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One of a Kind 1897-99 Reccius Wagner "Rookie" Card
We present here one of the most significant baseball cards in "the hobby". This one-of-a-kind card is the earliest known and hence the true "rookie" card of the most significant player in baseball card collecting history. <br> Graded a PSA 1 and dated by Professional Sports Authenticators (PSA) as "1897-1899", this beautiful rust-colored, oversized baseball card measures 3-3/8 x 4-3/4". Issued in the Louisville area during the earliest years of Honus Wagner's career, it shows him in his Louisville Colonels uniform. The Colonels merged (along with Honus Wagner) into the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1900. The card first surfaced in 1997 in the scrapbook of deceased Louisville resident Jesse Hathorn. The book contained other photographs and articles from the early 1900s. <br> Some controversies then arose because of a cigar box with a 1919 tax stamp surfacing which showed the same image of Wagner as on the Reccius card. However, the National Cigar Museum has confirmed these were a completely different brand from the "Hans Wagner" cigars sold much earlier by Henry Reccius. We believe this card is from the 1897-99 era from when Wagner was with the Colonels making this Honus Wagner’s true "rookie" card.<br> There are many reasons based on the exhaustive research done by many. They are as follows:<ul type="disc"> <li> It simply makes sense that the card would be produced during his career in Louisville as opposed to many years after. </li> <li> According to Caron’s Directory of the City of Louisville Reccius remained at the address printed on the card only until 1909. </li> <li> The use of the nickname Hans versus Honus dates to the earlier part of his career. </li> <li> The card has the look of the earlier pre-1900 period. It is on a relatively thin stock with a look dating it more the format of the 19thcentury trade card rather than something such as a T206 in 1909. This is before the baseball insert industry became more standardized with the advent of T206's and harkens back to the size of for example a Kalamazoo Bat. </li> <li> Printed on the verso is a famous "broadside ballad" entitled "St. Peter at the Gate". This is a pro-Union piece extolling the virtues of "Union Made" products. According to The National Library of Scotland the probable period of publication of this ballad is 1880-1900. </li> <li> According to the 1900 census, Reccius' address is the same 2606 Elliot Ave as printed on the card (unfortunately the 1890 census was destroyed in a fire). In 1909 the address changed to 2608 as the numbering of the streets in Louisville changed. Therefore, this card could not have been produced any later than 1909. </li> <li> Also, there is indisputable proof that Henry Reccius was making cigars as far back as 1870. </li></ul> We may never know the exact date of this card. However, in our opinion it is undoubtedly from his "rookie" years (1897-99). Either way, the ongoing controversy and obvious importance of any one-of-a-kind Wagner makes this a truly important piece for the pantheon of collections, ranking it with the truly great cards of the hobby.
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