Goldin Elite Auction Ending May 22-23
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/22/2021
This lot closes on May 22nd, 2021 at 10:00 PM EDT for initial bids.
This remarkable and excruciatingly scarce card – an insert with Zeenut candy – portrays future New York Yankees legend Joe DiMaggio during his tenure with the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League. Zeenut cards were distributed up and down the West Coast for more than 25 years. The issue was devoted exclusively to the PCL, which had a wide, loyal following. DiMaggio was the king of the PCL – he led the Seals to the PCL title in '35, and earned the league's MVP award while finishing the year with a .398 batting average to complement 154 RBI and 34 homers – and it's ironic that his name was mispelled "DeMaggio" on this important card.
Graded GD 2 by PSA. Hall of Famer. An outstanding and significant piece, the offered collectible, its apparently modest grade notwithstanding, is one of the finest examples of its kind in the hobby: the population of DiMaggio Zeenut cards from this series with coupon intact can be tallied on the fingers of one hand. On this entry, the bottom-edge appendage reveals an "expiration date" of April 1, 1936. The card's photo is brilliantly detailed, its concessions to age and fragility taking the form of a few small, superficial issues. Wear to the full-bleed corners and edges is consistent with the grade and fundamentally inoffensive. Mild touches of stray pigmentation appear on the unprinted, otherwise unmarked reverse. A milestone DiMaggio heirloom boasting tremendous visual impact, in Good condition.