Historical Hockey Memorabilia Auction Fall 2019
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/5/2019
A rare and dreamed-of occurrence is the sighting of Bert Corbeau’s coveted V145-1 card #25, with an oh so infrequent opportunity to secure one offered here. The Corbeau rookie card, one of the hobby’s most elusive, was released in limited quantities by the William Paterson Company, so it would not have to give away too many pairs of skates, which was the prize for collectors back in 1923-24 who assembled a complete set of Paterson Hockey League Bar cards and mailed it to the Brantford, Ontario firm. Those redeemed cards surface with punch holes and have the date and "CANCELLED" stamped on the back. This tantalizing Corbeau example was not redeemed and there is just one other similar card that has ever been graded higher than this one, with SGC assigning it a 40 VG 3 grade. A 60 EX 5 condition leader shows up on the SGC Population Report, along with one other 40 VG 3. PSA statistics for non-cancelled Corbeaus include two at GOOD 2 and one "AUTH". There are also just seven cancelled cards between the two companies (none of any type in Beckett holders), all in the AUTH to GOOD 2 range. No creases or unsightly flaws to report in the image here, with a one-inch vertical crease visible in the upper left border. A diamond cut is also observed.
The Corbeau card’s story is intriguing indeed, while Bert’s story is somewhat fascinating. The Penetanguishene, Ontario native is said to have been a respected defenceman and the most penalized d-man of his era, twice leading the NHL in penalty minutes while with the Toronto St. Pats, the team identified on this card. He was the first NHLer to rack up over 100 penalty minutes in a season and the first to play for both the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs. Prior to the league’s formation, Corbeau contributed to the Canadiens’ first Stanley Cup championship in 1915-16 and played for the Habs for eight seasons. During the flu epidemic that cancelled the 1919 Stanley Cup final in Seattle and that claimed the life of Montreal’s Joe Hall, Corbeau is reported to have been the only player not hospitalized(!). Corbeau = tough, Corbeau’s V145-1 card = tough, tough! Good luck if you decide to participate in this exciting, thought-provoking hobby event.
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