This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 1/22/2010
Graded SGC 92 NM/MT+ 8.5. Presented is a positively hypnotic example of "The Great Bambino's" 1948-49 Leaf issue that ranks among the very finest known examples in the hobby. To the date of this composition, the offered specimen is the lone NM/MT+ 8.5 example on record from any of the major grading companies. SGC reports just 2 superior specimens on record, both in the MINT 9 column, while PSA reports just 4 superiors, all in the MINT 9 tier as well, from a combined submission pool of nearly 800 copies on record. Very accurately centered with a hardly perceptible inclination for the southeast corner, still absolutely astute enough for MINT consideration, as evidenced by our high-resolution scan. Both surfaces, moreover, are predominantly clean for the issue, with only a few tolerable pin-pricks of print, perfectly typical of the issue. Additionally, both the color saturation and the image registration appear MINT, or better, with hardly any traces of that bothersome spottiness so characteristic of Leaf cards, whose rough and pulpy card stock so often rejected small spots of ink during the printing process. Frankly, the overall image quality of the offered specimen is so far beyond the norm that it probably projects as well as, if not better than, even the finest of its scant 6 known superiors. The contrast, for example, could not be improved even with an application of black India ink over Babe's eyes, lips, and nose, etc., and his skin tone is so believably realistic that he almost appears to have a five o'clock shadow (as opposed to the ugly red tones that so often creep into his pale countenance). The corners and edges, finally, appear MINT, if not GEM MINT, at every point but for the bottom left corner, which appears to show a feathery light NM/MT+ touch of wear, debatable even under magnification. In short, a borderline MINT specimen boasting an abundance of GEM MINT qualities and ranking among the top few examples known within the hobby. A truly mesmerizing and appropriately "sultanic" masterpiece in any collection!