(LOT 240)
1916 Herpolsheimer Co. #91 Walter Johnson (PSA Near-Mint 7) - The SOLE & HIGHEST GRADED PSA Example!
In 1916, the Chicago based printing/publishing company, Felix Mendelsohn, issued a 200-card set of Major League baseball players with black & white photos on the front side and a blank reverse side. Later that year, similar player images were utilized by various companies to advertise their brands on the reverse side, including the seldom seen "Herpolsheimer Co." Grand Rapids, Michigan based manufacturer, one of 18 different companies who utilized this set for marketing purposes. Along with Ruth, Cobb and Shoeless Joe Jackson, one of the most popular subjects is the immortal Walter "Big Train" Johnson, and it is his super scarce Herpolsheimer marvel presented here in a spectacular PSA Near Mint 7 holder!

The sole and highest graded PSA example, the only other specimen listed on the population report sports a super inferior "VG 3" assessment, with this "unique for the grade" Herpolsheimer gem easily residing as one the "Big Train's" rarest cardboard keepsakes. Highlights includes a crystal clear "hands-over-head" pitching image, a gleaming surface, right-angled corners and fine centering, with the illustration revealing an ever-so-slight tilt towards the lower right corner. The final exclamation point is a super clean Herpolsheimer Co. ad back that is a near-impossible companion for the 1916 M101-4 Johnson #91 subject. Considered by most historians as our National Pastime's greatest all-time twirler, Johnson's modern-day A.L. record of 417 wins and 110 shutouts justify that notion, with this remarkable offering's "Pop 1 – highest grade" status ironically synonymous to the "Big Train's" unparalleled pitching exploits!

MIN BID $1,500
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