1889 N172 Old Judge Billy Hamilton Rookie

Sold For:

$3,480

Year:

1887

Auction:

2020 Spring

Lot #:

49

Category:

Pre-1900 Baseball Cards (1830-1899)

Extremely attractive 1889 N172 Old Judge rookie card of Hall of Famer Billy Hamilton (pose #210-3). According to The Photographic Baseball Cards of Goodwin & Company (1886-1890), the definitive book on Old Judges by Jay Miller, Joe Gonsowski, and Richard Masson, Hamilton ranks as the eighth-rarest Hall of Famer (out of twenty-eight) in the entire N172 set. Clean front, no creases, with superb clarity and photo contrast. Even wear at the corners, with a Vg-Ex appearance overall. Graded FAIR 20 by SGC due to the reverse having paper remnants from at one time being glued into a scrapbook (this is very common with Old Judges). This card has a particularly strong image, which is a highly valued quality among serious Old Judge collectors, far more than the technical grade. An outstanding N172 example of Billy Hamilton worthy of any N172, Hall of Fame, or nineteenth-century card collection. Reserve $500. Estimate $1,000+.