1888 N173 Old Judge "Dogs Head" Cabinet Mike "King" Kelly SGC GOOD 2

Graded GOOD 2 by SGC. Exceptionally rare 1888 N173 Dogs Head cabinet card featuring Hall of Famer Mike "King" Kelly with Boston (batting pose #254-5). All N173 Old Judges are rare, but examples with Dogs Head advertising are particularly rare and extremely desirable. In fact, this is only the second Dogs Head cabinet featuring a Hall of Famer we have offered during the past twenty-two years! This is a spectacular example of one of the all-time classic nineteenth-century cabinet cards and one of the most impressive of all "King" Kelly cards. Mike "King" Kelly is one of the most prominent of all nineteenth-century Hall of Famers. He was also nicknamed "$10,000 Kelly" after Chicago sold his contract for that amount to Boston following the 1886 season. At the time, $10,000 was an unheard-of sum for a player, but Kelly was so great and such a popular draw with fans that he was worth it. The image on this card is very bold, with strong contrast and tremendous detail. The evidence of album removal on the reverse of the card is responsible for the modest grade. This is an extraordinary Hall of Famer example from one of the most revered and substantial of all nineteenth-century cabinet-card series.