SCP Auctions, Inc.
Timed Auction

Spring Premier Auction 2018

Wed, Mar 7, 2018 04:00PM EST - Sat, Mar 24, 2018 11:00PM EDT
Lot 70

CIRCA 1893 GEORGE DAVIES (CLEVELAND SPIDERS) PIFER & BECKER CABINET PHOTO (JAKE VIRTUE COLLECTION)

Sold for
$4,555.20
Sold Price includes BP

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$0 $10
$200 $25
$500 $50
$1,000 $100
$3,000 $250
$5,000 $500
$10,000 $1,000
$30,000 $2,500
$50,000 $5,000
$100,000 $10,000
$200,000 $20,000
$300,000 $25,000
$500,000 $50,000

The Following Lot Originates from the Jake Virtue Estate Collection (click here for info.)

George Washington Davies was a Major League pitcher from 1891-1893. He pitched for the Cleveland Spiders in 1892-1893. His lifetime record was 18-24 with a 3.32 ERA and 166 strikeouts. He was a teammate of HOF’ers Jesse Burkett John Clarkson George Davis Buck Ewing and the immortal Cy Young. His very short career makes this Cabinet Card an extremely rare representation.

Davies is featured here on this stunning cabinet produced by the Pifer & Becker Photo Palace of Cleveland Ohio. This cabinet along with the five other Pifer & Becker cabinets in the Jake Virtue Collection featured in this auction bear the same images featured in one of the nineteenth-century collecting world's holy grail card issues the 1893 Just So Tobacco card set. All Just So Tobacco cards which exclusively feature Cleveland Spiders players are exceedingly rare. It has been estimated that fewer than twenty-five examples in total are known in the entire collecting world with fourteen different players represented. The matching images of these cabinets with their Just So counterparts leaves no doubt that these cabinets are the parents of that revered issue.

The rarity of this George Davies cabinet is only equaled by its extraordinary condition. From the crystal clear image to the gold gilt edges of the 4-1/8” by 6-1/2” mount the entire piece demonstrates the highest standards of photographic quality and presentation possible from the era. Graded NM 7 by PSA it almost unfathomable that such a piece could survive for a century-and-a-quarter in this state of timeless regality.  LOA from the Jake Virtue Estate.

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