(LOT 14)
1909-11 T206 Christy Mathewson Dark Cap Sweet Caporal 350-460/30  PSA 7 NM - POP 1: Highest PSA-Graded Sweet Cap 350-460/30 Example
PACK-FRESH MATTY!!! Presented here is a stunning PSA 7 NM T206 Mathewson Dark Cap marvel that stands alone at the top of the PSA Pop Chart as the finest 350-460 Subjects/Factory 30 example! Going into the 1910 campaign (when this 350-460 offering was first issued), Mathewson's had established himself as baseball's greatest pitcher, with the handsome right-hander having already claimed an astonishing four 30+ win seasons and seven consecutive years of posting 20+ victories. The 1910 season would see Matty post 27 wins and 184 strikeouts, with these NL leading figures joined by a microscopic 1.84 ERA.

Big Six would ultimately tally an amazing 373 lifetime victories and 2.13 lifetime ERA (baseball's fourth lowest all-time mark), and tantamount to Babe Ruth's legendary stature, he had established himself as the true hero for thousands of aspiring young ballplayers during the Deadball Era. His three shutouts in the 1905 World Series against Connie Mack's mighty Athletics stands as an unbreakable record, and it came as little surprise when the baseball writers selected him as one of the five 1936 Hall of Fame charter members. After being shut down by the Christian Gentleman in the 1905 Fall Classic, Connie Mack eloquently stated: "Christy Mathewson is the greatest pitcher I've ever seen. It was a pleasure to watch him pitch when he wasn't pitching against you." Likewise, this awe-inspiring PSA 7 tobacco gem boasts magnificent eye appeal and stature, starting with an extremely imposing hands-at-chest Carl Horner image that arguably resides as the most iconic pose of the immortal right-hander.

Standing tall with his hands at his chest, Matty surely looks as though he is the "lord" of all pitchers, and his captivating pose and rich blue background are well-centered between four white borders (with only a modest partiality towards the upper edge). Right-angled corners reveal subtle wear consistent with the assessment, and the bold red Sweet Caporal 350-460 Subjects ad back completes this outstanding masterpiece. For full disclosure, preventing a higher grade is a diminutive soling spot on the upper left border, totally removed from the critical Matty central pose. Issued some 114 years ago, this heirloom has stubbornly defied the passing of time, conjuring up bygone memories of the Big Six's unparalleled pitching prowess and destined to be a centerpiece attraction in any esteemed tobacco gathering!

MIN BID $4,000
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