(LOT 189)
1910 E105 Mello-Mint Gum Honus Wagner Extremely Scarce Throwing Pose PSA 2.5 GOOD+ - POP 1; Only 2 PSA Examples Graded Higher!
WAGNER MELLO-MINT!!! One of Honus Wagner's scarcest cardboard mementos is his ever-elusive 1910 Mello-Mint Gum Throwing subject, presented here in a super eye-pleasing PSA 2.5 GOOD+ holder. A POP 1 rarity, it has only been bested by a meager two PSA 3 examples! Furthermore, the combined PSA (7) and SGC (1) census reports only list eight total Wagner Throwing E105 Mello Mint copies versus the more common Batting version for which there are 26 documented examples, or three times the population of its Throwing brethren. The Mello-Mint lineage can be traced back to 1910, when the Texas Gum Company in Temple, Texas issued a 50-card baseball set (similar to the E101 "Set of 50" anonymous issue) to promote their Smith's Mello-Mint Gum.

While eight of the subjects are more commonly seen due to a 1980s find, the remaining 42 subjects are extremely scarce, with only a handful tougher to locate than the hallowed Wagner Throwing subject. Printed on thin paper stock and folds over in gum packages, many of the remaining few in circulation are in "beater" condition, substantiating why this PSA 2.5 assessment is a miraculous grade for any subject, let alone the incomparable Hans Wagner. Via his undisputed title as baseball's greatest all-time shortstop as well as his iconic T206 "Holy Grail" subject, Wagner's cards stand right alongside Ruth, Cobb and Jackson as the most exalted of all pre-WWII collectibles. This offering portrays the classic Wagner throwing pose depicted on many of his candy or tobacco cards issued between 1909 and 1916 (E90-1; E92; E101; E102; E106; T216; etc.). Super popular with advanced collectors, this museum-worthy image is set against a sparkling array of light blue, orange, green and yellow hues, with only a typical slight off-registration of his timeless pose.

The lack of any notable creases/wrinkles or other glaring surface blemishes leads us to believe this was a rather harsh grade, with the even corner wear more consistent with a VG to VG-EX example. The ultra-scarce and bold green "MELLO-MINT – TEXAS GUM" ad back has likewise eluded any serious damage over the past 114 years, and while there may be some faint wrinkles or microscopic surface imperfections barely visible to the naked eye, we cannot detect any such flaws. This exact same card sold for $46K nearly three years ago (August 2023), and considering the recent unprecedented pricing spikes for Wagner's most elusive "E" cards, we cannot even begin to estimate the true value of this extremely rare Mello-Mint Flying Dutchman marvel!

MIN BID $10,000
_