(LOT 597)
1909-11 T206 Ray Demmitt St. Louis Polar Bear PSA 4 VG-EX
DEMMITT ST. LOUIS!!! One of the illustrious T206 set's most coveted subjects is the Ray Demmitt St. Louis Browns variation, presented here in a stellar PSA 4 holder. Its condition sensitivity is justified by only 13 PSA examples boasting a higher assessment. The T206 Demmitt subject resides as one of the true "Holy Grails" within the classic "Monster Set". After the "Big Four" (Hans Wagner, Plank, the Magie error, and Doyle variation), the two most sought-after T206 variations are the St. Louis Demmitt (Browns) and O'Hara (Cardinals) anomalies issued by the Polar Bear Cigarette Co. in 1910. Ray Demmitt was traded from the Yankees to the St. Louis Browns before the start of the 1910 season, with only the Polar Bear Co. reflecting this change in their tobacco issues.

The remaining cigarette factories printed Demmitt in a New York Yankees uniform, and a momentous T206 variation was born! The limited number of T206 St. Louis Demmitt's now command significant dollars and are among the toughest six T206s to obtain. Outfielder Ray Demmitt played seven MLB seasons, and who would have ever thought that being traded to the Browns in 1910 (subsequent to his 1909 Yankees rookie campaign) would ultimately lead to the iconic T206 Demmitt St. Louis version. His well-centered batting pose is splendid, with several surface blemishes, including a diagonal wrinkle in the upper left quadrant, some typical tobacco stains along the borders/verso, and even corner wear consistent with the grade. One of the hobby's foremost variations, this elusive tobacco marvel grants the collector a golden opportunity to take a huge step forward in assembling a 520-subject T206 compilation!

MIN BID $5,000
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