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.
PSA has only ever graded 28 total examples of this 1909 Ramly T204, with
only eleven receiving a higher grade than the VG-EX 4 (MK) offered here of Cincinnati pitcher Art Fromme.
Centering
is slightly east and south on the canvas. There
is some edge wear and chipping that is so common
with the set's gold
borders, particularly in the corners and along the bottom edge. There is some light soiling along the sides, with a couple spots within the portrait area, as well. Fromme, however, remains the focal point of the card, and looks striking. The
reverse
is remarkably clean, save for a stamp which bears the name LOUIE DE PALMA, explaining the (MK) qualifier in the grade. Luckily, that stamp does not affect the front of the card, which still presents beautifully.
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.