Lot # 68: 1889 N172 Old Judge John Ward Portrait PSA EX-MT 6

Graded EX-MT 6 by PSA. One of only two examples graded at this level with just one higher. Stunning high-grade 1889 N172 Old Judge portrait of New York Giants Hall of Famer John Ward (pose #478-1). There are very few portraits in the N172 Old Judge series, let alone of Hall of Famers, and this card of John Ward has a particularly striking and unusual design as it includes Ward's identification and team affiliation in large white letters in an arc across his chest as well as along the bottom of the card. This is the only portrait of John Ward in the Old Judge series among the 10 poses in which he appears in the set. This a very attractive card, with strong contrast, light corner wear, and a clean blank-back. The Ward portrait pose is much rarer than most other N172 Ward poses, and is universally recognized as by far the most desirable and distinctive of the Ward poses. This is an exceptionally high-grade example of one of the most classic cards of the 19th century and one of the key Hall of Famer cards of the entire N172 Old Judge series.