V89 William Paterson set likely issued in 1924, not 1922 or 1923...show what you got!

[brianp-beme]

The Canadian issue V89 William Paterson cards are identified by PSA and SGC as a 1922 issue. I have seen it elsewhere listed as a 1923 issue. At some point I put it down in my hobby notes as a 1924 issue. Thanks to Brian's post about the Waite Hoyt card in this set that evidently pictures fellow teammate Herb Pennock, I decided to look into this set a little and see if I could narrow things down.

There are 50 cards in the set, and 36 of these pictured players were firmly entrenched with the team designated on the front of their card during the 1922 through 1924 time frame. Big name examples from this group include Ty Cobb with the Tigers, Walter Johnson with the Senators, and Tris Speaker with the Indians.

It is the other 14 players in the set that might help with bringing the date of issue into focus.


First are the following that could indicate a possible 1922 date, with the team designated on front of card noted:

Joe Bush/Yankees - played exactly three years for the Yankees, which happens to be 1922 through 1924

Everett Scott/Yankees - began playing for Yankees in 1922

Heinie Groh/Giants - began playing for the Giants in 1922

Clyde Milan/Senators - last year in MLB 1922, with the Senators

Del Gainor/Cardinals - last year in MLB 1922, with the Cardinals


The following are players that started playing for the team designated on their cards during the 1922 season:

Hugh McQuillan/Giants - traded to Giants on July 30, 1922

Travis Jackson/Giants - MLB debut with Giants on September 22, 1922. Played 3 games.


The following are players that started playing with the team designated on their cards at beginning of 1923 season:

Willie Kamm/White Sox - major league debut in 1923 with White Sox

Jack Bentley/Giants - began playing with Giants at start of 1923 season

Herb Pennock/Yankees - first year with Yankees in 1923


Player that began playing for team designated on their card during the 1923 season:

John Watson/Giants - with Giants starting June 7, 1923


Players that began playing with the team designated on their card at beginning of 1924 season:

Joe Oeschger/Giants - played 1920-23 with Braves, and played with Giants in 1924 until picked up off waivers on July 1, 1924 by Phillies

Dave Bancroft/Braves - first year with Braves 1924

Chick Fewster/Indians - first year with Indians 1924


Mystery designation:

Rube Marquard/Dodgers - last played for Dodgers in 1920, played with Reds in 1921, and with Braves from 1922 through end of career in 1925


So what do I make of all this? The V89 set is not a common issue at all, in fact after almost 40 years collecting vintage I still have not seen images of a good portion of this set. Because of this scarcity, I highly doubt that this was a multi-year production. Couple this with no known team designation variations, and I think most would likely agree with me.

If we consider the set being issued only during one year, I believe the earliest this set was issued was early 1924, as Chick Fewster was traded from the Red Sox to the Indians (the team designated on his card) on January 7th, 1924. Furthermore, Joe Oeschger was sent from the Braves to the Giants (the team designated on his card) on November 12th, 1923 in the trade that brought Dave Bancroft to the Braves (the team designated on his card).

Another less conclusive but still noteworthy fact is that almost half the set (24 cards) depict members of either the Yankees or Giants, which played each other in consecutive World Series in 1922 and 1923.

Of course there is always the Rube Marquard, which lists him being a Dodger, whom he last played for in 1920. There always has to be a head scratcher for the researcher.

Brian