19th century " Holy Grail "

[E93]

I think when you move to 19th century Holy Grail cards, extreme rarity to a much greater degree than the Wagner or Mantle goes without saying. If the Holy Grail must have 50-75 known copies like the Wagner, then you immediately eliminate 99% of the cards that probably first come to mind for the vast majority of 19th century collectors.

I would still go with the Anson, primarily due to being in the most popular and widely collected set and being arguably the top 19th century player. But I probably would not eliminate the Just So Cy Young just because only one is known. That would be a sort of definition of Holy Grail in some respects. And Cy Young is somebody who is widely known outside the hobby, due the award named after him. Most avid baseball fans today probably could not name two 19th century hall of famers for what that is worth.

My rank would be:
1. N172 Anson in uniform
2. Just So Cy Young
3. 4BH Kelly

Honorable mention: N167 Ewing