Issued in series between 1946 and 1949 by the Sports Exchange Trading Post magazine, the entire W603 set consisted of 113 7"x10" cards issued in 12 series during the four-year period. Among the first baseball collectibles issued after the close of WWII, these oversized photos served to remind fans of some of the great players of baseball history. Printed in black and white or sepia on thin stock, each series were sold for $0.50. 

This example features Lou Gehrig, issued as part of the star-studded Series 4. Of the 12 Series which make up the complete set, Series 4 is by far the best. The nine players included in Series 4 were Jimmie Foxx, Frank Frisch, Lou Gehrig, Lefty Grove, Bill Hallahan, Rogers Hornsby, Carl Hubbell, Babe Ruth, and Hack Wilson. Of that group, only Bill Hallahan didn't earn a plaque in Cooperstown, though even he was a 3-time World Series champion who led the league in wins in 1931 and was an All-Star in 1933.

This piece was issued five years after Gehrig's passing and described him as "Idol of all American League fans and one of the greatest first basemen of all time." Highlighted by a well-known portrait photo, the piece has been graded VG/EX 4 by PSA, though it is difficult to ascertain why the card is not housed in a higher holder. Light wear is evident, with some very light corner touches, a small abrasion near the bottom border, and light soiling around the perimeter. The oversized nature of these cards make high-grade examples difficult, and this is a very pleasing example. Regardless of the grade, the scarcity and importance of this issue far outweighs any perceived cosmetic flaws on this example.

PSA has only ever graded 11 total examples of this 1946 W603 Sports Exchange Series 4, with only TWO  receiving a higher grade than the VG-EX 4 offered here of Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig.