Extremely Rare 1923 Lections Babe Ruth

Sold For:

$9,600

Year:

1923

Auction:

2020 Spring

Lot #:

775

Category:

Prewar Baseball - 1910s and 1920s Cards

Graded GOOD 2 by PSA. Extremely rare Lections card of New York Yankees Hall of Famer Babe Ruth. This is an extraordinary Ruth card, the highest-graded example (without qualifiers) ever evaluated by PSA of just ten graded to date! This is only the second example we have ever offered of one of Babe Ruth's rarest and most visually interesting cards. This series of cards is so rare it was actually unknown in the hobby until 1997, when a small group of approximately thirty cards was discovered in Albany, New York. The cards measure 4 x 2.5 inches and are printed on thick cardboard stock with rounded corners. The front features an oval black-and-white player portrait with artwork of a baseball game-in-progress and the Lections company logo. It is interesting to note that the head-shot of Ruth used for the image of this card was cropped from a larger photo taken at Yankee Stadium of Ruth shaking hands with President Warren Harding on April 24, 1923. For many years it was believed that Lections cards were almost certainly a candy premium, but that is not the case. From a firsthand account by a gentleman who actually received cards as a youngster, we have learned that in the early 1920s at fairs in the Albany area, "politician podiums" were set up where local officials running for office would give speeches and shake hands with the crowd. The adults who watched these mini rallies were given election cards showing the candidate. The children who accompanied the parents to the fair were instead given a "Lection" card by the candidates depicting a baseball player. One can only imagine the smile on a kids face at the time when they were handed this card of the great Babe Ruth! The offered card is extremely attractive and is modestly graded due to two light vertical creases on the right portion (these are hard to see and are more noticeable on the back). The blank reverse displays minor soiling, which is of no consequence to the impressive visual display of the card's front. This is an exceptionally rare Babe Ruth card from this unusual set, which is actually related to local political elections in Albany in the early 1920s, produced to win the support of children and their voting parents. A superb example, which would be a worthy addition to any advanced Babe Ruth or Hall of Fame card collection. Reserve $5,000. Estimate $10,000+.