Graded EX+ 5.5 by PSA. Among a PSA census total of 53 copies, only a single example of the "MAGIE" card has been awarded that tier, and just five specimens have achieved a higher assessment. (Competing grading service SGC has documented two narrowly higher-grade pieces.) Sherwood Magee was an accomplished hitter in the major leagues. He played for three teams over the course of sixteen years, compiling a more-than-respectable .291 batting average and leading the N.L. in RBI on four occasions. Magee retired as a World Champion with the Cincinnati Reds of 1919.

     The Portrait pose image of Sherry Magee is a familiar sight to collectors of the White Border issue. It’s relatively plentiful, and is typically added at an early stage of the set-building process. That is, as long as the card’s caption shows the proper spelling of the player’s surname: “MAGEE.” If, however, the cardfront reads, “MAGIE” – as seen here – it’s a whole different ballgame, altogether. A single altered vowel vaults the card from a conventional role to an extraordinary one, such that the “MAGIE” version commands reverence as a member of the “Big Four” T206 rarities. Over the course of the last century, “error card” collecting has become a legitimate specialty. The earliest ones were often as subtle as a character in a last name, the situation displayed here and later shared by Hall of Famer Hank Greenberg and others. (Modern “error” examples can be as outrageous as the knob of Billy Ripken’s bat.) Error cards pop up in most series during most years, and they’re typically followed by “corrected” counterparts. They’re intriguing, they’re usually scarce, and they’re necessary to the completion of the industry’s diligently assembled “master sets.” But absolutely none of them hold a fraction of the significance manifested in the high-quality “MAGIE” card presented here. Essentially, “MAGIE” represents the foundation piece of a decades’-long and devotedly pursued collecting fascination. He’s also a very rare and integral component of what is quite likely the most universally admired set of trading cards ever produced. During what must have been just a short period of manufacturing, the quality control people at the American Tobacco Company failed to detect this misspelled name. It was fixed rather promptly – as is shown by the adequate supply of corrected Magee Portrait cards – but the brief interval of inattention that allowed “MAGIE” to exist has reverberated within the industry for generations. The magnitude of this collectible – to the T206 collecting community, and to all who appreciate cartophilic history – cannot be overemphasized. This is one of the half-dozen finest “MAGIE” examples that have been confirmed to exist, and its physical characteristics overwhelmingly support that assertion.

     The color quality, print resolution and holistic aesthetic of this fabulous collectible are top-notch, and the piece exudes an overall freshness that is immensely pleasing. The precisely centered illustration reveals a trace of yellow at the top edge that has been left uncovered by the background’s predominant green hue; the reverse sports a vividly inked rendition of the issue’s, “Piedmont – 150 Subjects,” design. Light traces of clean wear are discernible at the top-edge corners, primarily from a back-side perspective. An unreservedly suitable, potential addition to one of the industry’s most refined T206 assemblies, in unique Excellent-plus condition.

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