(LOT 43)
1953 Bowman Color #44 - Mantle/Berra/Bauer PSA 9 MINT - "NONE Graded Higher"!
In 1953, the Bowman baseball card manufacturer responded to Topps 1952 landmark issue with a significantly impressive 160-card set of their own. Utilizing full sized colorful images of fans favorite ballplayers, the 1953 Bowman Color set still resides as one of the most highly sought- after issues for avid post-war enthusiasts. The laundry list of Hall of Famers include Mickey Mantle, Stan Musial, Duke Snider, Bob Feller, Whitey Ford, Yogi Berra, Pee Wee Reese, Roy Campanella, and so many more. Yet, for all of the single subject Cooperstown inductees, the card that sticks out as the second most valuable and coveted subject (second to Mickey Mantle, of course) is card #44 portraying three Yankee superstars including Mantle, Berra and Bauer. Arguably, one would think Bowman created this virtually tri-player card in an additional effort to compete with their Topps rivals, with NO 1952 Topps cards featuring multiple player subjects. Regardless of its definitive purpose, the fact remains this dynamic trio stands tall as one of the 1950s most heralded cardboard relics, with this astonishing PSA Mint 9 example sharing the spotlight with a mere eleven other copies as the finest of its kind!

Indeed, not a single PSA example has managed to achieve the hallowed "Gem Mint 10" assessment, and one look at this card makes you surely wonder if it suffices as the premier PSA Mint 9 specimen. The 1953 Yankees eventually captured their record fifth consecutive World Championship by besting the Brooklyn Dodgers in the Fall Classic, and it was the superb contributions from these three legends that ably assisted their unprecedented fifth successive title. Of course, Mantle and Berra would move on to Hall of Fame careers, and while Hank Bauer fell somewhat short of Cooperstown status, his contributions would be critical to the Yankees 1950s dominance. Synonymous with New York's pinnacle success are the world-class aesthetics associated with the truly classic colorful image featuring Berra, Bauer and Mantle from left to right. One of the significant highlights is the near-perfect centering with most examples exhibiting a skewed image. Brilliant hues, razor sharp corner tips, super clean off-white borders, pack-fresh surfaces and the absence of any glaring flaws complete this seemingly timeless masterpiece that similar to the Yankees winning ways, merits the highest hobby accolades!

MIN BID $4,000
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