2019 October Legends Closing October 19
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/20/2019
This unique and unissued, blank-backed proof piece from 1977 features Alan Ashby in a Cleveland Indians uniform – while retaining the Toronto Blue Jays team caption. Ashby was traded from Cleveland to Toronto in November of 1976; the card originally planned for 1977 showed the athlete still wearing Cleveland's uniform. The off-season trade brought about the need for a quick change, and Topps reacted by revising his 1977 Topps card to depict the catcher as a Blue Jay. But this captivating, full-color depiction, which exists only in proof card form, survived to illuminate the adjustment made by Topps to update its 1977 issue. Although visibly hand-cut, the offered card (which is also lacking the facsimile autograph feature employed in '77 Topps) concedes very little evidence of past handling. This is a very unusual and rare specialty piece that reflects a stage of production which is almost never made available for hobby scrutiny. (The final, as-issued 1977 Topps and O-Pee-Chee cards of Ashby feature two different photos of Ashby, both showing the player as a Blue Jay, and both displaying his facsimile autograph. Examples of these two, finished cards accompany.)