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1909-1911 T206 White Border Rube Marquard Follow-Through - Newly Checklisted "Red 8" Variation

Sold For: $1,800
Year: 1909
Auction: 2018 spring
Lot #: 384
Auction Category: Prewar Baseball - T Tobacco Cards

Graded VG 3 by PSA. Very attractive example of New York Giants Hall of Famer Rube Marquard (follow-though pose) from the legendary T206 White Border series. The offered card is especially significant for the printing variation in the form of a "Red 8" next to the "NY" insignia on the left sleeve of his uniform. As a point of reference, the only other example we have seen appeared publicly in a November 2017 auction, where it realized $3,000 (in the exact same grade). The card is bright, crisp, and clean, both front and back, with light wear on the corners (more so on the upper left), and centering toward the top. Sweet Caporal reverse is clean. While some collectors have quietly been aware of the existence of this variation, it has just recently been recognized by the Standard Catalog, as well as PSA, and will be added to the PSA Registry as a legitimate variation. With that, the card joins several other notable caption variations, including the long well-known “Nodgrass” variation and the rare "Murr'y" variation. As collectors have become more sophisticated, there has been a growing appreciation for all great rarities associated with the landmark T206 set, including these extreme rarities that were not even known to exist until recent years and have subsequently been recognized as legitimate variations. Some collectors are quick to dismiss these variations because the nature of the variation, which was apparently caused by a printing plate defect affecting only a very limited print run, is subtle. In the future we have no idea if the Marquard "Red 8" card will be considered an obscure footnote to the T206 set or celebrated as one of the T206 set's extremely valuable rarities. In either case, it is certainly an interesting card to T206 scholars. The T206 set, affectionately known as "The Monster," is the most popular of all 1910-era sets and is still yielding new and exciting discoveries more than a century after its production. Incredible research is conducted on a daily basis into the intricacies of this legendary set. This is a fascinating printing anomaly that we believe will greatly interest collectors of the various nuances found within this iconic set. Reserve $300. Estimate (open).