(LOT 6)
1922 E121 American Caramel Babe Ruth Holding Bird - "Babe" in Quotes SGC 7 NM – POP 1 & the Highest Graded "Babe" in Quotes Example on All POP Charts!
BEST OF THE BEST BAMBINO!!! The somewhat stagnant late 1910s baseball card market received a well-needed boost when, in 1921, the American Caramel Company of Lancaster and York, Pennsylvania, re-ignited the card collecting community with its landmark E121 candy set, which included 80 different subjects. Its popularity prompted the renowned candy company to issue a second set in 1922, this time including 120 subjects and three different Babe Ruth cards (Holding Ball, Photo Montage, and Holding Bird). The latter of those three just happens to be presented here in an extraordinary SGC 7 NM holder, the SOLE and HIGHEST GRADED example with Babe in quotes on the combined PSA and SGC census reports.

It comes as little surprise that the past two sales for 7 NM 1921 E121 Ruth's have achieved staggering $271K and $337K pricing points, for finding any early 1920s card in a 7 holder is a near impossible task. Indeed, the floodgates have opened for these magnificent early 1920s Ruth cards that were undervalued for so long, especially considering it represents a mere fraction of the thousands of existing Bambino Goudeys. Interestingly enough, this is one of the most eclectic Ruth poses extant, as the Sultan of Swat is pictured releasing a carrier pigeon to relay the score of the Cleveland vs. New York game played on September 26, 1921. The gentleman in formal attire standing next to Ruth is Charles Farbizo, a carrier-pigeon aficionado who sent the score of the game to fans on New York's East Side every inning.

While it's assumed that this game was used as a carrier pigeon test for the upcoming Yankees vs. Giants Fall Classic, what we do know with 100% certainty is that the unique and pinnacle stature of the 7 NM assessment places this offering as a world-class masterpiece. In his inaugural 1920 campaign with the New York Yankees, Ruth walloped a record-setting 54 home runs and would belt 59 round-trippers the following season, the year before this renowned E121 Ruth baseball card was issued. The Babe was now the "toast of the baseball community", substantiating why the American Caramel Co. issued three separate Ruth cards in their illustrious 1922 set. This offering's jaw-dropping aesthetics start with an imposing black & white image portraying crystal-clear clarity and superb contrast as Ruth and Farbizo are about to release the fabled carrier pigeon. The text beneath his iconic pose reflects "BABE" RUTH's hallowed name in quotes, and most significantly, the classic image reveals atypical near-perfect centering.

Microscopic corner wear is consistent with the Near-Mint assessment; no glaring surface blemishes are evident (with only a negligible soiling spot near the left edge), and the verso's bold AMERICAN CARAMEL "Series of 120" ad back is super clean. Simply stated, this artifact provides the collector an abundance of museum-worthy attributes, including a super-eye-pleasing early 1920s Ruth card, a unique Babe Ruth rookie era image, and considering the E121 Ruth's continuous record-setting sales, an issue that has not even remotely approached the pinnacle level of its seemingly infinite value. Taking all of these bona fide concepts into account, we cannot even begin to speculate the definitive value of this miraculous SGC 7 candy treat and will ultimately defer to the myriad of Ruth card collectors to determine its true worth, keeping in mind its Pop 1 highest graded stature is completely synonymous with Babe Ruth's unparalleled legacy!

MIN BID $5,000
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