1895 N566 Newsboy Cabinets #586 John Ward (Arms Folded) SGC 50

• Sold For: $5,288
• Year: 1895
• Auction: 2012 July
• Lot #: 2
• Auction Category: Pre-1900 Baseball Cards (1830-1899)

Graded 50 VG-EX 4 by SGC. Recently uncovered from an attic in Northwest Arkansas, this incredible 1895 N566 Newsboy Cabinets #586 John (Monte) Ward “arms folded” pose is hidden no more. While 2,107 base hits and 164 career victories from the mound are impressive enough, mere statistics only tell part of the tale. Ward was a champion of the player who rebelled against the reserve clause by forming the first professional sports labor union in history. The Ivy League educated Pennsylvanian retired after the 1894 season to pursue a legal career, which ultimately proved successful for the baseball players he represented. The determination that Ward held as both a player and lawyer is immediately noticeable on this 4-1/4 x 6-1/2” sepia-toned cabinet. Produced by the National Tobacco Works of New York City to promote their Newsboy brand, the mustachioed Captain of the New York Giants casts a stoic gaze on this prized 117 year-old premium. The mounted image is clear and entirely absent of creasing, surface scratching or crazing. The sturdy matting has sustained superficial perimeter wear and typical soiling inherent to prolonged storage. The “arms folded” pose is one of four total specimens judged by the grading service with only one faring better. Ward was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1964. For the advanced Cooperstown themed collector, it is difficult to conceive of a better choice than this nineteenth-century treasure.