Lot # 20: Amazing 1903 E107 Breisch Williams Cy Young “Type 1” (SGC EX 5) – “1 of 1” & The Highest Graded Example on the COMBINED SGC & PSA “Pop” Charts!

Category: 1900-1920

Starting Bid: $15,000.00

Bids: 50 (Bid History)

Time Left: Auction closed
Lot / Auction Closed




This lot is closed. Bidding is not allowed.

Item was in Auction "Spring Break Rarities Auction 2019",
which ran from 3/14/2019 4:00 PM to
4/6/2019 7:00 PM




(LOT 20)
Amazing 1903 E107 Breisch Williams Cy Young "Type 1" (SGC EX 5) – "1 of 1" & The Highest Graded Example on the COMBINED SGC & PSA "Pop" Charts!

A majority of pre-war collectors would gladly settle for an E107 Breisch-Williams specimen in any condition for purposes of owning this extremely scarce early 20th century type card. Ultra-obscure, seldom are these cards found at all, let alone copies that portray fine mid-grade technical attributes. Justifying their significant condition sensitivity are the combined SGC and PSA census reports indicating of the approximate 750 encapsulated examples, a mere 5% have been assigned a grade exceeding "VG-EX 4". Bottom line is finding any mid-grade Breisch Williams subject is an excruciating task, let alone one of the prestigious 23 Cooperstown inductees carrying the hallowed images of baseball's greatest "dead-ball" era stars.

It is for this reason that the magnificent SGC EX 5 Cy Young E107 "Type 1" keepsake presented here just may suffice as Cy Young's most incredible baseball card extant, save the near-impossible 19th century "Just So Tobacco" issue. Consider that the combined SGC and PSA census reports currently list a paltry 12 other examples with this "1 of 1" world-class offering easily standing as the finest of its kind! In fact, no E107 Cy Young even approaches this strong mid-grade marvel with its closest competitors only boasting a "VG" technical assessment. Most advanced enthusiasts are surely aware of the extreme condition sensitivity associated with any E107 subjects, and it boggles the mound to think that one of this exalted set's four most prominent players (Wagner, Mathewson, Delahanty & Young) has somehow defied "father-time" to retain a significant number of superb technical attributes/aesthetics to justify the ultra-rare mid-grade assessment.

As previously stated, only Cy Young's virtually unique 1893 Just So Tobacco issue boasts the unprecedented prestige of this "unique for the grade" E107 Young. Yet, as every elite collector realizes, Young's Just So Tobacco subject essentially qualifies as a "one of a kind" anomaly, thus leaving Young's E107 subject as his most desirable "mainstream" cardboard scarcity. Regarding Young's immortal legacy, no baseball player could possibly receive a greater honor than having an award named after him, the ultimate compliment for a player's lifetime achievements. Yet, when you consider that Denton "Cy" Young won 511 baseball games including 15 seasons of posting 20+ victories and an incredible 30+ game winner on 5 separate occasions, it was a "no-brainer" when the baseball writers of America chose his name to forever represent an annual award for pitching excellence. There are two accounts relating to the birth of Cy Young's iconic nickname, with both involving the "cyclone" term from his inaugural 1889 season with the Canton, Ohio minor league club.

One stems from a young catcher warming him up during the Canton tryout who responded to reporters "he is as fast as a cyclone". The other is also linked to his Canton tryout when Young damaged the grandstand fences with his blazing fastball with someone remarking "the fences looked as if a cyclone had hit them!" Whichever scenario is correct, the "cyclone" expression was reported in the newspapers with people simply shorting it to "Cy". In addition to his unbelievable 511 victory total, his impeccable resume includes 3 no-hitters, one of which was a perfect game when in 1904 he out-dueled the great Rube Waddell. His incomparable status as the game's greatest victory achiever is similar to this astounding memento's premier "pop" chart ranking, and while most agree his victory record will never be challenged, likewise, another E107 Cy Young may never approach this brilliant offering's technical assessment.


Although Cy Young's W600 Cabinet was first issued in 1902, it is critical to note it reflects a different portrait pose of the immortal twirler. It wasn't until Breisch-Williams released their inaugural 1903 set, that the renowned Carl Horner portrait image of the legendary right-hander was affixed to a cardboard subject. It is that classic image that graces many of the hobby's coveted Cy Young collectibles including his Fan Craze issue, T206 Portrait, E90-1 American Caramel Boston version, and a later rendition of his W600 Sporting Life Cabinet, just to mention a few. His portrait pose on this E107 gem has somehow managed to defy "father time" via its awe-inspiring crystal-clear clarity and near-immaculate contrast. As you continually focus on this immortal illustration, you are literally propelled through a 116-year old time capsule via the meticulous details of Young's period like hairstyle and Boston uniform. His stoic expression is a testament to Young's unparalleled game intensity that elevated him to one of our National Pastime's all-time hurlers.

No obtrusive surface blemishes are evident, and the hallowed image reflects atypical near-perfect centering between four bright white borders. The corners reflect even wear that contributes to an eye-pleasing uniformity, and the "YOUNG, P, BOSTON, A." text beneath his sanctified picture is vividly registered. The reverse side includes the One of a hundred and fifty prominent Baseball players" bold text affixed to an ultra-clean off-white background. Undeniably, this offering's combined eye pleasing attributes and paucity level ranks it as one of the hobby's most extraordinary cards. It is miraculous to fathom that an elite Breisch-Williams subject still retains a majority of its original attributes, irrefutably residing as one of the premier aesthetically pleasing E107's on the planet. To reiterate, the significant irony of this remarkable SGC "EX 5" heirloom is that during Cy Young's unparalleled dominance on the mound, he was widely considered "king of the hill", substantiated by his unfathomable 511 lifetime wins, with this amazing offering's premier "pop" stature likewise standing tall as the irrefutable "best of the rest" marvel!

MIN BID $15,000

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