(LOT 8)
1923 Lections Babe Ruth Orange Variation PSA 3 (MK) VG - POP 1; Highest Graded Example on the COMBINED PSA & SGC POP Charts!
EXTREMELY RARE BABE!!! One of Babe Ruth's rarest type cards is his virtually never-seen 1923 Lections subject, with only a meager 22 total copies listed on the combined PSA and SGC census reports. Its extreme condition sensitivity is justified by this PSA 3 (MK) orange-hued offering being the SOLE Babe Ruth 3 VG example listed on the COMBINED PSA and SGC census reports, with NONE graded higher, qualifiers notwithstanding, as there are only three PSA and SGC 2 Good specimens. Indeed, synonymous with the Babe's unparalleled stature as baseball's greatest all-time player is this best of the best pinnacle Lections marvel! One of the hobby's most obscure cardboard issues, these scarce 4" x 2-1/2" cards were discovered some 26 years ago when a bunch of specimens were unearthed in Albany, New York. A set of ten baseball subjects were distributed to kids during the 1923 elections, with adults provided with smaller cards portraying images of the political candidates. Printed on thick cardboard stock in either orange or green hues, they include factory cut rounded corners, with many of the existing Lections residing in Authentic or 1 holders due to excessive hole punches and severe creasing.

The 1923 campaign would see the Sultan of Swat inaugurate the opening of "The House That Ruth Built" with a majestic home run on opening day, and his Yankees never looked back, marching straight to a world championship led by Ruth's 41 dingers, 130 RBIs, incredible 1.309 OPS and .393 batting average. The card's superb obverse side aesthetics include a clean black and white portrait Ruth oval image, a bold orange "LECTIONS – TRADEMARK" caption, and a super clean baseball diamond caricature. The original round corners have eluded any notable wear, and the upper left corner reveals a virtually never-seen factory-cut square corner. General surface wear accounts for the 3 assessment; no glaring obverse side flaws are evident, and the MK qualifier is due to a black ink D1 notation on the otherwise clean blank verso. Babe Ruth's early 1920s cards are now achieving staggering price tags, with only a few able to match the scarcity level of this 1923 Lections keepsake that carries the highest numerical grade on any population report, truly standing as one of the Babe's finest investment cards on the planet!

MIN BID $3,000
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