(LOT 563)
1931 W517 #20 Babe Ruth Portrait Version SGC 7 NM - "Pop 4"; Only 3 SGC Examples Graded Higher!
As Babe Ruth entered the 1930s his once unparalleled achievements slowly started to diminish, with his imminent retirement finally taking place as a member of the Boston Braves in 1935. Still, in the early '30s Ruth managed to put up some impressive numbers. Unfortunately, other than his 1932 US Caramel and a handful of 1933 and 1935 Goudey issues, there are not a myriad of 1930 cards depicting the "Bambino" when he was still wearing his Yankee pinstripes. With that in mind, presented here is one of those few early 1930 Ruth issues, the popular W517 "blue tint" Portrait Babe Ruth in an outstanding SGC Near Mint 7 holder. Currently, SGC's prestigious census report lists a meager four examples at this highly touted plateau with only three specimens graded higher! older. Ultra-popular with collectors, W517s were distributed in vertical strips of three cards with each subject measuring approximately 3" x 4".

Many of the game's stars are depicted in this set via sepia-tone or blue tint poses, and while there are two Babe Ruth subjects, this #20 portrait image of the "Babe" has become the more coveted and valuable of the two Ruth cards. Neatly hand-cut from its original 3-card strip, a truly remarkable "blue-tint" Ruth stoic portrait image portrays super contrast and clarity. The "Sultan of Swat's" enduring pose exhibits relatively decent centering, with the timeless image somewhat favoring the left edge. The off-white borders and surfaces are extremely clean, and the corners exhibit sharp right-angled formations. Easily meriting its outstanding near-mint technical assessment, seldom does this issue present itself in high-grade, and considering this is one of the few Babe Ruth early 1930s issues, you owe it to yourself to hit a homer of your own by placing the final bid!
MIN BID $1,500
__