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Gilbert MainesCoins and stamps being Government issued, have documentation of circulation strikes and mintages. And both have been collected from their outset.
The baseball card hobby only really began when the first annual price guide was issued. So much information was lost. But that the information is not easily recoverable seems strange to me.
Id normally say ... many have tried, and failed. But evidence that actual trying has not occured is everywhere. Wasn't it only a year or so ago that one of us noted that the Boston uniform on Caruthers in the N28 set establishes that the set was produced a year later than was thought. His presentation of this insight was along the lines of "please tell me that I am not the first to notice this ..."
Perhaps there is plenty of room for some investigative work still left in the hobby.