1910-1911 M116 Sporting Life Blue Background Honus Wagner SGC EX/NM 80 - Lionel Carter Collection

Sold For:

$9,600

Year:

1910

Auction:

2018 Fall

Lot #:

521

Category:

Prewar Baseball - 1910s and 1920s Cards

Graded EX/NM 80 by SGC. Exceptional high-grade example of Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Famer Honus Wagner from the prized "Blue Background" series of M116 Sporting Life. M116s have always been highly appreciated by collectors for their distinctive style and rarity relative to the more commonly seen tobacco cards of the era. Honus Wagner is one of the key cards of the series, and the offered example features the portrait of Wagner (which is so similar in appearance to the famous T206 Wagner and dates from the same era) set against a blue background. M116 Sporting Life cards were issued in sets of twelve cards per series, and the Blue Background cards are by far the most desirable combination of series within the entire set. These twenty-four cards were issued with both blue backgrounds and white backgrounds. The Blue Background cards have always been especially appreciated by collectors for their scarcity and distinctive style. This a stunning card that appears as if it were printed yesterday! Bright and crisp, both front and back, with vibrant colors and a deep blue background. Bright white borders, centered slightly to the left, with four strong corners displaying only light hints of wear under close inspection (a little bit more advanced in the lower right, which is all that keeps this card from a higher grade). The Sporting Life advertisement on the reverse is entirely clean and boldly printed. Pedigreed from the Lionel Carter Collection, this is a magnificent high-grade example of one of Wagner's most distinctive and popular portrait cards which would be a worthy addition to any M116 Sporting Life, Honus Wagner, or Hall of Fame card collection. Reserve $2,000. Estimate $4,000+.