A New Date for the Pathe Freres Babe Ruth: 1920 -- UPDATE: PSA NOW AGREES!
 

PSA Update in post 10.


PSA and SGC have long graded the Pathe Freres Babe Ruth as a 1921 issue, but it is, in fact, from 1920. This is significant as it is his first year with the Yankees and, of all the cards that share that distinction, this is by far the nicest. (I happen to think it is his nicest card overall - it is terrific in person.)

I wrote about this with Lyman in Old Cardboard several years ago based on there being two versions of the back, one showing 5 homeruns in September, 1920 and no season total and the other showing his full season with 10 homeruns in May and a season total at the bottom:

https://www.oldcardboard.com//eNews/...eNews157.htm#2

Love of the Game also points out that the photo used is from 1920 because it features the black arm band that the Yankees wore in 1920 in memory of Ray Chapman, who died that year.

https://bid.loveofthegameauctions.co...ce?itemid=7720

The new piece of evidence, and the nail in the coffin for the 1920 date, is the Saturday Evening Post ad featured in the LOTG sale. I just dug into this looking for a date and discovered that it was published in the Saturday Evening Post on October 9, 1920 (Volume 193, Issue 15, Page 37):

https://archive.org/details/sim_satu...ge/36/mode/1up

So this makes this a 1920 issue, not 1921.

(I have just emailed Lyman to ask that the Old Cardboard article be update with this new information, so if you click that link above and see the new information about the ad, it means he has already added it.)

I’ve always thought it a 1920 issue. Here is a REA lot which includes corroborating newspaper ad and a correctly dated PSA example.

https://robertedwardauctions.com/arc...-advertisement

Thanks John - I think that is called 1920 following the 2017 Old Cardboard piece. PSA slabbed the one in the lot you linked as 1921, not 1920.

The physical characteristics do not establish an issue date but do rule out an earlier than date. An item with images or stats from 1921 cannot be a 1920 issue; an item with images or stats from 1920 can be a 1921 issue. The advertising is the most persuasive information for any of these undated items (e.g. 1947 Bond Robinson).

Of all the things I kick myself in the ass I didn’t buy years ago, this photo is near the top of the list. So cool.

Great research Bryan thanks for posting, fantastic image too.

Bryan, nice work!

I got REA to list the PSA example as 1920 with the evidence of the advert. Btw, the REA example and the SGC one you pictured are the same card I believe. I purchased an SGC 4 and crossed it. I’ll track it down. Cool!��

+1 I have owned a few and should have kept one. Great research and card!
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1920 Ruth
 

The fact that Ruth’s 1920 September home runs listed on the back was incomplete always led me to believe this was a definitive 1920 issue. If a 1921 issue, why would the manufacturer not list Ruth’s remaining September homers to complete his 54 total? Glad to see it has now been proven to be an undisputed 1920 issue. Great detective work!

I have a raw Pathe and sent it to PSA and worked with them and they just graded it as a 1920 issue with two variations, so if you have one of these and want to see it slabbed as Ruth's first year on the Yankees (1920) you should be able to make it happen now.

Awesome work on this, Bryan, to get a TPG to change the dating for this premium. I'll probably send mine in to get reholdered some time to the new date. It's crazy how tough PSA is with grading it however. Yours looks much better than a 2.5, and I've felt that mine were undergraded also.