[brianp-beme]

Not a title that will excite the masses, but I just discovered that both the W520 and W522 strip cards are almost positively not a 1920 issue, but instead likely a 1921 production.

The key card that points to a later issue date for these two sets, which I discovered while posting a W522 card on ebay, is Goldie Rapp. Both the W520 and W522 have exactly identical artwork for each 20 set, just different numbering...1 through 20 for W520, and 31 through 50 in the W522 set. Goldie Rapp (like every other player) is in both sets. Zack Wheat and Mike Gonzalez both have 2 cards in each set.

Goldie Rapp was acquired before the 1921 season by the New York Giants from the minors. Before 1921 he had not played in the major leagues.
Also, Goldie was traded to the Phillies on July 1st of 1921. I believe, however, that he is depicted as a New York Giant, as probably 11 other players in each set were either New York Giants during the 1921 season, or had just finished their Giants and MLB careers (Larry Doyle and Benny Kauff) in 1920. Christy Mathewson was included in this set, even though his career was over by 1916. Overall there wasn't a lot of players from different teams included in these sets if you choose 1921 as the issue date, as the only other clubs represented were Brooklyn at 3 cards, Cleveland 3, Yankees 1, and the Pirates 1. Dave Bancroft was a Philadelphia Phillies player until June 7, 1920, when he was traded to the Giants, making his inclusion likely the result of the fact that he was then a Giants player.

So being that Rapp was not a major leaguer until the 1921 season makes 1921 almost undoubtedly the issue date for both of these sets.

Brian