P18) columns. Had #93-#96 been placed in sequential order, #96 Matt Hazeltine would have been lined up to be on a PT8 box. Having been on a PT12 box previously, it appears #96 was switched with #95. But #95, Bob Harrison, had also been on a prior Post Toasties box. Number 97, too, had the same problem if it was going to be assigned in that row. Post's solution was to move #94 into the GNF16 (L18) column, skipping #93 Dave Baker. As discussed in row 4, Baker would not be playing football in 1962 and Post was likely killing two birds here by moving Dave Baker's card. Post had previously moved #93 to the smaller Grape Nuts box and now moved it to another of the least printed boxes, 10 oz. Oat Flakes to start row 19. So numbers 95 and 96 remained out of order but got plugged in as Bran Flakes cards. This row fulfilled the 18 cards required for Raisin Bran 14 oz. panels. Post assigned numbers thinking that three RB14 panels of six cards each were going to be used. Later they changed to four panels of five cards. In order to make four panels of five cards out of three panels of six cards, Post needed to add two cards to get to the required total of 20 cards. As with the baseball promotion, Post chose two players (#26 Andy Robustelli and #76 Raymond Berry) who were already being used on another RB14 panel and put them on the end of the last panel. Starting in cell R2, the first five cards (8-27-46-64-83) moving down vertically became the first RB14 panel. The next panel normally would have started with the card number that should have been used is shown in cell R7, #102. Post decided instead to drop the last card from each of the six card panels and use those single numbers together as the last panel along with Robustelli and Berry. This meant the second panel (120-138-156-174-191) started with in cell R8. The third panel (26-45-60-76-91) would begin at cell R14. The fourth panel consisted of the last card from each original six card panel (102-9-118) and added #26 and #76 to the end.

Row 19 — At right, #93 Dave Baker is assigned to the 10 oz. Oat Flakes box as detailed in the row 18 discussion. The rest of the cards are placed in order, ending with #109, Rick Casares on a PT12 panel. As with #90, Johnny Unitas on the previous row, #104 Monty Stickles is assigned to Raisin Bran 14 oz. (R19), a brand that has already been filled with the required number of cards. At whatever point Post realized #90 and #104 were misplaced, the fix they chose was to place the numbers on GNF12 boxes. There were six panels of six cards allocated to Grape Nuts Flakes 12 oz. boxes. Thirty-six cards would mean using a disproportionate number of three digit cards to fill out GNF12 panels. Post had to get creative, but they were able to plug in 36 numbers without breaking any of their three rules. Numbers 104 and 105 were both San Francisco 49ers so they couldn't be placed on the third GNF12 panel which already had #92 John Brodie, so the next number became #120, Maury Youmans of the Chicago Bears.

Row 20 — Moving from right to left, #110 was assigned to an OF10 panel, only to be eliminated later as the size of those panels was reduced from six to five. Angelo Coia, was the player portrayed on #110 and this reduction left only one box on which to find his card—Rice Kirinkles. Coia's card is one of two true single print cards. Numbers 111-116 were assigned in order without complication. Number 117, Larry Morris was slotted for a Post Tens tray, #118 Richie Petitbon for the last RB14 position, #119 Bill Wade for his second GNF12 card and the aforementioned Maury Youmans, #120 on a GNF16 panel. Wade's (#119) possible second GNF12 panel placement required a move, but Petitbon at #118 couldn't move to a GNF as he had already been on one. Youmans at #120 was previously on a Raisin Bran 14 oz. panel, but Morris was open to any of Post Tens, Raisin Bran or Grape Nuts Flakes as his first card was a BF11. Post did a three way swap, leaving Petitbon in place as a Raisin Bran 14 oz. card, moving #119 Wade to Post Tens, #117 Morris to Grape Nuts Flakes 16 oz. and #120 Youmans slid back one cell to be on a GNF12 box. No more assignments were made for this row even though #121, #122 and #123 could have been placed without conflict. Instead Post chose to start with a new row and got back to left to right placement for the next seven rows. Sugar Crisp 9 oz. back panel obligations had been met after the assignments for this row.

Row 21 — From left #121-#129 were placed without incident. Placing #130-#132 in columns AC, AF and AH as SCCF10, RK10 and OF10 cards worked out just fine. However, starting the next row with #133 as a PT12 was a problem as #133 was previously placed on a PT8. For that matter, #131 and #132 also had been used on Post Toasties boxes. Again, creativity reigned and #130 was moved to start the next row as it was the only one of the four not previously used as a Post Toasties card while #132 got slotted as a SCCF10 card and #133 was put on an OF10 panel. Andy Robustelli's #26 was assigned to the RB14 column to help fill out the last of those panels.

Row 22 — Number 130 started row 24, followed by #76 Raymond Berry finishing off all four RB14 panels. Frank Ryan's #172 moved up from row 27 to W22 to finish off the third AB13 panel because the Rams #165 John LoVetere was also assigned to the same AB13 panel in row 26.

Row 23 — Still moving left to right, beginning on a PT12 panel, #134 was assigned. Frank Clarke at #135 should have been next as a BF16, but had been previously used as a BF11, prompting a swap with #137 which was in the GNF16 slot, but had been used before as a GNF12. Cards #136, #138, #139, #140 all fell in line in the next four slots. Bob Lilly at #141 had been used on an AB13 panel already, so #141 was swapped with #143 Dick Moegle, leaving #142 Don Meredith in place as a Sugar Crisp 14 oz. placement. Don Perkins and Jerry Tubbs at #144 and #145 finished the row as RK10 and OF10 cards. This row saw the end of placement for Post Tens and Sugar Crisp 14 oz. cards.

Row 24 — From left #146-#155 were placed in order for each cereal product without needing any moves.

Row 25 — Four cards, #156-#159 were assigned to PT12, BF16, GNF16 and GNF12. The slot for a BF11 was skipped and a new row started. Looking at previous assignments for cards #160-#164 that would have been used to finish this row, they would have required quite a bit of juggling. It appears Post decided to go on to the next row rather than try to place them on cereals they had been assigned to previously.

Row 26 — From left #160-#169 were placed in order for each cereal product without any swaps needed. Post needed a card to fill one of the two slots that opened when #2 and #19 were deleted from the third RK10 panel, so they moved #168 Ed Meador up to the second spot on that panel.

Row 27 — From left Post slotted #170 as a PT12 before moving #171 to GNF12. Les Richter, #171 had been used on a BF11 panel prior to this and Post was in need of cards to fill up the six GNF12 panels they had planned. Jim Ryan, #172 was marked as an AB13 card, but as explained in row 22, moved up to be the last card in the third AB13 panel. Numbers 173 and 174 were plugged into the last two panels in this row as there was a Rams' player conflict until reaching the RK10 cell. Oat Flakes 10 oz. panels were now complete.

Row 28 — Going back to the right side to start this row, Post assigned #175 to RK10, #176 to SCCF10 and #177 to GNF12, skipping the AB8 cell as #177 had been previously used on a 13 oz. Alpha-Bits box. Needing still more cards for the GNF12 boxes, Post also assigned #178 and #179 to that cereal product. These last three cards were all Vikings players, requiring that they be split between panels. Slots for #180-#183 were filled using the four remaining cereal products open for this row—GNF16, BF11, BF16 and PT12.

Row 29 — Cards #184-#187 were all Minnesota Vikings and had been used heavily on the panels immediately preceding these numbers. It appears Post simply assigned these four cards to cereal products that hadn't been recently used. Bill Bishop on #187 was assigned to a GNF16 panel and then swapped for #124 Mike Henry because #180 Dave Middleton was already on this GNF16 panel. Henry's #124 was moved down two cells and ended up between #193 and #5.

Row 30 — Card numbers 188 and 189 were assigned to separate Rice Krinkles panels. Post chose to start this row from the right side with #188 and moved through #193 as a GNF16 card. Then, still needing several GNF12 cards, #194 was assigned to this column before going back to what should have been the next slot after #193 and assigned #195-#197 to BF11, BF16 and PT12 panels.

Row 31 — Cards #198, #199 and #200 were all Redskins swapped for cards on other panels because they already had another player from their team assigned to the most recent panel. Norman Snead #198 was traded with #47 Gail Cogdill on BF16 panels, #199 Andy Stynchula was traded with #81 Gino Marchetti on PT12 boxes and #200 Bob Toneff's GNF12 was switched with #90 Johnny Unitas.

Row 32 — At this stage only seven cereal products required more cards to fill their back panels. Post started over with #1 on the right side. Beginning on the right side this time, #1-#7 were slotted. Placing #1 Dan Currie on a Rice Krinkles panel and #2 Boyd Dowler on Sugar Coated Corn Flakes assured that both of them would have cards on at least two cereal products, since each had one card eliminated earlier. The other four Packers, #4-#7 were assigned to their third cereal product.

Row 33 — Starting from the left this time, Post filled numbers on the five remaining panels. In order to avoid placing two Packers on the same panel, they started with #16 Erich Barnes of the Giants and continued through #19 Roosevelt Grier. Grier and #18 Bob Gaiters had been eliminated earlier, so this assignment gave them two product appearances. Sam Huff was in the #20 slot and since Post was still assigning five cards to Rice Krinkles panels, Huff was the last card on the last RK10 panel. When the panel reductions were executed, Huff was removed from the last panel.

Row 34 — Grape Nuts Flakes 12 oz. panels needed one last card, so the first Eagles player, #31 Billy Ray Barnes was used to avoid two players from one team on a single panel. The situation with card #63 from rows 16-17 caused Bob Gain's card to be added to the end of the last SCCF10 panel.

Alpha-Bits ¾ oz. boxes that came in Post Tens and Treat Paks had six different numbers assigned to them. Post chose stars of the day to fill those back panels—#6 Paul Hornung, #30 Alex Webster, #37 Sonny Jurgensen, #70 Milt Plum, #90 John Unitas and #98 Bill Kilmer. These six cards were assigned outside of the numbering system.