1922 W503 is actually 1923?

[Brian Van Horn]

Gentleman,

I like W503s, but the Al DeVormer card brings into question 1922 as the year they were printed. He was traded to the Boston Red Sox on January 3, 1923. Here is the Al DeVormer biography from SABR:

https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/254926bc

[nolemmings]

From an old Lew Lipset auction:
http://www.oldjudge.com/archive/200604/baseball/headliners/1/

In it he states "W503's are mislabeled as an anonymous issue ("W") by Jefferson Burdick in his American Card Catalog. These blank-backed 1 5/8 by 2 3/8-inch B&W cards actually were issued in clear plastic wrappers with caramel candy in 1923 in the New York, St. Louis and San Francisco Bay regions. They should be considered "E" cards."

[brianp-beme]

Brian, it looks like somebody did some research on this set, as Beckett has it listed in their set description that it was likely issued in early 1923. It looks like the rest of the collecting world has not caught up to this info.

I wonder if this affects any rookie card designations?

https://www.beckett.com/baseball/1923/w503

Brian