1888 Sporting Times New York Giants Cigar Card

Sold For:

$1,320

Year:

1888

Auction:

2016 Spring

Lot #:

23

Category:

Pre-1900 Baseball Cards (1830-1899)

Sporting Times Cigar trade card featuring the 1888 Champion New York Giants. It should be emphasized that this is a particularly high grade example for this card! The Sporting Times New York Giants Cigar card is noted for its tremendous quality and design, as well as the importance of the team. All nineteen players are identified along the bottom border. The production of this unique "one-card set" was based on a photograph by renowned nineteenth-century photographer Joseph Hall. The design, not surprisingly, is reminiscent of Joseph Hall photographic team cabinets of the era, with all players identified below. Included are Tim Keefe, John Ward, Mickey Welch, manager Jim Mutrie, Buck Ewing, Roger Connor, and Jim O'Rourke. It is possible that this issue was actually intended to be a cigar-box label. Approximately thirty or forty examples of this card are known, and all originate from a single find many years ago by legendary Americana dealer Rex Stark. All known examples have financial ledger notes on the reverse, water staining, and in most cases chipping in one or more corners. The offered card is obviously one of the best and has survived in far superior shape than virtually all other examples we have seen. Three of the four corners are square, with the bottom right displaying only a very tiny chip from the extreme tip. A single small water stain is present in the upper left corner and is relegated to the border area, leaving the entire image unaffected and free of any defects. This is a fascinating card and, arguably, because of the size of the find of these many years ago, one of the truly great values of all nineteenth-century team and advertising cards. Dimensions: 7.5 x 4.5 inches. Reserve $500. Estimate (open).