1958 Topps Bob Clemente, White Letters #52 PSA Gem Mint 10 - The Finest Example Known to the Hobby! ...

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$195,000 on March 15, 2016

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1958 Topps Bob Clemente, White Letters #52 PSA Gem Mint 10 - The Finest Example Known to the Hobby! Roberto Clemente remains to this day one of the most beloved figures in the history of our National Pastime, and particularly among those fans of a Latin heritage. Though it was teammate Bill Mazeroski who clubbed one of the team's most famous home runs to claim an unlikely World Championship for the never-say-die Pittsburgh Pirates and it is the great Honus Wagner, who is considered "the" All-Time Greatest Pirate, neither holds a such an endearing and intimate place in the hearts of fans as does Roberto Clemente. He will always be remembered as the heart and soul not just of his Pirates teammates, the people of Pittsburgh and the people of his native Puerto Rico. Here we present one of the most pristine and desirable cards from his career to surface in the collecting hobby. Ironically, his death came at a time when the greatest concern was a plane being hijacked, not coming to a unthinkable demise, and that the doors leading to Cooperstown closed on his career with exactly 3,000 hits, as if fate was concerned history might forget the man who retired with a .317 BA and 2,999 hits.

Graded PSA Gem MT 10, this is the finest example on any census report. This the first and currently the only example to earn Gem MT status from a total population of almost 1,600 "White Letter" submissions to PSA. The "Yellow Letter" variant takes nothing away from how special this entry is as currently there are none rated "10." The lack of any hint that the card has ever been handled by human hands all but guarantees and confirms its status as "finest known." All others equivalently bold specimens lack one or more key attributes. This card has it all and then some. It is that intangible something one can't describe yet wants to cheer thanks to the combination of perfect centering, uncompromising surfaces, gloss, inks and corner quality.