This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/21/2023
With all of the crazy expensive super-refractor diamond parallel 1/1 rookie issues being chased by pack-rippers these days, it's still the 1951 Bowman rookie card of Mickey Mantle that leads the charge as the single most important debut pasteboard of the post-war era. One glance at any example of this card; the horizontal image of the young peach-fuzzed kid from Oklahoma, obviously taken during spring training, seems like an almost mythical portrait of the American dream. Just think of it; a small-town kid makes good on the biggest stage in the world! Mantle also serves as the ultimate comeback story as he originally fell to the pressure of expectations, only to return to become one of the most storied heroes in Yankees history, and all of baseball. The offered example boasts a stunningly well-defined image that is highlighted by deep bold colors. The surface is void of any distractions such as obtrusive print lines which is quite common to the issue. The centering on the front is shifted a bit, very common for the issue, but the four corners appear to come to appropriate 90-degree angles in an above-grade fashion. The reverse, however, is positioned very well on the center of the canvas, offering a striking contrast of the deep blue-inked bio set against the stark gray stock. A strong EX/MT example of this exceptionally popular rookie card of hobby icon Mickey Mantle.