This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/21/2011
Similar in design to his famous and exponentially more common T206 "Dark Cap" variation, the 1919 T213 Coupon Cigarettes issue of Christy Mathewson ranks among the single rarest Mathewson cards in the hobby. While the card itself and the name of the issue might look and sound somewhat foreign to those unfamiliar with post-T206 tobacco sets, advanced hobbyists know better. In fact, when it comes to tobacco sets, the word "Coupon" will excite and intrigue even the most accomplished collectors in the hobby. The reason for this is simple. So scarce are all three types of T213s issued between 1910 and 1919 that complete checklists for each of the three sets cannot be confirmed. Variations continue to surface, with many collectors hoping that future additions to the checklists will also be discovered, but only time will tell. As for their appearance, while the cards closely resemble the T206 set, their backs clearly identify them as Coupon Cigarettes, produced in either Factory No. 3 or 8 in Louisiana, and the fact that the set was only a regional issue makes it exceptionally difficult to collect in its entirety. Finally, the cards measure a good fraction of an inch smaller than the typical tobacco card format, and so they often present a slightly unusual appearance. Conservatively graded PSA 7 NM, offered here is one of the single finest examples of Christy Mathewson's Type 3 issue from 1919, a very sharp and visually stunning piece that would unquestionably rate much higher were it centered just a few hairs further to the south. The second most important card in the set, following only Ty Cobb, this unusually scarce "Matty" reports a total population of just 8 on record at PSA, with just one other PSA 7 and two higher. So scarce is this set, in fact, that no other card reports a total population in double digits. For the discriminate high-grade Hall of Fame collector addicted to true scarcity, this one's for you.