October Legends Closing October 27,2018
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/27/2018
Graded VG-EX+ 4.5 by PSA. Rookie Card. This is the only example at its tier (with two graded higher) among a total of twenty-one copies recorded in PSA's census reporting. Offered is a superlative specimen of the first legitimate trading card picturing Hawaiian swimmer, surfer and Olympic Games gold medalist Duke Kahanamoku. This peerless athlete from the tropics was esteemed as much for his grace, humility and good sportsmanship as for his incredible athletic abilities. Duke Paoa Kahanamoku (1890-1968) introduced the sport of surfing outside the Islands, and he is widely considered to be the father of international surfing. For much of his life he served as a living symbol of Hawaiian hospitality and goodwill. An understandably sought-after, high-demand collectible, this charmed T230 hails from a maddeningly condition-sensitive production: owing to the large-sized cards' distribution with loose, "scrap" tobacco, they're typically seen with numerous creases, as well as cracks in their delicate surface gloss. The collectible presented here, though, concedes minimal physical discrepancies other than routine and mostly peripheral evidence of respectful handling. A very scarce and abundantly significant period memento, in Very Good to Excellent-plus condition.