This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/7/2013
Offered is without question one of the scarcest collectible cardboard keepsakes of the incomparable "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, a stunning and altogether electrifying presentation of his E270 1912/13 Colgan's Chip Tin Top card. In 1909, the Colgan Gum Company of Louisville, Kentucky began placing 1-1/2” baseball player cardboard disks known as "Stars Of The Diamond" (designated as E254) within their small round packages that included their Colgan’s gum product. For three consecutive years, these exact disks continued to be inserted in the gum packages until a minor change was made to the disk style in 1912 when a delicate red border was placed around the circumference of the outer edge. Additional changes included slight changes to the verso’s advertisement as well as the obverse side player and team names now appearing in “round” letters which relates to the positioning of the typography around the player’s image as opposed to a horizontal text that was situated across the illustration. In 1912 as well as 1913, a new Colgan Chip round disk was designed called “Tin Tops” which eliminated the perimeter red border but also included the side “round” letters. While a majority of the reverse side advertisement indicates a similar photograph offering, the one minor change included the Colgan’s Chip Company’s redemption process now requesting both the tin tops and a 2 cents stamp in return for the desirable photograph. Of paramount interest and importance is the fact that the final installment of the Colgan's releases the "Tin Top's", was the only issue which in fact contained the ultra rare and absolutely spectacular installment of the legendary "Shoeless" Joe Jackson collectible! Hall Of Fame manager Connie Mack traded the legendary batsman from the Philadelphia Athletics to the Cleveland Indians on July 30, 1910. Joe Jackson batted only 40 times during the 1908 and 1909 seasons with Philadelphia, managing only 6 measly singles to the tune of a paltry .150 batting average. Sent back to the minor leagues, Jackson was “tearing up” the Class A Southern Association with the New Orleans Pelicans when he was dealt for the light hitting Bris Lord, traded for several reasons headlined by the fact that Mack knew that a country "Rube" Jackson could never make it in a town like Philadelphia. The featured keepsake features Jackson a mere seven years before the infamous Shakespearean tragedy of the 1919 World Series would play out and change the futures of both Jackson as well as the game forever. On the offered collectible the South Carolinian batsman seemingly peers out from the humble round sphere as if he is noticeably distracted, and much more preoccupied by his craft that the very insistence of a photographer attempting to garner his image takes needed time away from his diamond deeds. The prized memento is 1 of just 4 copies on the combined census reports at both SGC as well as PSA. The technical grade rendered by the astute graders at SGC is a compilation of minor to moderate chipping at the edges as well as a small amount of acceptable soiling. The central image of the heroic athlete abounds from the interior of the object with reverence to both the exalted status of "Shoeless" Joe Jackson as well as the mythical and legendary acclaim of this tremendous keepsake. The reverse is a pleasing creamy white stock with a deeply black inked advertisement for Colgans Violet Mint Chips that has a minor amount of spotting assuring all enthusiasts that the item has in fact plied its trade and was rendered from the inside of the company canister. Offered in pleasing and impressive SGC 20 (1.5) FR with and abundance of spectacular eye appeal!