This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/4/2020
The T206 Honus Wagner card may be the undisputed king of the hobby, and while the Ty Cobb with Ty Cobb back and Joe Doyle variation have been grabbing headlines lately, the smart money knows that the extremely scarce Eddie Plank card still ranks as one of the most coveted specimens of all-time. It's understandable that Plank is often overlooked in discussions about legendary hurlers of his day; Plank never led the league in any of the major pitching categories but delivered consistent excellence over 17 seasons that landed him a 326-194 record and a career 2.35 ERA with 69 career shutouts and World Series titles in 1911 and 1913. Thought to have a total population of around 100 known examples, the T206 Plank really isn't far behind Wagner in terms of scarcity yet doesn't command the seven-figure price tag of a Wagner in similar grade. There's plenty of speculation as to why the Plank card is so rare, from broken printing plates to his objection of his likeness being used to peddle tobacco to demanding sufficient compensation for the use of his image. But it really doesn't matter; what matters is that there are plenty of advanced collectors on the prowl to get their hands on one, and we've got one here for them to get their hands on. The featured card is graded SGC 1.5 and sports the difficult Sweet Caporal Series 150/Factory 30 reverse. We've had some Series 350 examples in the past and one thing that is noticeable about this example is the considerably sharper, more focused image of the Hall of Famer, not only in the detailed features of Plank but the considerably more intense Athletics "A" on the jersey. While the SGC grade is appropriate given the wear around the perimeter and diagonal creasing that runs through the center, all of the blemishes are transcended by that wonderful artist's rendering at the forefront of a steely blue backdrop. The reverse shows stray print that is scattered on the canvas but the Sweet Caporal ad is plenty bold and centered almost perfectly. Heck, maybe you can take a run at this rare beauty and pick up the Wagner, the Cobb/Cobb, and the near-complete set that are also featured in this auction. Live it up!