(LOT 10)
1909 W.W. Smith TY Cobb & Honus Wagner "Two of a Kind" Postcard SGC 1.5 FR
COBB & WAGNER!!!... To commemorate the 1909 Fall Classic that saw Honus Wagner's Pittsburgh Pirates beat Cobb's Detroit Tigers in a heart-stopping seven-game contest, the W.W. Smith manufacturer issued three postcards of the immortal Honus Wagner and Ty Cobb. A separate postcard of each was produced, both titled "The Mighty Honus" and "The Mighty Cobb", as well as a third copy including both stars titled "Two of a Kind." Extremely rare, presented here is the Cobb-Wagner "Two of a Kind" SGC 1.5 marvel, one of only four examples listed on the combined SGC and PSA census reports! One of two specimens listed at this tier, it shares the spotlight as the highest graded copy, with the remaining two examples reflecting SGC 1 and PSA Authentic grades. Interestingly enough, the SGC 1 recently sold for $7,800 earlier this spring, while the PSA Authentic fetched $18,000 back in 2018. The highly celebrated 1909 World Series would see baseball's two greatest players face off against each other, with Cobb and Wagner battling for diamond supremacy. The Flying Dutchman would ultimately best his rival, with the Pirates winning the Series in seven games. The immortal Wagner would totally outplay Cobb, batting a robust .333, knocking in six runs, and stealing six bases, with Tyrus only able to muster up a measly .231 average and two stolen bases.

The postcard reveals vividly illustrated black and white portrait images of the two superstars, with an imposing title reading "WORLD'S SERIES SOUVENIR", and a "TWO OF A KIND" caption separating Cobb and Wagner's hallowed illustrations. Each image is accompanied by their respective team's mascots, and additional text reads: "COPYRIGHT 1909 BY W.W. SMITH", and "DAVIS & MASON, PITTSBURGH." The verso's bold postal cancellations somewhat bleed through the front along the upper region, with this offering postmarked October 9, 1909, the same day Detroit would beat Pittsburgh 7-2 at Forbes Field. The obverse side reveals no obtrusive flaws, with even corner wear and the postmarked back accounting for the assessment. Although now truly documented as media hype, a previously fabricated magical story would be the alleged instance when Cobb was standing at first base and shouted out to Wagner, who was of German descent: "Watch out Krauthead, I'm going to steal second base." Cobb was thrown out in his failed effort to take second base, with Wagner's hard tag striking Tyrus on the mouth, drawing blood from Cobb's lip. Although proven to be false (Cobb was not thrown out attempting to steal second base in the Series), synonymous with Babe Ruth's alleged "Called Shot", it adds a magical twist to this historical Fall Classic, forever etched in baseball folklore!

MIN BID $2,500
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