EXHIBIT BASEBALL CARDS FROM 1951 TO 1953 --- WITH CHECKLISTS

 

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H.    1951 to 1953

             Inscription:  Made in U.S.A.  (Lower Case)      Size:    ½ inch or 17/32 inch

Cards from 1951 to 1953 can be counted together since they all have the inscription “Made in U.S.A.”, size ½ inch.

I am agreeing with the writers of other articles on these cards that those produced in 1952 were black and white not tan colored.  The 1951 pennant winners (printed in 1952) are black and white.  The 1950 winners (printed in 1951) and the 1952 winners (printed in 1953) were tan colored.

Some player cards were probably produced in one of the years or two of the years or in all three.    For example, Marty Marion is in the 1952 set because he is shown in a St. Louis Browns uniform on a black and white card.  He is also shown in a tan card which must have been produced in 1953.  He did sign with the Browns until late November of 1951.  He would not have been shown as a Browns player in the set in 1951.  The lists I have produced for these 3 years are identical except for Marion not included in 1951.  

Once again for 1951 and 1953 I am not sure what other cards from previous years were included.  The Mantle card for these years is tan colored.  I do not know if it was produced in 1951 and 1953.  I have seen a black and white card of Mantle on-line (which would have come from 1952). But I am not positive that it is a legitimate card based on the scan.  There are many Exhibit cards offered in online auctions which are not from the 1947 to 1966 dates and which are not identified as reproductions.  The gray or white backs are an indication that they are not originals.  Another way to tell fakes is to try to shine a flashlight through the card.  If you cannot see the light shining through, it is probably original.  I have tested a few fakes and found this trick is works in almost all cases.  (I am sorry that I cannot give credit to the person who recommended this test.  I cannot find the article where I first read about this technique.) 

Another note:  I have included the Walker Cooper card (which has no inscription) in 1951, 1952, and 1953.  My speculation is based on the fact that there is a black and white version which was probably produced in 1952.  I have read that some think this inscription omission is a cropping error.  But this is not the case.  More evidence for me is that the 1953 Cooper Canadian Exhibit card has no inscription. 

 I have purchased or seen a total of 29 other cards of these players in black and white with the Made in U.S.A. inscription of size ½ inch which I have included in my 1952 list.  

Moreover, I have included black and white versions of several older cards which could have been printed in 1952.   They come from sets from 1946 to 1950.  Again, these are only guesses as to what cards were printed from previous years based on the black and white cards that I own or have seen.  

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