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Graded VG 40 by SGC. One of only two examples graded at this level by SGC with none higher! More important, the offered example is one of only three cards to ever receive a numerical grade by either SGC or PSA! If we had to make a list of the ten most important baseball cards of all time, it would be impossible to not have the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings trade card near the top of list. In addition to being one of card collecting's great rarities, it has a unique historical significance as it features the very first professional baseball team: the legendary 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings. Led by Harry and George Wright, the Red Stockings toured the nation and went undefeated for ninety-two consecutive games. Because of their dominance, the team was a legend in its own day, though at the time, of course, no one could have imagined the impact it would have on the game. Just two years later the National Association, baseball's first all-professional league, was formed in large part because of the success of the Red Stockings. Shortly thereafter, in 1876, the National Association gave way to the National League, and baseball officially became big business. By any definition, the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings trade card is one of the earliest of all baseball cards and one of the few collecting icons representing the birth of both professional baseball and the "baseball card."Several known varieties of cards feature this classic team pose of the 1869 Red Stockings. The smaller CDV style is known with several different backs; most known examples are blank backed. The larger Peck & Snyder trade card is recognized as the most desirable of the several card styles featuring this image of the 1869 Reds, both because the players are identified on the front of the card and because this style features advertising for Peck & Snyder's "Base Ball and Sportsman's Emporium" ("126 Nassau Street, New York") on the reverse. Peck & Snyder was a leading retailer of baseball supplies at that time. The larger trade-card style, of which the offered card is an example, is known with red or black printing on the front and back of the mount, as well as several variations to the advertising on the reverse. The offered example is the most desirable style, with red printing on the mount and with the classic Peck & Snyder advertising on the reverse. The photograph retains its strong original contrast, which is notable as the photo quality of 1869 Reds team cards is often very poor, and many times the contrast does not even allow for the reading of the "C" logos on players' shirts. The photo contrast on this example, while moderately light, still allows for all the "C" logos on the uniforms to be clearly seen with the naked eye. The back is boldly printed and clean with only a few light creases visible. This is especially noteworthy for a card such as this where the advertising on the reverse has such great significance. The actual mounted photograph is in Excellent condition. This is an outstanding example of the highly prized 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings trade card that would be an extremely important addition to any world-class historical baseball collection and an extremely significant highlight in any advanced collection of nineteenth-century cards. Reserve $25,000.