Lot # 653: 1922 W575-1 Collection (4): Berry, Brown, Fewster, and Gonzalez - All with Diamond Confectionery Company Stamped Reverses!

Impressive collection of four cards from the 1922 W575-1 series, each with a rare Diamond Confectionery Company ink stamp on the reverse. The W575-1 set is very similar in nature to the American Caramel Company E121 issue as both sets feature the same design and likenesses for many of the players included. Recently discovered by our consignor among his father's belongings, we are offering for the first time a total of five cards bearing this advertisement, including Babe Ruth. We know that W575-1 cards were available to retailers to stamp and use as a promotional vehicle. The lot consists of the following: Berry, Brown, Fewster, and Gonzalez. Condition is Pr to Fr overall. While not much is known about Diamond Confectionery Company, it does appear in business records from the period uncovered in the course of our research. The stamp on the reverse advertises a set of 150 prominent movie actors and actresses along with an accompanying album available in exchange for fifteen cents. The omission of "sports stars" from the description of the set is also interesting as it suggests there may have been multiple sets produced or that the company may have scrapped plans for the set altogether and considered a focus only on baseball players. We are also struck by the fact that the only players represented in this group of five cards are members of the New York Giants and New York Yankees, the two teams who appeared in the World Series that year and were featured as part of the extremely rare Koester Bread set, another set paralleling the W575 and E121 issues. We can only hypothesize as to whether or not there is any connection between these two sets, whether Diamond Confectionery was considering a set and abandoned plans, or whether there is an alternate explanation for how these cards came to bear this advertisement. Total: 4 cards.