1903 E107 Breisch-Williams Nap Lajoie Rookie

Sold For:

$43,200

Year:

1903

Auction:

2019 Summer

Lot #:

178

Category:

Prewar Baseball - Early 1900s Cards

Extremely rare E107 Breisch-Williams series card featuring Hall of Famer Nap Lajoie of the Cleveland Naps of the American League. This is widely recognized as Lajoie's rookie card as it is the first standard card issue featuring the Hall of Famer (only M101-1 and W600, predate but all are large-format issues). Lajoie was one of baseball's most talented young stars when this card was issued. He was just coming into his own as a Hall of Fame hitter, having just posted a .378 batting average in his first season with Cleveland in 1902. Few prewar card sets compare in rarity or significance to E107 Breisch-Williams. Issued in 1903, E107s have long been revered by collectors. This set represents the only major baseball-card set of the era, features many players that appear in no other sets, and includes the first cards ever issued of many important stars and Hall of Famers, including Nap Lajoie. E107s can also be credited with establishing the general design for most of the candy and tobacco issues of the 1910 era. E107s are often found with condition problems. Graded FAIR 1.5 by SGC (submitted by REA), this example offers a crisp image and outstanding centering. Minor creasing, light soiling, evenly rounded corners, and a spot of paper loss on the blank reverse account for the modestly assigned grade. This is a very significant card, as a rare type card, as an E107 Hall of Famer, and as the rookie card for Nap Lajoie, one of the most powerful right-handed hitters of the dead-ball era and considered by many to be the greatest second baseman in baseball history. Reserve $1,000. Estimate (open).