(LOT 46)
Extremely Scarce c.1910s Honus Wagner Cigar Band – Measures Approx. 2-3/4" Long
TOBACCO WAGNER!!!... Did he or didn't he endorse tobacco products? Such is the seemingly unresolved issue regarding Honus Wagner's alleged disdain for promoting cigarettes that was the assumed reason for his iconic T206 subject being pulled from production in 1909. The most desirable and valuable of all baseball cards, its ghostly Carl Horner portrait image of the Flying Dutchman literally serves as the poster child for the entire baseball card market, sending chills down one's spine at the mere sight of Wagner's stoic pose. Eventually, it was universally agreed that Wagner himself utilized tobacco products, and it was his utmost disdain for actually promoting cigarettes to America's youth that prompted him to have the ATC terminate production of his immortal T206 subject. As extensively outlined in our Wagner Cigar box label description likewise offered in this auction, Wagner certainly chewed tobacco and smoked cigars while promoting several cigar brands during his playing days, with this outstanding circa 1910s offered cigar band another artifact relating to his direct involvement with tobacco products.

Measuring approximately 2-3/4" long, this nearly immaculate offering has miraculously retained nearly all of its original attributes, and obviously was never wrapped around a distributed cigar. Similar to the Wagner cigar box label, this awe-inspiring band could actually be a surviving proof from that bygone era, serving as a steadfast reminder of how the revered Wagner portrait pose stands tall as the cornerstone of all baseball memorabilia imagery. Breathtaking to say the least, both the iconic Wagner illustration and gold & red colors still reveal a majority of their factory issued qualities including super clarity and sparkling hues. The perimeter is completely intact, no obtrusive surface flaws are evident on the critical obverse side, and the blank verso reflects some negligible clear tape remnants. You can literally feel the exalted presence of Wagner's timeless image, with this fascinating heirloom immediately conjuring up memories of the momentous Wagner tobacco myth that truly stands as the unparalleled foundation of our illustrious hobby!

MIN BID $400
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