1890 N172 Old Judge Cap Anson Portrait Chicagos (NL) - Extremely Rare Variation - SGC EX+ 70

Sold For:

$19,200

Year:

1890

Auction:

2023 Summer

Lot #:

47

Category:

Pre-1900 Baseball Cards (1830-1899)

Graded EX+ 70 by SGC. This is one of only three N172 Cap Anson cards (of any year) graded at this level by SGC, with only one graded higher. Though Cap Anson is always a very desirable Old Judge Hall of Famer, this is a far rarer and more significant example than is apparent at a glance. The "NL" designation following "Chicagos," which is so unusual and rarely seen, identifies this card as being one of the much scarcer Old Judges issued in 1890. All 1890 Old Judges are rare, and all suffer from very poor contrast. The contrast on this example, though not strong compared to many N172s from earlier years, is actually fairly strong compared to most 1890 Old Judges. The card is bright and perfectly clean, both front and back, with just a touch of wear to the very strong corners. This is an extremely rare style of one of the most important cards in the Old Judge series. Opening Bid $2,000.