Lot # 531: 1887 N175 Gypsy Queen Charles Comiskey (HOF)

Category: 19th Century

Starting Bid: $750.00

Bids: 4 (Bid History)

Time Left: Auction closed
Lot / Auction Closed




This lot is closed. Bidding is not allowed.

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



In addition to the N172 Old Judge set, tobacco manufacturer Goodwin & Co. of New York also produced Gypsy Queen Cigarettes, inserting cards of baseball players in packages of Gypsy Queen Straight Cut Cigarettes.

Similar to an N172 Old Judge in design, these N175 cards contain advertising for Goodwin's Gypsy Queen brand, issued in two different sizes (with identical images) that bear the same ACC designation. The small format cards are virtually identical to N172 cards save for the advertisement outside the arched border at the top. Although this set mirrors its N172 counterpart in the images used, it stands on its own in regard to rarity. The cards are rare enough that the checklist - currently numbering approximately 140 cards - is considered incomplete.

Presented here is one of the most desirable of all the Gypsy Queen Hall of Famers, that of Charles Comiskey. A quick examination of the card quickly reveals it is heavily altered, the image of Comiskey heavily trimmed from its original card, remounted inside the borders of another card, and carefully re-backed. The end result is a card that looks clean and is obviously a Gypsy Queen Comiskey, but one that has undergone quite a bit of surgery.

Unquestionably, an all-original, authentic N175 Comiskey would sell for tens of thousands at auction today.  Presented here is the next-best thing: a more affordable Hall of Famer from a very rare and very valuable set.

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