(LOT 236)
1923 W572 Babe Ruth SGC VG-EX 4
RARE RUTH!!!... For years, one of the most underrated Babe Ruth strip cards was his elusive 1923 W572 issue. The W572 set includes a total of 121 baseball subjects in strips of 10 cards (that also included some boxers), and with the exception of Ty Cobb, all of the images were taken from the prestigious 1922 E120 set. Similar to all sets issued in the 1920s, the most desirable and coveted baseball player is the immortal George Herman "Babe" Ruth, and it his stellar W572 that is presented here in an SGC VG-EX 4 holder. One of only four SGC encapsulated specimens, is has only been bested by three SGC examples. No longer underappreciated, the rise of early 1920s black & white Ruth cards has spread to all of his early Yankees' issues. This is justified by another SGC 4 W572 Ruth selling some six months ago for a staggering $13,200! Indeed, there is a current frenzy among vintage collectors to gather any early 1920s Ruth cardboard issue, with this extremely low-pop SGC 4 W572 offering one of his toughest cards to capture.

By 1923, Ruth has established himself as baseball's most dominate slugger, and 1923 would be the season Ruth would lead the Yankees to their inaugural World Championship via his 41 homers, 130 runs batted in, 1.309 OPS, and incredible .393 batting average (the highest of his career). This is arguably the most formidable and rarest of Ruth's 1923 strip cards, and that alone places it as a momentous collectable. The iconic "hand holding ball" pose that likewise graces his E212, E120 and W573 issues reveals fine resolution and a somewhat dark contrast. The manual hand-cut leaves the central image slightly favoring the right edge, and most significantly, no obtrusive surface flaws are evident on either side. Typical corner wear for any century-old card and a moderate crease near the lower left corner account for the assessment, with only three SGC examples managing to exceed the super scarce "4" grade. No longer a best kept secret, this world-class offering now joins a number of other early 1920s Babe Ruth issues as one of his finest cardboard heirlooms!

MIN BID $2,000
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