The ‘holy grail’ of baseball cards is up for auction and it could bring $1 million
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One of the rarest baseball cards in existence is set to go up for auction later this month — and it’s expected to go for more than $1 million.
The coveted 1909 Honus Wagner cigarette card will be put up for auction on Oct. 13 by Goldin Auctions, a news release announced on Tuesday. The card is rarely available in the sports memorabilia world because there are “barely” any copies in existence, the release says.
The reason why the card with the face of a man whose name is barely recognizable outside the world of baseball is so historic partly because Wagner didn’t smoke cigarettes, Smithsonian Magazine said.
“The Wagner was part of a series of cards — later dubbed “T206,” for enigmatic reasons, by an influential collector — that were included in packs of American Tobacco Company cigarettes,” Smithsonian says. “Wagner demanded that the American Tobacco Company pull his card from circulation, which is why a mere 60 or so are thought to exist today.”
While the front of the card features Wagner’s face, the back is an advertisement for “Sweet Caporal” cigarettes, which was a well-known tobacco brand at the time, the release says.
Wagner, a shortstop, played from 1897 to 1917, mostly with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He led the National League in hitting eight times and had a career batting average of .328, according to Baseball-Reference.com.
He was elected in 1936 to the Baseball Hall of Fame’s inaugural class, which also included Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson and Christy Mathewson.
Wagner’s career earnings over his 21-season career are estimated at $134,550 — far less than his baseball card will bring in auction.
This story was originally published October 7, 2020 at 10:57 AM with the headline "The ‘holy grail’ of baseball cards is up for auction and it could bring $1 million."