Plug Tobacco N300 Mayo’s Cut
B ridging the gap between the enormous N172 Old Judge issue and the turn-of-the-century Breisch-Williams set of 1903, the N300 Mayo’s Cut Plug cards were issued by the Mayo TobaccoWorks of Richmond. The black-and-white photographic cards represented an improvement in quality over the Old Judge cards, as the player photos are not subject to the kind of image fading and contrast issues of their predecessors, and yet the sleek-looking cards have a condition sensitivity all their own – the black borders and backs are extremely subject to chipping. As a result, higher- grade examples are virtually nonexistent. SGC, for example, has graded just 74 examples above the EX level, PSA just 38.
Lot 291: 1895 N300 Mayo’s Cut Plug Dan Brouthers (HOF - Baltimore) - SGC VG/ EX 4 Minimum Bid: $1,000.00
variety of cards and added six additional players. At the time, Olbermann noted differences in print quality that he had observed within the set that seemed to suggest multiple
The set includes 48 known cards of 40 different subjects, including a number of variations. Interestingly, collector and hobby scholar Keith Olbermann postulated in a 1997 article in Vintage & Classic Baseball Collector that the set was likely first issued in 1894, and he is quite likely correct. Many of the team affiliations within the set reflect 1894 rosters, with several modifications made to reflect 1895 trades that suggest a likely second printing of the set, sometime after May of 1895. As such, it is likely that the set actually consisted of an initial 1894 printing, perhaps of 34 cards, with a second printing in 1895 that updated a
print runs as well. In this auction, we are fortunate to have acquired a number of outstanding Hall of Famers from the issue. Each of the cards are stunning, many representing the highest-graded examples in the hobby, many others residing close to that level. The Buck Ewing (Cleveland), Dan Brouthers (Louisville), and Amos Rusie cards are the highest graded examples by either SGC or PSA. The Amos Russie (spelled incorrectly) and John Ward
Lot 292: 1895 N300 Mayo’s Cut Plug John Clarkson (HOF) - SGC EX 5 Minimum Bid: $1,000.00
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