334. Rare 1922 W575-1 Henry Johnson Confectioners Walter Johnson (HOF) - SGC VG+ 3.5 Though the research conducted by Jefferson Burdick and the description of the W575-1 Henry A. Johnson Wholesale Confectioner issue as listed in the Standard Catalog are both admirable, the reality is that very little is known about the issue or the Alameda, California company that gave the set it’s name. What we do know, after years of studying the issue, is that the cards are most definitely not the same as the W575-1 with which they share a catalog designation. The fact that the hobby has always taken this designation for granted is a testament to the rarity of the cards themselves; it was only after a decade or so of collecting them that we felt confident that the issue follows the checklist of the E121 “Series of 80” issue. In actuality, the Henry Johnson Confectioners cards are machine-cut, blank-backed E121s, with the Henry A. Johnson label hand-stamped in distinctive purple ink on the reverse. Adding to the confusion is the fact that very little is known about the Henry A. Johnson company, and that examples with counterfeited hand stamps began to surface in the 1970s, resulting in a large number of easily detectable but still confusing fakes. Authentic cards from the issue are rare enough that it is unknown if a complete set can even be assembled. The Henry A. Johnson Confectioners cards are unquestionably among the most rare cards of their era, and certainly among the most rare of the E121 family of cards. Presented here is one of the keys to the issue, that of Walter Johnson. One of just a few known examples, this one may be the highest-graded, having been assessed by SGC as VG+ 3.5. The sole PSA-graded example has graded POOR 1, and we can find no others in the SGC population report, though we are aware of at least one more example in the hobby, owned by an advanced Walter Johnson collector. This example presents well for the grade, with well-rounded corners and some surface wear. The stamp on the reverse is very faint, but still visible, and unquestionably authentic. An extremely rare card, one of the few known examples from a very obscure set. MINIMUM BID: $1,000.00
335. Rare 1922 W575-1 Henry Johnson Confectioners Eppa Rixey Jr. (HOF) - SGC VG 3 MINIMUM BID: $100.00
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