(LOT 41)
1923 515-1 #47 "Babe" Ruth "W" Card PSA 9 MINT
By 1923, George Herman Ruth was far and away the greatest home run hitter of all time. Having surpassed previous record holder Roger Connor's 138 home runs in 1921, The Babe was well on his way to his eventual 714 round-trippers. Having also given up pitching in 1921 (for the most part), The Bambino could now focus on leading the assault on pitchers throughout the American League, hot dogs, beer and the ladies. But most importantly, he was 28 and itching for another World Series title, but this time as leader of the New York Yankees. The Yanks easily won the 1923 American League pennant by 16 games over the Detroit Tigers. Now, The Bambino was set to shine, and in the 1923 World Series he did as he clouted three solo home runs & batted .368 as the Yankees toppled the crosstown rival Giants in six games. That was the fourth of seven World Series titles for the Sultan of Swat, and at the season's conclusion, he was named the AL MVP for the first and only time (due to period rules).

That same year, the 1923 W515-1 strip set series of baseball players was issued, consisting of 60 ballplayers, each presented on six 10-card strips. The lithographic images and renderings were derived from Underwood & Underwood news service photographs with a "U & U" acknowledgement at the bottom of each image. The strip cards included the likes of Hall of Famers Bancroft, Cobb, Hoyt, Sisler, McGraw, Johnson, and, of course, Ruth on cards #3 & #47. Offered is card #47 Babe Ruth "W" from a 10-card strip and encapsulated 9 MINT from PSA. Considering that this is one of the earliest Babe Ruth issues to achieve such a lofty assessment, it should surely be top of mind for any and all serious Babe Ruth collectors! This stupendous POP 1 relic has only a single superior, a clear indication of the absolute scarcity and collectability of this significant rookie-era Ruth card. Flawless surfaces, brilliant imagery and expertly hand-cut, this Ruth strip card is one of the finest we have ever seen.

MIN BID $3,000
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