Description: OFFERED HERE IS THE EARLIEST AND RAREST BASEBALL COLLECTIBLE DEPICTING JOHN HONUS WAGNER WHICH ORIGINATES FROM THE 1898-99 NATIONAL COPPER PLATE SET OF 50. THIS IS UNQUESTIONABLY THE "ROOKIE" ISSUE OF HONUS WAGNER SINCE THIS IS HIS FIRST SOLO APPEARANCE ON A BASEBALL COLLECTIBLE. THE STANDARD CATALOG OF BASEBALL CARDS IDENTIFIES THIS SET AS "1898-99 NATIONAL COPPER PLATE CO. PORTRAITS" WHICH WERE PRODUCED BY NCP AT THE END OF THE 19TH CENTURY IN GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN. NCP APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN A SPECIALTY ENGRAVER PRODUCING ILLUSTRATIVE PLATES FOR PERIODICAL AND BOOK PUBLISHERS IN AN ERA WHEN PHOTO ILLUSTRATIONS IN THE PRINT MEDIA WERE UNCOMMON. A COLLECTOR WANTING TO ASSEMBLE THE EARLIEST MEMORABILIA DEPICTION OF EACH HALL OF FAME BASEBALL PLAYER WOULD HAVE TO ACQUIRE THE NCP COMPANY PICTURES OF NOT ONLY THE #45 ROOKIE CARD OF THE THIRD BASEMAN WAGNER OF THE LOUISVILLE COLONELS BUT ALSO THE FOLLOWING FIVE OTHERS; #5 JAMES J. COLLINS, BOSTON, #20 ELMER HARRISON FLICK, PHILADELPHIA, #30 WILLIAM "WEE WILLIE" KEELER, BROOKLYN, #46 ROBERT "BOBBY" WALLACE, CLEVELAND, AND #47 VICTOR L. WILLIS, BOSTON. WITH THE OPENING OF THE 1898 BASEBALL SEASON, NCP BEGAN OFFERING WHAT IT ADVERTISED AS ITS "ART GALLERY OF PROMINENT BASEBALL PLAYERS OF AMERICA". EACH WERE A BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOMECHANICAL PRINT ON SEMI-GLOSS PAPER. THE PICTURES WERE INITIALLY ISSUED IN A SERIES OF ABOUT SIX EACH AND SOLD FOR 10 CENTS PER SERIES. THE IMPRESSIVE SIZE OF THESE PICTURES IS PROTOTYPICAL OF WHAT WE KNOW TODAY AS BASEBALL CARDS THAT IS A PHOTO AND IDENTIFICATION ON FRONT AND A CAREER SUMMARY ON THE BACK. IN FACT, THE NCP PICTURES ARE THE FIRST SIGNIFICANT BASEBALL COLLECTIBLE TO HAVE ANYTHING EXCEPT ADVERTISING ON THEIR BACKS. THE PERIOD OF ISSUE OF THE NCP PORTRAITS GAVE THEM A NEAR MONOPOLY ON THE BASEBALL PLAYER MEMORABILIA MARKET FOR THAT ERA. THESE PICTURES WERE ISSUED IN THE "CARDLESS" GAP BETWEEN THE 1895 MAYO'S AND THE 1903 E107 CARAMEL CARDS. THE ONLY SIGNIFICANT CONTEMPORARY BASEBALL PLAYER COLLECTIBLE SERIES WAS THE 1898 CAMEO PEPSIN GUM PINS IN WHICH MANY OF THE PLAYERS FROM THE NCP SET ALSO APPEAR. IN ADDITION TO THE THEN TWENTY-FIVE YEAR OLD WAGNER OF CARNEGIE, PA WHO IS LISTED ON THE BACK AT FIVE FEET NINE INCHES AND WEIGHS 180 POUNDS THE NCP SET OF 50 INCLUDED HALL OF FAMERS #2 CAP ANSON, CHICAGO; #15 HUGH DUFFY, BOSTON; #19 BUCK EWING, CINCINNATI. #25 CLARK C. GRIFFITH, CHICAGO; #31 JOSEPH JOE KELLEY, BROOKLYN; #34 JOHN McGRAW, BALTIMORE; #36 CHARLES "KID" NICHOLS, BOSTON; #40 WILBERT "WILBER" ROBINSON, BALTIMORE; AND #44 SAM THOMPSON, PHILADELPHIA. THE SPORTING NEWS CONTRACTED WITH NCP COMPANY TO SUPPLY THE SPORTING WEEKLY WITH A SERIES OF BASEBALL PLAYER PICTURES TO BE USED AS PREMIUM INSERTS. THESE INSERTS WERE GIVEN THE AMERICAN CARD CATALOG IDENTIFICATION NUMBER OF M101-1 AND ARE DISTINGUISHABLE FROM THE SLIGHTLY EARLIER NCP PICTURES IN THAT THE SPORTING NEWS PREMIUMS HAVE A PRINTED LINE AT THE TOP IDENTIFYING THEM AS "SUPPLEMENT TO THE SPORTING NEWS, ST. LOUIS, MO.," WITH AN ISSUE DATE BETWEEN APRIL 22 - DEC 9, 1899, AND APRIL 14 - OCT 20, 1900. THE M101-1 PICTURES INCLUDE 62 DIFFERENT PLAYERS COMPARED TO THE 50 PLAYER CHECKLIST OF THE EARLIER NCP SET THOUGH NOT ALL OF THE NCP PLAYERS WERE RE-ISSUED AS M101-1 PICTURES. THE SAME IMAGE OF WAGNER USED TO PRODUCE THE NCP ISSUE WAS THEN UTILIZED FOR HIS INCLUSION WITHIN THE LATER MORE COMMON BUT ALSO VERY SCARCE 1899-00 M101-1 SPORTING NEWS SUPPLEMENTS SERIES. THIS BEAUTIFUL ONE OF A KIND 124 YEAR OLD COPYRIGHT "ROOKIE CARD" OF ONE OF THE GREATEST NAMES IN ALL OF BASEBALL HISTORY CAME FROM A STRING BOUND ALBUM SO THERE ARE TWO PERFORATION HOLES ON THE LEFT SIDE AND A VERY FAINT WRINKLE BY THE RIGHT BORDER. HOWEVER, THE 8 3/4" X 11" FORMAL PORTRAIT HAS CRISP EDGES, EXCELLENT CORNERS, AND CLEAN SURFACE! THIS IS TRULY A VERY RARE OFFERING WITH ONLY A FEW KNOWN TO BE IN EXISTENCE IN THE WORLD TODAY AND HARDLY EVER IS MADE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE. THIS IRREPLACEABLE PIECE OF BASEBALL HISTORY REALLY BELONGS IN THE BASEBALL HALL OF FAME... THE BACK READS IN PART; JOHN WAGER WAS SIGNED BY THE STEUBENVILLE, OHIO, CLUB OF THE INTERSTATE LEAGUE IN 1895 AS A PITCHER. HE HIT SO WELL THERE THAT HE WAS ENGAGED TO PLAY FIRST BASE FOR PATERSON IN 1896. IN 1897 HE WAS TRANSFERRED TO THIRD AND HELD DOWN THAT POSITION SUCCESSFULLY UNTIL LOUISVILLE SECURED HIM. HE LED THE ATLANTIC ASSOCIATION SLUGGERS THAT YEAR WITH .487, SCORING 59 RUNS AND MAKING 100 HITS OUT OF 213 TIMES UP. WAGER PLAYED IN THE OUTFIELD FOR LOUISVILLE IN 1897, AND HAS SINCE THAT TIME PLAYED EVERY INFIELD POSITION, EXCELLING AS A THIRD BASEMAN. HE RANKS HIGH AS A BATTER, IS A FAST BASE RUNNER AND HAS A WONDERFUL ARM. HE IS SAID TO HAVE THROWN A BALL 134 YARDS, 1 FOOT AND 8 INCHES, BUT THE FEAT WAS NOT ACCEPTED AS A RECORD. PLEASE CONTACT ME WITH ANY QUESTIONS WITH RESPECT TO THIS ULTRA RARE WAGER OFFERING.
Price: 75000 USD
Location: Avalon, New Jersey
End Time: 2024-10-18T00:18:55.000Z
Shipping Cost: N/A USD
Product Images
Item Specifics
Restocking Fee: No
Return shipping will be paid by: Buyer
All returns accepted: Returns Accepted
Item must be returned within: 14 Days
Refund will be given as: Money Back
Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
Card Number: #45
Season: 1898
Graded: No
Player/Athlete: Honus Wagner
Type: Sports Trading Card
Sport: Baseball
Team: LOUISVILLE COLONIALS
League: ATLANTIC ASSOCIATION
Player: Honus Wagner
Card Manufacturer: NATIONAL COPPER PLATE
Modified Item: No
Era: Pre-WWII (Pre-1942)
Original/Reprint: Original
Card Attributes: Rookie
Product: Single
