1909-11 T206 Ty Cobb RED PORTRAIT, SWEET CAPORAL MBA PSA 7 NRMT

One of the inaugural inductees into the Baseball Hall of Fame alongside Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Honus Wagner, and Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb ranks among the best athletes in sports history. More than any other statistic during his career, his batting average stands out. He hit over .300 for 23 consecutive seasons and possessed an uncanny ability to read pitchers. In 1911, the Georgia Peach hit .419, led the league in 11 categories, and won the MVP award. The NHL (1917), NFL (1920), and NBA (1946) had not yet started, so baseball dominated the sports landscape. Since fans listened to games on the radio, most people never saw the players. Companies that manufactured gum, candy, cigarettes, and other products capitalized on the public’s interest by using players’ images—usually in the form of lithographs—to sell their goods. Collecting Cobb offered fans a way to connect with him. The American Tobacco Company inserted its “baseball pictures” into the distinctive yellow slide and shell boxes of Sovereign cigarettes and 15 other products from 1909 to 1911. Cobb’s T206 issue contains four variations. Although this Red Portrait is not the scarcest, it is still popular among collectors. This particular card has a Sweet Caporal back noting ""350-460 Subjects"" and ""Factory No. 30."" When it comes to stunning copies, this one is in elite company. Graded a NM 7, it's a pop 1 in the PSA registry with just one copy ranking higher. The certification number on this card has been checked against the third-party grader's online database and is active as of 06/12/2026.