(LOT 278)
1970 Topps #630 Ernie Banks PSA 10 GEM MINT - Highest Graded Example!
The 1970 campaign would see the Cubs great first baseman Ernie Banks blast his 500th home run, at the time becoming only the ninth player in MLB history to accomplish that worldly feat. On May 12, 1970 at Wrigley Field, Banks would step to the plate in the bottom of the second inning and launch a pitch from Atlanta Braves' right-handed twirler Pat Jarvis over the famous ivy-covered brick wall to join the prestigious 500-homer club, with the Cubs eventually besting the Braves 4-3 in 11 innings. That same season, the illustrious Topps Chewing Gum Company would issue Ernie Banks as one of their high-numbered 1970 subjects (#630), and it is this card we now present in a hallowed PSA 10 GEM MINT holder.

Joined by a mere two other examples, it shares the esteemed spotlight as the finest of its kind! Rarely does any of the three PSA 10 Ernie Banks '70 Topps subjects surface for the taking, with the last one fetching an impressive $52K in a spring 2022 auction. This substantiates the unequivocal adoration bestowed upon the immortal Ernie Banks who was one of the most beloved players to ever grace a baseball diamond. One mention of the great Hall of Fame Chicago Cubs shortstop Ernie Banks immediately inspires the concept of "let's play two!" Known throughout Chicago as "Mr. Cub", Ernie Banks ended his spectacular career with 512 lifetime home runs and eclipsed the "40-homer" mark five times. He is still the only shortstop ever to claim two consecutive Most Valuable Player Awards (1958 & 1959), and surpassed 100 or more R.B.I.s eight times.

Earning a third MVP award is this remarkable museum worthy masterpiece that emanates virtually every pristine attribute expected from a perfect "10" example, rightfully standing at the summit of the iconic PSA "Pop" Chart. As is the case for virtually all of our National Pastime's bygone Cooperstown inductees, their most coveted and valuable cardboard mementos are the sparse few that have been awarded the pinnacle PSA 10 assessment. The three meager "10" specimens represent a microscopic 0.14% of the total 2,100+ encapsulated copies, further justifying this supreme offering's utmost significance amongst the most meticulous PSA Set Registry collectors.

The timeless batting pose reveals Banks depicting a typical candid smile for we simply cannot recall when the legendary Banks wasn't enjoying any moment on a baseball field. Emanating crystal-clear clarity and rich hues, the image is atypically dead-on centered between four super clean gray borders, with the virtually 50/50 centering a near-impossible attribute for any 1970 Topps subject. Immaculate surfaces, razor sharp corner tips, and a pack-fresh aura leaving even the elite enthusiast spellbound complete this 52-year-old gem that has stubbornly withstood the test of time. The clear-cut "best of the best", it shares the distinction with a measly two other examples as the premier 1970 Topps Ernie Banks keepsake, with this exalted offering now destined to relocate to one of the foremost collections on the planet!

MIN BID $15,000