Lot # 679: 1932 PR2 Orbit Gum Pins - Numbered Complete Set (57)

This 54-player pin set (plus three team variations for a total of 57 pins) was issued by Orbit Gum circa 1932 and is catalogued in the American Card Catalog as "PR2." This is one of the few quality pin sets of the era, and also one of the few pin sets to be issued by a gum card manufacturer. This set, of course, is closely related to the 1933 R305 Tattoo Orbit set, one of gum-card collecting's premier 1930s issues and was issued at the same time. Each pin measures 13/16 inch in diameter and features a player portrait lithograph set against a green background. The player's name and team is printed on a yellow strip beneath the portrait image. Each pin is numbered at the very bottom and the set begins to skip number after #40. The set is highlighted by Jimmie Foxx, Dizzy Dean, and many other Hall of Famers. The surface of these pins chip and wear very easily, as they are "lithos." The colorful images are printed directly on the metal pins as opposed to being printed on paper and then covered with celluloid. The complete set ranges in condition from Vg to Ex-Mt, averaging Vg-Ex/Ex. The backs of most pins are either partially or completely rusted, a common characteristic for these issues. One pin (English/without bat) is graded EX 5 by PSA. This issue is not yet on the radar of most 1930s gum card collectors, but would be a worthy accompaniment to any 1930s gum card collection. Total: 57 pins.