A CURATED SELECTION OF GREAT CARDS
20. 1912 T207 Broadleaf Buck Weaver - SGC VG 3 MINIMUM BID: $300
21. Rare 1912 T207 Broadleaf Irving Lewis (Emblem) - BVG VG 3 MINIMUM BID: $750
Quite underrated due to a shortage of star power, the T207 issue of 1912 is one of the most fascinating of all the prewar tobacco issues. With varying levels of scarcity, a number of tough individual rarities, difficult front/back combinations and a condition-sensitive gloss on the card fronts, assembling a strong T207 set is quite a collecting challenge despite the relatively small size. Presented here is one of the set’s true keys: a card of Black Sox shortstop BuckWeaver, graded VG 3 by SGC. One of 50 T207 cards available only with Broadleaf or Cycle backs, the card boasts both the desirability of the Black Sox affiliation along with the added scarcity of the Broadleaf back. In addition, the card originates from the collection of hobby pioneer Lionel Carter, as indicated on the SGC flip. Although not one of the most rare of the Broadleaf/Cycle T207s, each of the cards with these backs are quite difficult to locate and are incredibly desirable among collectors familiar with the issue. Due to the leagues and times in which he played, many of Buck Weaver’s cards are extremely rare. His PCL issues command a premium as do the tougher backs among the various M101 issues. His T207 is the only mainstream tobacco issue to picture him in a major league uniform and the Broadleaf reverse only adds to the card’s desirability.
While the Louis Lowdermilk card receives a lot of attention as a key rarity in the underrated T207 set, possibly the most difficult card is that of Boston’s Irving Lewis. The card is a perfect storm of rarity within the issue, being one of just four image variations in the set, with a tough back, perhaps the rarest of the 50 available Cycle/ Broadleaf-backed cards in the set. The “easier” of the two variations (the other does not picture the Braves emblem on Lewis’ sleeve), the card has been graded VG 3 by Beckett, who unfortunately erroneously labeled the player as the Red Sox’ Duffy Lewis. The VG 3 grade is accurate, however, some slight cracking to the gloss responsible for the grade. A light centering issue is also present, though the eye appeal of the card is tremendous, particularly given its extreme rarity.
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