Cool article by PSA on Top 20 rarities

[Baseball Rarities]

Originally Posted by mrvster

but we have no idea how they were distributed....

You are right, we do not know how these cards were distributed. There were two backs made for each of the two teams - Baltimore Terrapins (Federal League) and the Baltimore Orioles (International League). While both of the backs contain the teams' schedules, one seems to have been issued by the team while the other looks to have been distributed by the Baltimore News. The Baltimore News version has a space to fill to whom the card was given to, but who knows whom that was supposed to be. The only example that I have seen filled out had the name "Cromwell 14" on it. Your guess is as good as mine.

I have seen 10 different Ruth cards. There was supposedly an 11th card that was literally lost by its owner. The first time that I ever saw one offered was in the late 1980s in an Alan Rosen auction. I believe that card was purchased by Jim Copeland and subsequently sold in the famous 1991 Sotheby's sale. REA had an example in 1997 and Sotheby's sold the Halper example in 1999. I am not aware of any earlier sales than these.

Maybe Dan McKee can chime in. He and his Dad are more familiar with this issue than anyone else that I know.