1922 W501 Strip Card Set

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w501-back

Fast Facts

Year(s) Issued: 1922
Number Cards:  120
Set Designation: W501
Card Size: 1-7/8″ x 3-3/8″
Scarcity Rating: (1 to 10, 10 scarcest):  9
Common Card Value (Good Condition): $40

Full W501 Checklist

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Keys For Collectors

  • Each card has a ‘G-4-22’ notation in the top left corner and the card number on the top right. 
  • Speculated that the ‘G-4-22’ was used to represent the print date – April 22nd. 
  • The fronts of the cards feature player photos with white borders and blank backs.
  • Set is anchored by the cards of  Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Babe Ruth and Tris Speaker among others.
  • The card fronts are identical to the E121 Caramel set—the biggest difference is that the E121 set doesn’t have ‘G-4-22’ in the corner, and E121s have text on the back.
  • Rhett Yeakley has also identified two variations in the set, which he refers to as W501-1 and W501-2.  
  • W501-1 has ‘G-4-22’ in the corner, while W501-2 does not. The W501-2 cards don’t have a number in the top right either.
  • To make things even more confusing, there is another Strip set (W575-1), which is a direct copy of the W501 set. Graders often confuse the two – the W501-2 cards are on a much thinner stock with a grainier photo than the W575-1 card.
  • Super scarce; PSA has graded a total of only ~150 cards

The Confusion – W501, W575-1 and E121 –Which Is Which?

One thing that was confusing to me as I was researching this set is that there are three identical variations, including the W501-2, W501-2, W575-1 Strip Card and E121 American Caramel issues.

How do we tell the difference?  (Again, hat tip to Rhett Yeakley for all his hard work on this set). 

First, the E121 American Caramel card is an easy tell–it has an advertising back, like this:

e121-back

Back of an E121 American Caramel Card

In comparing the other three variations, we can also easily distinguish the W501-1 card due to the G-4-22 and the card number on the top of the card. Occasionally, you might have a card that is trimmed on the top, in which case it would be impossible to distinguish.  

Howeve, regarding the W501-2 and the W575-1 cards, if you examine closely, the W501-2 card has a much grainier print, and if held in hand, you can observe that the W501-2 has a much thinner stock in comparison to the W575-1 cards.

W501-1 Roush

W501-2-roush

W575-1 Roush

W501 Cards for Sale on eBay