An appealing and scarce card of for this obscure player, as its pose "catches" Tony Hellman leaning forward to snag a wire-suspended ball on invisible string in the photo studio. It features excellent image contrast by N172 standards and might've been stored away from direct light for most of the last century.

Hellman played exactly one game in what we now consider the 19th century major leagues, going 0-for-3 as an 1886 Baltimore Oriole. His Sioux City stop marked the end of a modest, six-year pro career, and he passed away in 1896 at just age 36.

This card appears as #221-4's reference image on page 264 of the Old Judge photography book by Miller, Gonsowski, and Masson. Love of the Game is proud to offer several cards seen in their outstanding work of research and presentation as part of our 100+ N172 listings in this auction.

The SGC VG-EX 4 grade resembles a modern card more than most N172s, with slightly rounded corners, modest border toning, and light handling (or storage) marks on the reverse. The right edge bows outward somewhat, a result of the irregular hand-cutting performed at the factory and certainly not distracting.