Lot # 1314: 1956 PM15 "Yellow Basepath" Mickey Mantle Pin PSA EX 5

Graded EX 5 by PSA (submitted by REA). Attractive mid-grade example of Mickey Mantle from the very popular PM15 "Yellow Basepath" pin set. Issued in 1956, these pins were dispensed by bubble-gum machines in five-and-dime stores and at supermarkets. Mantle is the key to this 32-pin set. High-grade examples of these pins are rare because like all litho pins (as opposed to celluloid pins), they are extremely condition-sensitive. Litho pins are very susceptible to scratches because their designs are printed directly onto the metal, as opposed to being printed on paper and encased under protective celluloid, as is the case with celluloid pinbacks. The pin displays a number of scratches (common flaw with this set). A rarely offered mid-grade sample of this important Hall of Famer from one of baseball-pinback collecting's revered sets. Diameter: 7/8 inch.