1955/56 Topps Hocus Focus Series of 23

[Archive]

Posted By: Dave Hornish

OK, it is amazing to me this checklist is still incomplete. I don't have a 2008 Standard Catalog but the 2007 shows the following numbers as unknown:

11, 17, 19, 22, 23

In 2003 Bob Lemke published an update in SCD that listed three heretofore unknown cards:

#2 Gehrig
#4 Lopat
#10 Rosen

I had speculated years earlier that #2 could have been an old timer and that was confirmed by Lemke's article. I also surmised a run of the cards from #3 (Groat) to at least #18 might follow the players as issued in the series of 18 and the finding of #'s 4 and 10 in the series of 23 supported my theory, at least in part.

The pattern may extend to #19, which may or may not be Spook Jacobs but because Card #20 in the series of 23 would correspond to #18 in the series of 18 and it does not (It is Karl Spooner whereas the shorter series of 18 ends with Mel Parnell) so Jacobs may not be the correct name to fill the hole in the checklist.

Following my logic, #11 is likely Mayo Smith and #17 is likely Hal Smith. That leaves #'s 22 and 23. Does anyone know of these or any of the other unconfirmed numbers? Could the last 2 cards also be old timers? These are rare but not impossible cards so the answer is out there.