1908-09 Rose Co. Postcards Walter Johnson SGC 45—First Offered and Only Graded by SGC or PSA!

• Sold For: $10,073
• Year: 1908
• Auction: 2014 August
• Lot #: 4
• Auction Category: Prewar Baseball - Early 1900s Cards

The First Example Offered for Public Sale! Graded 45 VG+ 3.5 by SGC. This significant 1908-09 Rose Co. Postcards Walter Johnson is not only one of the earliest collectibles of “The Big Train”, but it also resides as the only graded example of the Hall of Famer from the issue judged by either SGC or PSA. The well-traveled Johnson was born a Kansas farm boy before moving to California as a teenager and ultimately landing in Weiser, Idaho where he was discovered by a talent scout while playing for a semi-pro team. Dubbed the Weiser Wonder, it would not be long before Johnson was rebranded “The Big Train” as the perennial ace for the Washington Senators. The 1908-09 Rose Co. series is perhaps the most celebrated and difficult of all postcard issues. The portrait of the 20 year-old fireballer is ornately framed by a gilt embossed bat-and-ball motif. The black-and-white image is entirely absent of creasing or other significant wear. Tracing beneath the identifying caption is a diamond shaped field setting complete with gold stamped bases, base paths and two players. While negligible creasing traces throughout the field, they hardly impact the overall presentation of the artifact. Additional corner and edge wear is offset by the overall striking qualities of the obverse. Importantly, the correspondence reverse is absent of any writing, postage residue or cancellation marks.