A CURATED SELECTION OF GREAT CARDS
62. 1910 E98 Christy Mathewson (HOF, Red Background) – SGC GOOD 2
63. 1914 T222 Fatima Cigarettes Walter Johnson (HOF SP) – SGC PR 1
The distinctive T222 set of photographic cards by Liggett & Myers of Virginia contains 52 baseball players and 64 total subjects, with luminous, condition- sensitive fronts that feature innovative compositions on fragile photo paper. They’re larger than most tobacco sets, and Fatima tucked cards into tins, leaving most surviving singles with characteristic curves and surface marks (foxing, craquelure, etc.). While T222’s checklist fell short of the “100 photographs” promised on its back,
Love of the Game is proud to offer this significant red background version of Hall of Fame legend Christy Mathewson from the E98 “Series of 30” set. Few cards from E98’s original era survived in personal collections, so its rich color and excellent print registration rate among the best in collector grade and “Big Six” proves a key card in any set, regardless of grade! This SGC GD 2 stands out for its superior image, 100% readable
every subject attracts considerable interest, highlighted by Hall of Fame legends like Walter Johnson. Most of its baseball photos feature a small number below their surname. Those in the 12-15 range, like Walter Johnson (15), were printed in much lower quantities, making them a key challenge today. This is just our fourth example across many years of Love of the Game auctions, proving how rarely they’re made available for public sale. Big Train remains one of the toughest finds in Fatima’s entire set, as well as its most valuable! The SGC POOR 1 grade reflects a clear, medium-toned sepia front with an excellent reverse. Its technical issues include a clipped corner, a fold at the top right, and border marks. Surface hatching typical of Fatima cards shows along his legs. Regardless of technical grade, this truly difficult card retains great appeal for any collector, whether you seek the set or its top Hall of Fame stars!
back, and overall clarity. Balanced corner rounding, edge marks, and light surface marks explain its technical grade without detracting from its well-composed windup pose and depth of color. Demand for these cards must consider any population impact of our hobby’s “Black Swamp Find,” a 21st century discovery that added many high-grade E98 examples, varying by player and background color. The SGC population report shows predominantly low grades for Big Six, implying this find added few Mathewson cards to those already known (thus far, PSA graded just one red “Black Swamp Find” card, echoing SGC’s implication). A compelling opportunity to pick up the first red background Mathewson offered in our auctions!
MINIMUM BID: $2,500
MINIMUM BID: $2,000
64. 1910 E98 Honus Wagner (HOF – Blue Background) – PSA VG 3
Prior to a substantial find of E98 cards made in the 21st century, these 1910 cards were quite difficult to locate in any grade, with visually pleasing examples proving especially tough. While that “Black Swamp Find” increased the population of high-grade E98s, pre-find singles remain prized among collectors today, particularly for the tougher colors that it lacked, such as those with blue backgrounds. Honus Wagner cards backed by either blue or orange remain in shorter supply today, as the major find contained mostly red and green examples. Advanced collectors who pursue E98’s color groups find this blue Wagner a tough challenge, whether on its own or to complete their set. Print quality remains a key facet for any prewar issue, E98 included, and this attractive PSA VG 3 shows clean, even borders, with a well-registered front image. A surface crease along his knees and modest flecks on the reverse explain this technical grade, while taking little away from its status as a tough color with excellent appeal. Its reverse gives a clear accounting of E98’s full 30-player checklist, with Honus rubbing shoulders against several other legends.
While population totals for other backgrounds show a number of mid-to-high scores, blue proves pernicious to find in anything close to mid-grade presentation. The PSA report for Wagner “blue” variations shows none graded higher than this VG 3, a population profile similar to the even rarer orange cards. A special opportunity to add this rarity among rarities!
MINIMUM BID: $1,500
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