This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/11/2016
As it as been since Topps introduced "The Commerce Comet" in 1952, the 1966 Topps baseball collection is again led by the coveted example of Mickey Mantle, which poses a challenge to collectors seeking the highest grade qualities. The 1966 set is arguably the toughest 1960s Topps set to find with consistently accurate centering, and yet the presented specimen is virtually spot-on within a bone-white border, perfectly framing an iconic image of the immortal pinstriped legend. An important facet of this particular specimen is the immaculate sharpness of its background, amplifying the cavernous dark shadows of old Yankee Stadium. These dark-printed areas typically show light traces of scattered print dust, but not here. The top left corner leaves no doubt as to its GEM MINT flawlessness with the other three endpoints easily reaching past MINT status toward PSA's ultimate rating. The reverse is every bit as impressive as well, a gleaming white canvas with deep, clean pigments of black and salmon laid upon it, clearly and concisely laying out the iconic resume of The Mick over his then 15 years of major league service and touting his mind-boggling 18 career World Series homers in a cartoon to the right of his nameplate. Currently, only one finer example exists, and the difference can only be negligible compared to the sheer awesomeness offered here.