Lot # 34: 1886 N167 Old Judge Joe Gerhardt PSA GOOD+ 2.5

Graded GOOD+ 2.5 by PSA. Rare and extremely desirable example of New York Giants infielder Joe Gerhardt from the 1886 N167 Old Judge series. As detailed in the May 2013 article on N167 Old Judges in Old Cardboard magazine, while this set has always been identified as being issued early in 1886, it is very possible (in fact, we think a virtual certainty) that the N167 set actually dates from 1885. Few nineteenth-century cards compare in rarity or significance to N167 Old Judges. These cards represent the very first series of baseball cards ever issued by Old Judge and feature photogravure portraits based on photographs by Joseph Wood. In addition to their very distinctive look, they are also the only Old Judge series to feature advertising on the reverse. The thin stock on which N167s are printed makes them especially susceptible to tears and other damage. The offered card displays moderate creasing, even corner wear and a small stain on the lower-right corner. The image of Gerhardt, however, is bold and crisp. The important printed advertisement on the reverse is boldly printed. In addition to their enormous significance as the very first tobacco baseball card set, N167 Old Judges have always been recognized as extremely rare. The numbers speak for themselves: To date, only fifty-five examples from the series have ever been graded by PSA or SGC, including five Gerhardt examples, and we believe this number may actually be slightly inflated due to cards being crossed over from one company to another. Whatever the true number, N167s are rare! It is a privilege for us to offer a sample from the N167 Old Judge set! This is an extraordinary sample of one of the most highly prized of all nineteenth-century baseball-card rarities that would be a significant addition to even the most advanced world-class collection.