(LOT 48)
1974 Topps #1 Hank Aaron (PSA Mint 9) - Only One Graded Higher!
"He's sitting on 714…Here's the pitch by Downing…Swinging…There's a drive into left-centerfield…That ball is going to be out of here…It's Gone…It's 715…There's a new home-run champion of all-time and its Henry Aaron!" Such is the iconic call of Henry Aaron's historic 715th home run by Braves legendary announcer, the late Milo Hamilton. On April 8th 1974 at Fulton County Stadium, Aaron stepped into the batter's box in the bottom of the 4th inning against the Dodger's hard-throwing southpaw Al Downing. After taking ball one in the dirt, Aaron crushed Downing's next fastball into the bullpen as Dodger's left fielder Bill Buckner helplessly watched the ball sail over the fence into the glove of Brave's relief pitcher Tom House.

The unthinkable had happened with Aaron finally surpassing Babe Ruth's magical 714 mark! In anticipation of this event, the Topps Chewing Gum Company decided to issue Hank Aaron's primary 1974 card as the #1 subject, already dubbing him as the "New All-Time Home Run King". One of the finest #1 subjects is presented here in an incredible PSA Mint 9 holder, with only a SOLE example fortunate enough to capture the pinnacle "Gem Mint 10" assessment! Imagine, nearly 2,100 encapsulated copies and only a single PSA '10" listed on their prestigious "pop" chart. Consistent with all of the other Aaron subjects in this unfathomable "Hammerin' Hank" collection, once again our elite consignor makes it very clear that "centering" is his forte via the virtually perfect positioning of the classic Aaron portrait image.

After completely scouring this card, we cannot locate a single fault, justifying the extreme parameters required for a card to achieve a perfect "10" grade. Yet, considering its immaculate aesthetics, "Mint 9" assessment bested by only a single copy and the fact it clearly depicts Aaron's record breaking home run season, it truly captures the historical significance of the exalted 1974 Topps Aaron issue!

MIN BID $200
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