(LOT 139)
1939 First Day Cover Commemorating 100 Years of Baseball "America's National Game" Signed by J. Honus Wagner – PSA Authentic
At the time of his retirement in 1917, Honus Wagner was considered the "greatest shortstop in baseball history" who had "scored more runs, made more hits and stolen more bases than any other player in the history of the league", according to his Hall of Fame plaque. The Flying Dutchman won eight National League batting titles and led a Pittsburgh Pirates to the World Series victory in 1909. Over 21 seasons in the Major Leagues with the Louisville Colonels (1987-1899) and the Pirates (1900-1917), Honus Wagner collected 3,420 hits including 643 doubles and 252 triples, stole 723 bases, drove in 1,732 runs and hit .328 for his career to easily earn a spot in the inaugural class inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936. That inaugural class included Wagner, Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Babe Ruth and the late Christy Mathewson. This attractive First Day Cover honoring Honus Wagner with his Hall of Fame plaque inscription embossed in silver on the face has been signed by the famed Pirate.

This 83-year-old keepsake not only commemorates Wagner and his career, but the 100th anniversary of "America's National Game" coupled with the grand opening of the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. This PSA encapsulated First Day Cover is signed in black fountain pen "J. Honus Wagner – Pirate" at right beneath the US Postage "Centennial of Baseball" stamp, assessed Authentic, and at center is the postmark from "Cooperstown – JUN 12 – 1939". Though PSA has assessed strictly as Authentic, Wagner's signature stands at "7-8" strength. On the left side of the consistently toned relic is a photo of Honus seated at the edge of the dugout and the silver embossed Hall of Fame plaque inscription encircling his image with ballplayer caricatures on either side. The back features a "BASE BALL CENTENNIAL – First Day of Issue" stamp at center and displays only light aging from more than eight decades of storage. A strong, bold signature of perhaps the strongest and boldest player of his generation!

MIN BID $500
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