(LOT 21)
1916 M101-5 Standard Biscuit Co. #176 Jim Thorpe SGC 4 VG-EX – POP 1; Highest Graded Example on the Combined SGC & PSA Pop Charts!
BEST OF THE BEST THORPE!!! The most desirable and valuable Jim Thorpe cardboard issue is his highly coveted 1916 M101-5 subject, which arguably stands as Thorpe's rookie card (save the two known 1912-13 Thorpe undersized Colgan Chips circular disks), with only a handful of any Thorpe cards available for the taking. After the exalted Babe Ruth M101 Rookie, the two most valuable subjects in the illustrious M101-5 set are Thorpe's #176 and Joe Jackson's #86 subjects, with Jim Thorpe only issued in the M101-5 series that included Blank Back, Famous & Barr, Standard Biscuit, Morehouse Baking, Successful Farming, and Holmes to Homes versos. Thorpe's extreme scarcity stems from the fact that he did not partake in the 1916 baseball season, with the Felix Mendelsohn printing company removing his subject from the later printed M101-4 Sporting News series and replacing Thorpe with Cleveland Indians infielder Terry Turner.

As vintage enthusiasts are aware, the M101-4 related sets include a greater number of ad back issues, ultimately denying collectors the opportunity for capturing more Jim Thorpe M101 cards. Presented here is an outstanding SGC 4 VG-EX 1916 Jim Thorpe M101-5 Standard Biscuit rookie with this POP 1 rarity, the SOLE and HIGHEST GRADED example on the combined SGC and PSA census reports! Both distinguished grading companies have encapsulated only four total specimens (3 SGC, 1 PSA), and this unique for the grade offering proudly stands tall as the finest of its kind. Thorpe's MLB career commenced in 1913 when the fleet-footed outfielder tallied 35 official at-bats with John McGraw's New York Giants. Unfortunately for Thorpe, he played only six seasons, ending his career in 1919 on a high note with the Boston Braves by batting .327 in 60 games.

When considering the greatest athletes of the 20th century, the names that immediately come to mind are Babe Ruth, Jesse Owens, Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky, Magic Johnson, Muhammad Ali, etc. One athlete, however, who must be placed in the mix for this most prestigious honor is the immortal Jim Thorpe, who not only dominated various Olympic events but played professional baseball and football as well. In 1950, the Associated Press named Thorpe the world's greatest athlete and placed him third in their 1999 all-century vote. Thorpe won gold medals for both the pentathlon and decathlon events in the 1912 Olympics, became a collegiate All-American football player in 1911 and 1912, and then played professional baseball and football. And you thought Babe Ruth's pitching and hitting skills were impressive?

This super eye-pleasing Standard Biscuit's most impressive feature is the fine centering between four relatively clean borders, with a myriad of M101 cards exhibiting skewed images. The classic Thorpe fungo-hitting image boasts the finest possible contrast and clarity while eluding any notable surface flaws and/or glaring creases. While a hidden faint wrinkle may exist, at a quick glance it has certainly escaped the naked eye, with the verso's significant Standard Biscuit advertisement likewise eluding any obtrusive surface damage. Preventing a higher assessment is even corner wear that actually exhibits an eye-pleasing uniformity, with this POP 1 marvel fetching $43K in a December 2021 public auction. Although Thorpe's somewhat limited baseball career certainly falls short of his world-class Olympic and football stature, this best of the rest Standard Biscuit masterpiece is tantamount to his unparalleled athleticism and the undisputed pinnacle example on the planet!

MIN BID $10,000
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