1923 W572 Strip Card Set

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Fast Facts

Year(s) Issued: 1923

Set Designation: W572

Number Cards: 120

Card Size: 1-3/8″ x 2-1/2″

Common Card Value (Good Condition): $35

Scarcity Rating: (1 to 10, 10 scarcest):  7

W572 Strip Card Set

Keys For Collectors

• Distributed in strips of ten cards, these ‘Strip Cards’ were issued anonymously in 1923
• A number was printed between the first two cards on the ten card strip, so some cards may have a number on the left or right of the card. (source)
• The fronts of the cards feature black-and-white images (there is also a sepia variation) of players, with the player name in white cursive lettering and the team city in capital letters.
• There is also a copyright symbol with lettering, which varies depending on the image that was the source for the set–the majority leverage trademarks from the Copyright International Feature Service, although there are some others that are found in the set.  (source)
• The card images are the same as those used in the E120 American Caramel issue of 1922, except for the Ty Cobb card.
• The 120-card set features some of the era’s biggest names, including Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Walter Johnson, and Tris Speaker.
• The cards are not impossible to find but relatively scarce; PSA has graded over 600 cards in the set, for an average of 5 cards per player. 

W572 Strip Card Set – An Underappreciated Gem

The W572 Strip Card set tends to be an unforgotten strip card issue. This is probably because it gets confused with the more popular American Caramel E120 issue.

Babe Ruth E120 American Caramel

Babe Ruth W527 Strip Card

The cards were issued in twelve ten-card strips. As shown in the strip below, a mysterious number is printed between the first two cards on the strip.

A fantastic ten-card W572 Strip Card features a Cobb and Ruth. (source Mile High Card Auction)

One of the most incredible resources regarding the W572 Strip Card set is a piece put together by Patrick Prickett.

Some interesting notes from Prickett: he notes that there are THREE variations to the set- 1)sepia with a grey back, 2) black and white with a grey back, and 3) black and white with a white back.

Here’s a sepia Ruth and a black and white Ruth:

A Sepia W572 Ruth

A Black and White W572 Ruth

The cards are much tougher to find than the more popular E120 set, but if you can find any at an affordable price, they are well worth the investment.

W572 Cards for Sale on eBay