Samuel Luther "Big Sam" Thompson was one of the game's early sluggers for the Philadelphia Phillies from 1889 through 1898. He had a career batting average of .331, with a career high of .415 in 1894. A great clutch hitter, he had more than 200 hits in a season three times, including a career high of 222 in 1893. He led the National League in Home Runs twice, RBI three times, and total bases twice during his Hall of Fame career.

One of five poses of Thompson in the N172 issue, this one depicts the Philadelphia Right Fielder standing with a bat in his right hand, and his left hand at his side.

Centering is slightly south on the canvas. There is some paper loss in the top left and bottom right corners, while the other two are rounded. Edges are soft and somewhat chipped, particularly the bottom edge. The back shows signs of being previously removed from a scrapbook or photo album, with tape residue and paper loss there which do not affect the front. However, the contrast on this card is brilliant, and the PHILADELPHIA across Thompson's chest is vibrant. His face is a little blurry, but that seems to be from movement during the photograph, not due to a printing error or any damage to the card. There is some light staining in places on the front, but this card still has plenty of eye appeal. PSA has only ever graded 6 total examples of this 1887 N172 Old Judge, with just four receiving a higher grade than the Fair 1.5 offered here.