"Big Sam" Thompson gained fame as one of baseball's first great sluggers, finishing his career with a then-whopping 126 home runs. It took Babe Ruth's arrival to break Sam's RBI record for a season, and Thompson was also part of baseball's only all-.400 hitting outfield with Tuck Turner (.416), Ed Delahanty (.407), and Billy Hamilton (.404) on the 1894 Phillies. Cooperstown inducted Sam in 1974 via the Veterans Committee.

The grade of SGC PR 1 follows the close-cut and uneven edges, as well as its faded photo. We're fortunate that its nameplate and jersey confirm the variation particulars! The reverse includes residue from an album mount, followed by collector notes, almost certainly tracking how to classify this set itself.

This N172 Philadelphia team variation for #456-4 proves tougher to find, as the team purchased his contract in the fall of 1888 and Old Judge editors pasted the visible "Philadelphia" tag on his jersey. It's also one of the pink-tinted Old Judge cards, following a vogue for hand-tinting in those years. While grading companies and collectors can be unpredictable in sorting out all variations for a given N172, this pose will hold extra appeal to those seeking HOF players, tinted cards, and team variations, even with this otherwise faded appearance.