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1912 T202 Hassan Triple Folder "Ty Cobb Steals Third" Ty Cobb/George Moriarty tobacco card, signed by Cobb just above the image in the center panel, together with its original mailing envelope. Encapsulated as Authentic by PSA/DNA, the signature is graded a MINT 9. Cobb has beautifully signed the card in bold, black ink. This is one of the most desirable of the five Cobb cards in the 1912 T202 Hassan Triple Folders series, featuring Cobb on both an end and center panel. The center panel features Cobb in his famous sliding pose, which is based on a photograph by legendary photographer Charles Conlon. Despite the fact that Cobb was very obliging to autograph collectors during his retirement years, this is the only signed T202 card of his we have ever seen. The reason for the rarity of autographed Cobb T202 cards is not hard to understand. Even though T202 Triple Folder tobacco cards have been popular and widely collected since 1912, few collectors back then had either the inclination or opportunity to get them signed. If the opportunity to get an autograph did arise, few fans happened to have a T202 card of the given player handy. To get a T202 card signed took planning or was accomplished with great effort by mail, as seen here. The interest in autographed cards is relatively recent, and with the passing long ago of players from the 1910 era, every T202 card that is signed is unusual and noteworthy. Cobb died in 1961, well before autographed cards became popular, so it is not surprising this is the only signed example (to the best of our knowledge) of his T202 card that has surfaced over the years. The card itself is centered to the bottom, with deep, rich colors, and light wear to the corners. Several ink marks are visible on the back of the card, otherwise in Vg-Ex+ condition overall. The accompanying envelope, which features Cobb's return address (Menlo Park, California) preprinted on the reverse, is addressed to "George W. Hitner" (a Yale graduate and dear friend of Cobb) and is postmarked "Jun 12 1940." (More information regarding George W. Hitner is available by clicking this link: http://www.signedt206.com/an-extraordinary-ty-cobb-collection.) This is a tremendous prewar collectible that will be of great interest to card and autograph collectors alike and would make a worthy addition to even the most advanced T202 or Ty Cobb collection. Reserve $10,000.