Dating of The Reccius Cigar Card of Honus Wagner

[Robert_Lifson]

The Reccius Cigar Card of Honus Wagner has long been a bit of a mystery with reference to its precise dating. In the past, many collectors naturally thought it dated from between 1897 and 1899 because Wagner is pictured with Louisville. In more recent years, this has been questioned in part because of the new information that came to light in 2005 when REA auctioned a Honus Wagner Cigar Box featuring the same image as the Reccius card:

http://www.robertedwardauctions.com/...n/2005/54.html

(The addendum for the Honus Wagner Cigar box description reads as follows:

Auction Description Modification: The title of this description refers to the Honus Wagner cigar box as dating from “Circa 1898.” This dating is in error. The box actually dates from between 1919 and 1926. It has long been misdated in the baseball world due to Wagner’s appearance on the box in a Louisville uniform. Until 1917 cigars were taxed by weight. In 1917 new law taxing them by selling price went into effect. That law was revised in 1919. In 1919, the small rectangle on the front of this box was created and required to appear on the box. The text in this rectangle reads as follows: "The cigars herein contained were manufactured to retail at nor more than 5¢ and are so tax paid." Any box that has this rectangle, or has a gold on blue revenue stamp, is post 1919. Robert Edward Auctions gives thanks to Mr. Tony Hyman, Curator of the National Cigar Museum, for his invaluable help in properly dating this cigar box.)

I recently received a very interesting email from great scholar and historian John Thorn (who is also Major League Baseball’s Official Historian) regarding the dating of the Reccius Wagner trade card. He knew I was very interested in this topic and sent me the following information, which I have cut and pasted below, with his permission, so that his research is not lost and is shared.

Thank you, John Thorn, for this valuable information that will be able to be reviewed and appreciated by card collectors (and thank you for all of your other countless great contributions to the hobby and baseball history as well!). Here’s the communication (and please note that the address of the Henry Reccius Cigar store is listed on the trade card as “2606 Elliot Avenue, Louisville, Kentucky”):

Thought you'd like to know this, regarding Wagner Reccius Cigar card, conventionally dated 1897-99 ...

john

Subject: Henry Reccius in Louisville City Directories
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2014 15:22:10 -0400


Verdict: Wagner card could have been issued no earlier than 1903 and no later than 1918. See below:

1878 cigarmaker, resides at 690 Grayson, near 22nd

1885: cigar manufacturer, works 28th, opp Magazine; John Reccius, baseballist, resides 2224 Grayson, as does Philip REccius, same line of work.

1891: Henry Reccius is at Elliott Avenue near intersection with 27th Street

1892: Cigarmaker at R.N. Ewell & Co., resides 23343 Green

1893: Cigarmaker at R.N. Ewell & Co., resides 23343 Green

1895: cigarmaker, C.C. Bickel & Co., resides 2216 Eddy

1897: cigarmaker, resides 2216 Eddy

1898: cigarmaker, resides 2216 Eddy

1899: cigarmaker, resides 2216 Eddy

1900: Henry is a cigar manufacturer in Louisville at 2803 West Broadway

1902: Henry is a cigar manufacturer in Louisville at 2803 West Broadway

1903: Henry is a cigar manufacturer in Louisville at 2803 West Broadway

1904: Henry is a cigarmaker, residing at 2606 Elliott

1905: Henry is a cigarmaker, residing at 2608 Elliott

1906: Henry is a cigarmaker, residing at 2606 Elliott

1907: Henry is a cigarmaker, residing at 2606 Elliott

1908: Henry is a cigarmaker, residing at 2606 Elliott

1909: Henry is a cigar manufacturer at 2606 (2608) Elliott

1910: Henry is a cigarmaker, residing at 2608 Elliott

1911: Henry is a cigarmaker, residing at 2608 Elliott

1913: Henry is a cigarmaker, residing at 2608 Elliott

1917: Henry is a cigarmaker, residing at 2608 Elliott

1918: Henry is a cigarmaker, residing at 2608 Elliott

-end John Thorn email-

The Reccuis Wagner is a great card regardless of whether it is his rookie card dating from 1897-1899 (as once commonly believed) or actually issued many years later (as certainly appears to be the case). To the best of my knowledge, only two Reccius Cigar Wagner trade cards are currently known to exist: 1) one in private hands (graded “Authentic” by PSA, sold at public auction in 2012 for $21,400); and 2) one graded PR-FR 1 by PSA that has been sold at public auction several times since 1997, last appearing at auction in 2006 ($52,039) and subsequently donated to the Hall of Fame by collector Hal Lewis (according to the plaque that accompanied it when on display). Interestingly, Bob Lemke’s blog documents a (presumably different) third example pictured in the December 6, 1950 edition of The Sporting News! Here’s a link:

http://boblemke.blogspot.com/2013/03...n-in-1950.html