1966 O-Pee-Chee Batman Hidden Loot #55 Last Card Canadian Printing Black Bat Series

Description

1966 O-Pee-Chee Batman Hidden Loot #55 Last Card Canadian Printing Black Bat Series The final card of the 1966 Black Bat series is always one of the toughest to find in any condition, and this 1966 O-Pee-Chee Batman Hidden Loot #55 gives Canadian set builders a shot at the elusive last number in the scarcer O-Pee-Chee printing. Norman Saunders' painting, developed from Bob Powell's layout, shows Batman scrambling across the deck of an armoured military vehicle, his cape flying and his utility belt gleaming as he closes in on the stolen loot, a composition full of the acrobatic energy that made the Caped Crusader a television sensation in 1966 when the ABC series starring Adam West debuted and Batmania swept across North America. The Black Bat set was the first of five Batman series Topps issued that year and it remains the most collected, and because card 55 sat at the end of the checklist it was often the last one kids tracked down, the one traded most and handled most, which is why high grade copies are prized and even low grade examples find eager homes. This copy is the Canadian O-Pee-Chee printing, identified by the T. C. G. PRTD. IN CANADA line on the reverse, produced in London, Ontario, and considerably scarcer than the American Topps version. It is not a bilingual back and not a puzzle back; the reverse is the standard English only orange story back with the running Batman figure, the number 55 inside the black bat logo, the title Hidden Loot, and the closing line Collect the Entire Series of 55 Batman Cards. The story text wraps up the tale of The Baffler, a would be rival to the Riddler, who is caught by Batman within a block of his first robbery and boasts that his loot is hidden where it will never be found, only for Batman to locate it inside a tank at the nearby military museum, a fitting punchline to close the set. this card shows very heavy handling wear, with all four corners rounded to a pronounced curve, edge chipping and fraying with white stock exposed along every edge, a horizontal crease running across the upper third of the card through Batman's head and cape, a second diagonal crease along Batman's extended leg, general surface scuffing and loss of gloss, and light soiling in the green background. Centering is roughly 60/40 left to right with the wider border on the left and about 45/55 top to bottom. The orange back is toned and soiled with heavy edge wear, and there is a small abraded patch in the centre of the text panel where the surface has been rubbed away and a few letters in the words Riddler, tank, and found are missing, along with the same creases visible as faint lines. There is no writing and no tape. Because of that patch of surface loss combined with the creases and heavy rounding, we conservatively estimate this card at Poor 1, and while some graders might stretch to Fair 1.5 given that the front image is complete and colourful, buyers should treat this strictly as an authentic filler. For a collector chasing the Canadian Black Bat set, an original O-Pee-Chee number 55 at this price is a practical way to close out the checklist while the hunt for an upgrade continues. Grade Estimate: PR 1