How many different W519 versions are there?

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Posted By: cmoking

I had thought there were two different versions - one that is numbered, another that has no numbers. I have two Babe Ruths of the un-numbered version and I had thought they were the same card, but when I looked at them next to each other, it became clear they are different.

The first scan shows the two un-numbered cards, the Babe's smile is different. The second scan shows the numbered version of the W519, also a different background. I think I have also seen a different version, with a "fireworks" background of mainly blue, but some red colors in it too.

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Posted By: fkw

Here is the "fireworks" one (#20). It is so far uncataloged in the 2006 SCD book. The set is listed as "1920 W519- Numbered 2" on page 527, but there are only 2 cards in the checklist (no Ruth). It is the rarest, I have seen 2 on eBay in 5 years including the one I own.



Frank W

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Posted By: cmoking

Thanks for the image. Since yours is numbered 20, there must be at least 19 other cards in the set, right? It seems there is a lot of missing knowledge on these W cards. Maybe it is because collectors didn't appreciate these in the past and probably don't in the present either.

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Posted By: fkw

On the set W519 - Numbered 2

I have seen 6 different now in the 5 years Ive been really looking for them on eBay. Anyone else have W519's with the blue numbers??

Joe Murphy #12 uncataloged
Frank Frisch #13 cataloged
Eddie Collins #14 uncataloged
Guy Morton #16 cataloged
Babe Ruth #20 uncataloged
Kid Gleasen (Gleason) didnt get the number, uncataloged

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Posted By: fkw

By the way.. who is the Joe Murphy in the W519 sets. There is no such player in the Baseball Encyclopedia, not even close. Especially a catcher. It has bugged me for the last couple years.

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Posted By: fkw

closest players are Mike Murphy who played 1 game in 1912 and 14 games in 1916 all as a catcher. and Leo Murphy who played 34 games in 1915 all as a catcher.

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Posted By: warshawlaw

I don't think it is even possible to catalog all of the potential variations in these cards. If boxing from the analogous sets is any indicator (and I think it is), there may be literally hundreds of permutations on the same basic cards given color and printing differences.