Lot # 675: 1909 T204 Ramly Charley O'Leary - SGC VG 3

Category: 1900-1948

Starting Bid: $50.00

Bids: 13 (Bid History)

Time Left: Auction closed


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Item was in Auction "Summer, 2024 Premier Auction",
which ran from 9/12/2024 4:00 AM to
9/28/2024 9:00 PM



T204 Ramly Cigarettes cards of 1909 feature a beautiful black-and-white portrait of each player encircled in an ornate border with the player's name, position, and team affiliation printed at the bottom. The cards, which are embossed and highlighted with gold ink, are extremely condition-sensitive because they are printed on flimsy paper. The gold borders are also very susceptible to chipping, as is the case with most gold-bordered cards. Between the outstanding player selection and the overall beauty of the issue, higher-grade examples from the set are extremely pricey, making affordable specimens tough to find.

SGC has only ever graded 13 total examples of this 1909 Ramly T204, with only eight receiving a higher grade than the VG 3 offered here of Detroit shortstop Charley O'Leary.

Centering is very nice on this one. There is some edge wear and chipping that is so common with the set's gold borders, particularly noticeable in the soft, rounded corners. Minor creases are found in each of the bottom corners, with some snow and a spot of soiling within the portrait area. Luckily, O'Leary's face and body is free from any major defects, leaving the image bold and powerful. The reverse is generally clean, with light soiling along the left and right sides, and a couple small spots near the center. Soiling is not unusual for these cards, where the embossing can act like a dust magnet.

Attractive Ramlys are among the most beautiful cards in the hobby, but the eye appeal of the issue can sometimes suffer in the lower grades. The scarcity of this issue far outweighs any perceived cosmetic flaws on this example.

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