1909-11 T206 Sweet Caporal Rube Marquard "Hands at Thighs" PSA 8.5 NM/MT+

Up for grabs is one of the finest T206 Rube Marquard "Hands at Thighs" variations known within the hobby. Recently graded PSA 8.5 NM/MT+, this prodigious specimen appears to have just missed consideration for a MINT grade due to a minor touch to the left edge (immediately left of the "N" in NY) and a small print dot near the upper left corner. And that's it. Every other feature displays prominent, indeed unimprovable, MINT+ to GEM MINT qualities. The centering is perfect, the corners are sharp enough to have been cut yesterday, and the remaining edges are faultless. The front surface displays sufficient registration with a powerful array of appealing and boldly impressed colors, while the immaculate Sweet Caporal reverse can hardly be improved. Surpassed by only 2 superior MINT 9's at PSA from the entire selection of T206 population reports, neither of which could be significantly sharper than the offered example. In fact, given PSA's recently elevated standards for MINT, which the sunlight-deprived graders often confuse with GEM MINT, I wouldn't be surprised if the offered example presented noticeably more prominently than either (or both) of the MINT specimens on record.