Clear, well-contrasted image of Browns catcher Rudy Kemmler, nattily clad in his era's striped and strung St. Louis uniform. This particular card, Kemmler's studio pose, notes his spot on the 1886 championship roster, giving it special significance to championship collectors. That squad found great success under manager Charles Comiskey and beat Chicago's White Stockings four games to two, capturing the American Association's World Series title.

The mighty N172 Old Judge set includes two poses for Kemmler, portrait and batting, with a variation known on this portrait pose. This is part of the desirable "Brown's Champions" subset, and a very pleasing example at that. 

This card's SGC VG-EX+ 4.5 grade reflects modest corner rounding, flecks along the right edge, and a spot on the reverse that could be part of its original paper. It remains a standout mid-grade example, with just a dozen total on SGC's population report and one higher. It will be tough indeed to improve on any 19th century card this presentable.