This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/7/2022
The 1915 Cracker Jack issue is littered with big names and Hall of Famers, and while Honus Wagner isn't particularly any scarcer than most of the others, the mystique associated with his fabled T206 card continues to drive his popularity in just about every other issue he appears in. At 41 years of age, at the twilight of his career, one of the most attractive features of the card is the way in which the image really captures his advanced stages, with sunken cheeks, hollowed out eyes and a generally melancholy expression. The Flying Dutchman still had a little bit of magic left in his stick, however, putting up a .274 average with 17 triples in 1915, and an even more impressive average of .287 the following year. The 1915 release, as opposed to the 1914 issue, was made available to the public via a redemption program, allowing for high-grade examples to circulate without the product staining that frequently plagued the previous year's cards due to method of distribution. The offered example is graded NM-MT 8 by PSA and is virtually untouched by human hands, and it has most certainly never been inserted into a box of caramel-coated confectionery. This stunning specimen retains all of the deep, boldly saturated backdrop color that makes the issue so highly cherished, with ivory-white borders confining the red pigment within the central image, displaying with a noticeable absence of errant overspray so common to the issue. Corners and edges here appear at or above-grade throughout, and the black type on the reverse is clean and boldly struck. If the centering placement on the obverse were slightly more accurate, there's a very good chance that this one would be in a higher-grade holder, but as it stands, just 4 examples have graded higher at PSA as of this writing. A beautiful collectible keepsake worthy of inclusion in any advanced, world-class collection!