This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/26/2009
Arguably the most coveted of the closely related E-cards of 1908 and 1909 is Christy Mathewson's vibrant, horizontal issue, long recognized in the hobby as a masterpiece of the early lithographic process. Offered is a stunning PSA 4 VG/EX E102 example that presents several above-grade qualities to counterbalance the self-evident centering bias in favor of the left edge. Matty appears to be hurling in Elysium, in the orange gloaming of a late summer evening, in a luscious and seemingly eternal sea of thick, green grass. The colors are vibrant, to say the least, especially in the contrasting shades of his face and uniform. Unlike some players in the set, the likeness of the lithograph is more than adequate, with Matty's countenance exuding the collective tranquility of the lucky few paid to play a boys' game in the prime of their adult lives. Not too surprisingly, given the scarce nature of this mysteriously anonymous issue, only four marginally superior mid-grade specimens exist on record at PSA.