1910 E93 Standard Caramel Complete Set on Two Uncut Sheets

Sold For:

$69,000

Year:

1910

Auction:

2022 Spring

Lot #:

248

Category:

Prewar Baseball - E Candy Cards

Presented is an extremely rare and fascinating complete set of thirty E93 Standard Caramel cards, including eighteen Hall of Famers, on two uncut sheets. One sheet has twelve cards, and the other has eighteen. Together they represent the entire set, and framed together, as they are presented, they actually have the appearance of a single complete sheet. It is almost unheard of for any uncut sheet of baseball cards to survive from the 1910 era. These E93 caramel cards are a very rare exception and originate from a very small find of approximately five partial E93 sheets that surfaced in 2006. The fact that these sheets are blank-backed suggest that their survival relates somehow to the printer. What is certain is that only a few uncut sheets of E93s survive in complete or partial form, including the offered examples, and these few sheets represent an extremely unusual and extraordinary form for these cards. E93s are one of the most popular of all the 1910-era "E" candy card issues. The 30-card set was issued in 1910 by the Standard Caramel Co. of Lancaster, PA. The first uncut sheet, of eighteen cards, includes the following Hall of Famers: Bender, Chance, Clarke, Evers, Jennings, Joss, Lajoie, Mathewson, Plank, and Waddell, plus eight additional stars. The second uncut sheet, of twelve cards, features the following Hall of Famers: Brown, Cobb, Collins, Griffith, McGraw, Tinker, Wagner, and Young, plus four additional stars. It is difficult to approach a sheet of this vintage and extreme rarity in the same manner as a single card, especially with reference to grading. The sheets display beautifully and overall have a Very Good appearance at a glance. Some individual cards would approach Near Mint if graded as separate cards, a few others have a light crease, and many cards on the edges have borders that are not full (if they were separate cards they would be graded "Authentic"). But they are not separate cards, they are part of two unique uncut sheets. The colors of these cards are brilliant, the rarity of these sheets is virtually unparalleled, and the display value is extraordinary. They are not perfect, but they will not sell for what perfect cards would sell for. In fact, historically, the market has sometimes valued sheets such as these at a significant discount to the individual cards on it. We are very familiar with this particular lot as this is the second time we have had the privilege of offering it. This item originally appeared as Lot 352 in REA's Spring 2008 auction. These two uncut sheets of E93 Standard Caramel (representing a complete set), one of the most colorful and popular of all "E" card issues, form a rare and unique display piece, representing a potentially extraordinary value. Dimensions: 18-card sheet (9-1/8 x 8-1/2 inches) and 12-card sheet (9-1/4 x 5-1/2 inches). Matted and framed to total dimensions of 19-1/4 x 24 inches. The size/weight of this item requires that there will be an additional shipping charge for this lot. Reserve $5,000.