Lot # 687: 1922 E120 American Caramel Complete Set (240) Including Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, and Walter Johnson

Presented is a rarely offered complete set of 1922 E120 American Caramel (Series 240) baseball cards, highlighted by 35 Hall of Famers, including Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, and Walter Johnson. The E120 American Caramel Company set issued in 1922 is universally recognized as the classic set from the 1920s. The E120 set’s 240 cards make it the only comprehensive set of the era and its striking design make it one of the most attractive baseball card sets of any era. The set features 15 members from each of the 16 Major League teams. All the players are pictured in full-length poses. The National Leaguers are printed in a green tone, and the American Leaguers in a sepia tone. The set includes three blank backs (Fletcher, Griffith, and Hornsby). Condition is 11% Vg to Vg-Ex, 14% Gd, and 75% Pr to Fr (including three altered with tape and 18 trimmed). We have selected four cards for grading and encapsulation by SGC. Keys: Alexander (Fr), Baker (Pr), Bancroft (Fr due to glue residue on reverse), Carey (Vg-Ex), Cobb (POOR 1), Collins (Fr), Coveleski (Vg), Faber (Pr), Frisch (Pr), Goslin (Vg), Grimes (Pr), Haines (Pr), Harris (trimmed, otherwise Vg), Hartnett (slight trim, otherwise Pr), Heilmann (Fr), Hooper (Pr), Hornsby (pencil on reverse, otherwise Vg, blank-back), Hoyt (Pr), Johnson (POOR 1), Kelly (Gd), Maranville (pencil on reverse, otherwise Vg), Marquard (Pr), Pennock (Pr), Rice (Vg), Rixey (Pr), Roush (Fr), Ruth (POOR 1), Schalk (Pr), Sewell (small pencil mark on reverse, otherwise Gd), Sisler (Pr), Southworth (Pr), Speaker (Pr), Traynor (VG/EX 4), Wheat (Fr), and Youngs (Fr). E120s are almost never found in set or even near-set form. They could only be collected one card at a time by buying packs of American Caramel. They were never offered by the company in complete-set form, and with 240 cards to collect, a complete set was a great challenge even in 1922. Assembling a set today, while theoretically possible, would be even a greater challenge and might be considered somewhat impractical by most collectors. This is a rare opportunity to acquire a complete set of this all-time classic 1920s baseball-card issue. Total: 240 cards.