John Player Special Product family
John Player Special
Imperial Brands' JPS cigarette line, launched in the UK in 1970 and sold in packs of 10 to 30 in eighteen countries beyond it.
- First sold
- 1970
- Sizes on record
- 152
- Barcodes known
- 152
- Sold in
- 4 countries
John Player Special sizes and barcodes
Packs drawn to scale. A size without a photo is known from the maker's list and has no page yet.
- 19 cigarettes
- 20 cigarettes
- 30 cigarettes
John Player Special plastic tin with cellophane
4030600057278
Austria
- 30 cigarettes
- 20 cigarettes
American Blend 7mg flip-top box with cellophane
5998900413752
Czechia
- 17 cigarettes
- 19 cigarettes
- 20 cigarettes
- 24 cigarettes
- 24 cigarettes
- 28 cigarettes
- 17 cigarettes
- 20 cigarettes
American Blend Blue 100's flip-top box with cellophane
4030600028650
Austria
- 20 cigarettes
American Blend Full Flavour soft pack with cellophane
50219643
Thailand
- 18 cigarettes
- 20 cigarettes
American Blend Guest flip-top box with cellophane
5010813816267
France
- 20 cigarettes
American Blend Pink flip-top box with cellophane
4030600034903
Austria
- 20 cigarettes
- 20 cigarettes
- 20 cigarettes
American Blend Red flip-top box with cellophane
50415427
Portugal
- 22 cigarettes
- 24 cigarettes
- 28 cigarettes
- 20 cigarettes
American Blend Red 100's flip-top box with cellophane
4030600028629
Austria
- 20 cigarettes
- 20 cigarettes
- 20 cigarettes
American Blend Silver flip-top box with cellophane
50415434
Portugal
- 20 cigarettes
American Blend Silver flip-top box with cellophane
50415199
France
- 20 cigarettes
American Blend White flip-top box with cellophane
50415595
Austria
- 20 cigarettes
American Blend White flip-top box with cellophane
50415205
France
- 20 cigarettes
American Blend White flip-top box with cellophane
4030600043363
Austria
- 20 cigarettes
American Blend White 100's flip-top box with cellophane
4030600043394
Austria
- 20 cigarettes
American Blend White Super Lights flip-top box with cellophane
50432561
Spain
- 20 cigarettes
- 20 cigarettes
Blue flip-top box with cellophane
4030600069868
Greece
- 25 cigarettes
Blue flip-top box with cellophane
93530637
Australia
- 20 cigarettes
Blue 100's flip-top box with cellophane
4030600028650
Austria
- 20 cigarettes
Dual Filter 10mg flip-top box with cellophane
5906258541324
Portugal
- 20 cigarettes
Dual Filter 8mg flip-top box with cellophane
5906258541294
Portugal
- 20 cigarettes
Duo flip-top box with cellophane
4030600083833
Austria
- 20 cigarettes
Duo White flip-top box with cellophane
4030600092118
Austria
- 20 cigarettes
Glide Tec sliding box with cellophane
4030600073612
Austria
- 19 cigarettes
Glide Tec 10mg sliding box with cellophane
40296845
Germany
- 19 cigarettes
- 20 cigarettes
Gold flip-top box with cellophane
4030600102039
Greece
- 20 cigarettes
Green flip-top box with cellophane
5010813810791
France
- 19 cigarettes
- 19 cigarettes
- 20 cigarettes
Ice flip-top box with cellophane
5010813814560
France
- 20 cigarettes
- 21 cigarettes
Just Blue flip-top box with cellophane
40296708
Germany
- 21 cigarettes
- 19 cigarettes
- 20 cigarettes
King Size flip-top box with cellophane
6413800001476
Finland
- 20 cigarettes
King Size soft pack with cellophane
6413800001469
Finland
- 20 cigarettes
King Size flip-top box with cellophane
50415083
France, Italy
- 20 cigarettes
- 20 cigarettes
- 25 cigarettes
King Size flip-top box with cellophane
95501741
Malaysia
- 20 cigarettes
King Size American Blend flip-top box with cellophane
6413800001476
Finland
- 20 cigarettes
Legere flip-top box
50415106
France
- 20 cigarettes
Legere flip-top box with cellophane
50415106
France
- 19 cigarettes
Lights flip-top box with cellophane
50415434
Germany
- 25 cigarettes
Limited sliding box with cellophane
059300020270
Canada
- 20 cigarettes
Nano Blue flip-top box with cellophane
93539869
Australia
- 20 cigarettes
Nano Red flip-top box with cellophane
93539852
Australia
- 20 cigarettes
Ohne Zusรคtze Blue flip-top box with cellophane
4030600075593
Austria
- 20 cigarettes
Ohne Zusรคtze Red flip-top box with cellophane
4030600075562
Austria
- 20 cigarettes
Original flip-top box with cellophane
42048947
Austria
- 20 cigarettes
Original flip-top box with cellophane
4030600069929
Greece
- 25 cigarettes
Original flip-top box with cellophane
4030600107966
Austria
- 26 cigarettes
Original flip-top box with cellophane
4030600082089
Austria
- 27 cigarettes
Original flip-top box with cellophane
4030600066584
Austria
- 20 cigarettes
Original 100's flip-top box with cellophane
4030600028599
Austria
- 18 cigarettes
- 20 cigarettes
- 20 cigarettes
Original Black flip-top box with cellophane
42048947
Austria
- 20 cigarettes
Original Black flip-top box with cellophane
50415083
France
- 20 cigarettes
- 28 cigarettes
Original Black flip-top box with cellophane
4030600056585
Austria
- 29 cigarettes
Original Black flip-top box with cellophane
4030600054666
Austria
- 20 cigarettes
Original Black 100's flip-top box with cellophane
4030600028599
Austria
- 20 cigarettes
Original Black 100's flip-top box with cellophane
5010813810821
Portugal
- 20 cigarettes
Pink flip-top box with cellophane
4030600034903
Austria
- 20 cigarettes
- 20 cigarettes
Red flip-top box with cellophane
4030600069899
Greece
- 25 cigarettes
Red flip-top box with cellophane
93530620
Australia
- 27 cigarettes
Red flip-top box with cellophane
42158981
Germany
- 20 cigarettes
Red 100's flip-top box with cellophane
4030600028629
Austria
- 19 cigarettes
Shape Blue flip-top box with cellophane
40296586
Germany
- 19 cigarettes
- 17 cigarettes
- 20 cigarettes
Silver flip-top box with cellophane
50415199
Switzerland
- 20 cigarettes
- 20 cigarettes
Silver 100's flip-top box with cellophane
4030600066553
Austria
- 20 cigarettes
Slims flip-top box with cellophane
4030600078709
Greece
- 20 cigarettes
Slims Ciel flip-top box with cellophane
4030600069592
Greece
- 20 cigarettes
Slims Mauve flip-top box with cellophane
4030600069608
Greece
- 20 cigarettes
Ultra Legere flip-top box
50415120
France
- 20 cigarettes
Ultra Legere flip-top box with cellophane
50415120
France
- 25 cigarettes
Virginia Blend Gold flip-top box with cellophane
93530644
Australia
- 20 cigarettes
White flip-top box with cellophane
4030600043363
Austria
- 20 cigarettes
White 100's flip-top box with cellophane
4030600043394
Austria
- 10 cigarettes
JPS American Blend flip-top box with cellophane
50415656
France
- 20 cigarettes
JPS American Blend flip-top box with cellophane
50415298
France
- 20 cigarettes
JPS American Blend flip-top box with cellophane
50415427
Italy, Austria
- 25 cigarettes
JPS American Blend flip-top box with cellophane
50434831
Luxembourg
- 10 cigarettes
JPS American Blend Lights flip-top box with cellophane
50415700
France
- 20 cigarettes
JPS American Blend Lights flip-top box with cellophane
50415199
France
- 20 cigarettes
JPS American Blend Lights flip-top box with cellophane
50415595
Austria
- 25 cigarettes
JPS American Blend Lights flip-top box with cellophane
50434855
Luxembourg
- 20 cigarettes
JPS American Blend Super Lights flip-top box with cellophane
50415205
France
- 20 cigarettes
JPS Blaxx flip-top box with cellophane
4030600044988
Austria
- 20 cigarettes
JPS Blue flip-top box with cellophane
93540124
Australia
- 26 cigarettes
JPS Blue flip-top box with cellophane
93530637
Australia
- 23 cigarettes
- 23 cigarettes
- 19 cigarettes
- 23 cigarettes
JPS Nano Blue flip-top box with cellophane
93540223
Australia
- 23 cigarettes
JPS Nano Red flip-top box with cellophane
93540230
Australia
- 20 cigarettes
JPS Slims Ciel flip-top box with cellophane
4030600050835
Greece
- 20 cigarettes
JPS Yello flip-top box with cellophane
4030600045015
Austria
- 20 cigarettes
Blue flip-top box with cellophane
5998900427162
- 20 cigarettes
Blue flip-top box with cellophane
4030600122747
Austria
- 20 cigarettes
Blue flip-top box with cellophane
4030600282250
Austria
- 23 cigarettes
Blue flip-top box with cellophane
4030600187722
Austria
- 20 cigarettes
Blue 100s flip-top box with cellophane
4030600282281
Austria
- 20 cigarettes
Blue Stream flip-top box with cellophane
4030600122747
Austria
- 20 cigarettes
Blue Stream 100's flip-top box with cellophane
4030600028650
Austria
- 20 cigarettes
Blue Stream 100s flip-top box with cellophane
4030600028650
Austria
- 19 cigarettes
- 20 cigarettes
Just Blue flip-top box with cellophane
4030600075593
Austria
- 20 cigarettes
Just Blue flip-top box with cellophane
4030600282076
Austria
- 20 cigarettes
Just Red flip-top box with cellophane
4030600075562
Austria
- 20 cigarettes
Just Red flip-top box with cellophane
4030600282045
Austria
- 20 cigarettes
Original flip-top box with cellophane
4030600122754
Austria
- 20 cigarettes
Original flip-top box with cellophane
4030600281987
Austria
- 23 cigarettes
Original flip-top box with cellophane
4030600187753
Austria
- 20 cigarettes
Original 100s flip-top box with cellophane
4030600028599
Austria
- 20 cigarettes
Original 100s flip-top box with cellophane
4030600282168
Austria
- 20 cigarettes
Pink flip-top box with cellophane
4030600282014
Austria
- 20 cigarettes
Red flip-top box with cellophane
4030600122778
Austria
- 20 cigarettes
Red flip-top box with cellophane
4030600281956
Austria
- 23 cigarettes
- 23 cigarettes
Red flip-top box with cellophane
4030600282229
Austria
- 20 cigarettes
Red 100s flip-top box with cellophane
4030600028629
Austria
- 20 cigarettes
Red 100s flip-top box with cellophane
4030600282137
Austria
- 20 cigarettes
Silver flip-top box with cellophane
4030600122792
Austria
- 20 cigarettes
Silver flip-top box with cellophane
4030600281925
Austria
- 20 cigarettes
White flip-top box with cellophane
4030600282106
Austria
- 20 cigarettes
White 100s flip-top box with cellophane
4030600043394
Austria
- 20 cigarettes
White 100s flip-top box with cellophane
4030600282199
Austria
John Player Special timeline
- Launched. John Player Special launched in the United Kingdom as a Virginia blend cigarette
- New market. Production of the German 20-cigarette flip-top pack started
- New market. Production of John Player Special International started for the Austrian market
- Launched. A king size American blend was added to the line
- Discontinued. Production of the German 19-cigarette pack of the 1970s design ended
- Pack changed. The Austrian King Size pack dropped the royal appointment wording in autumn 1999
- Renamed. The Austrian John Player Special pack was replaced by John Player Special Original Black
- Recipe changed. The Austrian Original Black pack changed to a larger health warning and a lower tar figure
- Renamed. American Blend White was replaced by American Blend Blue in Austria
- Renamed. American Blend Red, Red 100's, Blue 100's and White 100's became John Player Special Red, Red 100's, Blue 100's and White 100's in Austria
- Renamed. American Blend Blue, Pink and White and Original Black became John Player Special Blue, Pink, White and Original in Austria
- Discontinued. Import of the 30-cigarette plastic tin into Austria ended
- Pack changed. Austrian packs moved to the large combined health warning between June and August 2016
- Renamed. John Player Special Blue and Blue 100's were renamed Blue Stream and Blue Stream 100's in Austria
- Renamed. Blue Stream and Blue Stream 100s were renamed back to John Player Special Blue and Blue 100s in Austria
- Launched. Full Red launched in Germany and the Evolve and Classic ranges in Australia
- Pack changed. The Austrian Silver and White packs took a new design
About the range
John Player Special, usually shortened to JPS, is the cigarette line Imperial Brands launched in the United Kingdom in 1970 as a Virginia blend and extended with a king size American blend in 1989.[1] It gained a foothold in continental Europe during the 1990s and is sold in eighteen countries beyond the United Kingdom, chief among them Germany and Australia.[1] A cigarette-pack collection records more than 150 barcoded packs of the line between the late 1970s and 2024: flip-top boxes, soft packs, sliding boxes and plastic tins holding 10 to 30 cigarettes, under names running from American Blend Red through Ohne Zusรคtze, Glide Tec and Blaxx to Blue Stream.[2][3]
The line takes its name from John Player & Sons of Nottingham, a constituent of Imperial Tobacco since 1901, and carries the intertwined JPS monogram and the black and gold livery Team Lotus raced in Formula One from 1972 to 1986.[4] In the United Kingdom the range was sold as of 2020 as JPS Black, Real Blue, Silver Stream and Triple Flow in king size and superkings, alongside the lower-priced JPS Players packs and JPS hand-rolling tobacco.[4] Continental packs have been renamed in waves: the Austrian American Blend names gave way to plain colour names in January and February 2012, and Blue became Blue Stream in July 2018 before reverting in July 2021.[2][3] In some markets the packs are made by British American Tobacco, which the catalogue names as the producer of Thai, Malaysian and Czech packs.[2]
Products on Barcodepedia 29
- JPS Design Black๐ฉ๐ช , last seen 2010 EUR 5.00Germany 40295398
- JPS Design Yellow๐ฉ๐ช , last seen 2010 EUR 5.00Germany 40295428
- JPS Full Taste๐ฉ๐ช , last seen 2009 EUR 4.10Germany 40305257
- John Player Special๐ฉ๐ช ๐ฆ๐น ๐ต๐น , last seen 2010 EUR 3.10Portugal 50432004
- John Player Special๐ฉ๐ช , last seen 2011 42047124
- John Player Special American Blend Blue๐ฉ๐ช , last seen 2010 EUR 6.00Germany 40305530
- John Player Special American Blend Blue๐ฉ๐ช , last seen 2009 EUR 3.60Germany 40296173
- John Player Special American Blend Blue๐ฉ๐ช , last seen 2005 EUR 3.50Germany 40305059
- John Player Special American Blend Blue๐ฉ๐ช , last seen 2009 EUR 5.00Germany 40296203
- John Player Special American Blend Blue๐ฉ๐ช , last seen 2005 EUR 4.40Germany 40305097
- John Player Special American Blend Blue 100's๐ฉ๐ช , last seen 2009 EUR 3.60Germany 40296289
- John Player Special American Blend Full Flavour Red๐ฉ๐ช ๐ฆ๐น ๐ฌ๐ท , last seen 2010 EUR 2.50Greece 40304755
- John Player Special American Blend Red๐ฉ๐ช , last seen 2011 EUR 6.00Germany 40305493
- John Player Special American Blend Red๐ฉ๐ช , last seen 2004 EUR 4.00Germany 42048626
- John Player Special Blue๐ฆ๐น , last seen 2015-12 EUR 4.40Austria 42068341
- John Player Special Glide Tec 6mg๐ฉ๐ช , last seen 2012 EUR 4.60Germany 42159360
- John Player Special Gold๐ฉ๐ช , last seen 2016 EUR 5.20Germany 40305783
- John Player Special Ice๐ฉ๐ช , last seen 2012 EUR 4.60Germany 42160045
- John Player Special Ice๐ฉ๐ช , last seen 2011 EUR 4.50Germany 42159049
- John Player Special International 20 cigarettes๐ฉ๐ช DEM 5.40Germany 40304489
- John Player Special Just Red๐ฉ๐ช , last seen 2012 EUR 5.00Germany 40296944
- John Player Special King Size 50219049
- John Player Special King Size 19 cigarettes๐ฉ๐ช discontinued DEM 5.00Germany 40304496
- John Player Special Original Black๐ฉ๐ช ๐ฆ๐น , last seen 2004 EUR 3.40Austria 40304946
- John Player Special Red๐ฉ๐ช , last seen 2016 EUR 6.00Germany 40305738
- John Player Special Red๐ฆ๐น , last seen 2015 EUR 4.20Austria 42048756
- John Player Special Shape Red 19 cigarettes๐ฉ๐ช EUR 4.30Germany 40296579
- John Player Special Silver๐ฆ๐น , last seen 2015 EUR 4.40Austria 42048718
- John Player Special Silver๐ฉ๐ช , last seen 2009 EUR 3.60Germany 40296159
References
- ↑ Imperial Brands: our brands, JPS entry and brand timeline (13 September 2026 capture) Imperial Brands. manufacturer. Published 2026-09-13. Accessed 2026-09-21. JPS entry and brand timeline. Upstream: https://www.imperialbrandsplc.com/our-brands.
- ↑ John Player Special - regular packs until 2015 zigsam.at cigarette pack collection. other. Accessed 2026-09-21. Packs from the 1970s to 2015, with barcodes.
- ↑ John Player Special - regular packs since 2016 zigsam.at cigarette pack collection. other. Accessed 2026-09-21. Packs from 2016 to 2024, with barcodes.
- ↑ John Player & Sons Wikipedia. publication. Accessed 2026-09-21. United Kingdom range and Team Lotus livery. CC BY-SA 4.0.
Reuse freely with credit: text CC BY-SA 4.0, data ODbL. Cite this page as Source: Barcodepedia, https://barcodepedia.com/family/john-player-special (licence).