Lot # 2086: 1923 Christy Mathewson Signed Check with Letter From Mrs. Mathewson!

Personal check, dated February 2, 1923, signed by Hall of Fame pitcher Christy Mathewson. PSA/DNA has encapsulated the check and certified the signature as "Authentic." The check, drawn on the Adirondack National Bank of Saranac Lake, New York, is made out to "Boyce and Roberson" in the amount of $15.50. Signed by "Christy Mathewson" in blue fountain pen along the base. Mathewson's name is preprinted along the left border. Canceled checks have always been highly prized among autograph collectors due to the inherent authenticity they provide for the signatures. As most collectors know, Mathewson's signature is rare because of his untimely death at the age of 45 in 1925. As such, his signature is by far the rarest of the first five Hall of Fame inductees to find on a check. This particular example comes with the provenance of having been originally obtained from Mrs. Christy Mathewson in 1955. It is accompanied by a one-page handwritten note written by a young collector asking Mrs. Mathewson for an autograph of her late husband. He also asked her if she thought that any pitchers in the game at the time were the equal of her husband. Mrs. Mathewson was kind enough to send the offered check, as well as a reply to his question. She kindly responded at the base of the original note, where she wrote "Dear Robert, No pitcher in my estimation has ever, or can ever, equal Christy Mathewson. '37 games in one year is the record.' Mrs. C. Mathewson. 5/18/55." The check (8.5 x 3 inches), which displays normal bank cancellation stamps and holes (none of which affect the signature), displays a vertical fold and a small edge tear along the top-left border. Otherwise, it is in Excellent condition overall. The number "174" is lightly written in pencil in the upper left corner. Total: 2 items (check and letter).