(LOT 1642)
1906 Lincoln Publishing Postcards Complete 20 Subjects Set – Superb 2.8 GPA
EXTREMELY RARE 1906 SET!!! One of the scarcest and earliest issued cardboard marvels are the ultra-elusive turn-of-the-century 1906 Lincoln Publishing postcards issued in Philadelphia, PA to commemorate the Athletics 1905 American League Pennant (Philadelphia would ultimately lose to the NY Giants in the Fall Classic). Finding any of the 20 different subjects is an excruciating task, justified by the combined SGC and PSA Pop Charts listing only 103 total encapsulated examples for all 20 subjects at the time this was written (89 SGC; 14 PSA). That said, presented here just happens to be one of the hobby's most miraculous compilations, a complete 1906 Lincoln Publishing 20-card set tallying a formidable 2.8 GPA. The only such complete gathering we have ever had the fortune of both seeing and handling, it is comprised of 19 SGC-graded specimens and a single PSA Authentic (Oldring) that just happens to be the only postmarked subject in this grand offering.

Of course, headlining this museum-worthy grouping is an outstanding SGC 4.5 Eddie Plank, with any Plank pre-WWI card dubbed a hallowed collectible due to the unequivocal prestige of his iconic T206 issue. The remaining three Hall of Famers include: (1) Philadelphia's immortal manager Connie Mack, whose formal attire and 50 years of manning the Athletics' dugout will echo for eternity; (2) fireballer southpaw Rube Waddell, who still owns the AL record for strikeouts by a left-handed twirler and was said to have chased the whistling sounds of neighboring fire engines; and (3) Charles "Chief" Bender, who still stands as the greatest MLB pitcher of American Native descent. The elaborate obverse side designs of these scarcities steal the show, starting with the fascinating "AMERICAN LEAGUE CHAMPIONS" upper caption, as well as the classic portrait images taken by many renowned turn-of-the-century photographers, including the iconic Carl Horner and Benjamin Falk.

Although the "1905" and "1906" text are situated to the left and right of the eye-catching crossed bats line drawing, it should be noted that the Athletics only claimed the AL Pennant in 1905 (the Chicago White Sox won the World Series in 1906). An absolutely remarkable complete set, it represents roughly 20% of the 100+ documented examples, proudly residing as one of the rarest group of cards issued during the early 1900s. Virtually all of the postcards offer solid VG+ aesthetics, with the breakdown of the technical assessments including one SGC 4.5 (Plank); 13 SGC 3; five SGC 2.5; and a single PSA Authentic (Oldring). A complete list of all 20 players in alphabetical order and their respective SGC grades are as follows:

Bender/HOF (3); Coakley (3); Lafayette Cross (2.5); Monte Cross (3); Davis (2.5); Dygert (3); Hartsel (3); Henley (3); Hoffman (3); Knight (3); Lord (3); Mack/HOF (3); Meyers (3); Murphy (3); Oldring (PSA AUTH-Postmarked 1906); Plank/HOF (4.5); Powers (3); Schreckengost (2.5); Seybold (3); Waddell (2.5).

MIN BID $5,000
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