Extremely Rare 1949 Jackie Robinson "Tells His Story in the Brooklyn Eagle" Pin

Sold For:

$4,080

Year:

1949

Auction:

2023 Summer

Lot #:

798

Category:

Postwar Baseball - 1950s Cards

Presented is one of the rarest and most sought-after of all baseball pinbacks: the 1949 Jackie Robinson Brooklyn Eagle advertising pin. This is only the sixth example we have offered the past 20 years! In addition to being a remarkable rarity, it is the most desirable of all Jackie Robinson pins (a very popular area of baseball pinback collecting). It is also very unusual among Jackie Robinson pins as it is an advertising pinback, as opposed to being a souvenir stadium pin. This pin dates to the late 1940s, shortly after Robinson's historic 1947 Major League debut. The Brooklyn Eagle was a very prominent Brooklyn newspaper, and Robinson's story (which naturally was of great interest in Brooklyn) was featured in a series of articles. The pin features a portrait image of Robinson as a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers, with the black lettering along the top and bottom reading, respectively, "Jackie Robinson Tells His Story - In the Brooklyn Eagle." Produced by Samuel H. Moss of New York, as noted on the underside of the curl. The letter "J" appears below Robinson's image, and this letter was related to another promotional aspect of the pin. Pins were distributed with different letters in Robinson's name, and eventually kids could collect a set that would spell out Jackie Robinson. This is an extraordinary pin on many counts and is among the best of all baseball advertising celluloids from any era. This example has some condition issues, with a few surface cracks and a number of minor scratches, but displays beautifully. Diameter: 1.5 inches. Opening Bid $300.