1970 O-Pee-Chee Rich Robinson #26 British Columbia Lions EX 5

Description

1970 O-Pee-Chee Rich Robinson #26 British Columbia Lions EX 5 The 1970 O-Pee-Chee Rich Robinson #26 British Columbia Lions EX 5 card captures the speed and intensity of Canadian football through an energetic action pose. Robinson, wearing number 13, is pictured charging forward on the field in the Lions’ white and orange uniform. The diagonal yard line, empty grandstand, tall stadium lights, and deep blue sky give the photograph a dynamic period atmosphere, while the bright British Columbia lion emblem anchors the lower portion of the design. This is an appealing original card for collectors of the BC Lions, Canadian football, and vintage O-Pee-Chee issues. Released as part of a 115-card Canadian set, the 1970 O-Pee-Chee CFL series closely echoes the second-series format of 1969 Topps football. O-Pee-Chee distinguished its product with Canadian teams, stadium photography, and bilingual information. The black reverse contains Robinson’s biography in English and French, along with a green cartoon panel featuring football trivia. It is an authentic Canadian O-Pee-Chee bilingual back and is not a puzzle back. Robinson was born in Cumberland, Maryland, attended the University of Miami, and played defensive halfback for British Columbia. The card identifies him as a high school All-American and notes his ability as a punt returner, a demanding specialty requiring acceleration, field awareness, and courage under pressure. Defensive halfbacks have long been central to the CFL’s fast passing game because the league’s wider field and three-down format create additional space for receivers. Players such as Robinson needed the versatility to cover, tackle, and contribute on special teams, making this card representative of a uniquely Canadian style of football. Its photograph also provides an evocative view of late 1960s and early 1970s equipment, including the compact shoulder pads, high socks, and minimal protective accessories of the period. The card has visible but moderate corner wear, including softened tips and slight rounding, with the lower corners showing particularly noticeable handling. The cream front borders have age toning, scattered tiny marks, and minor edge chipping. The photograph remains colourful, with strong sky and turf tones, although light print speckling and small surface imperfections can be seen. Centering is somewhat biased, with differing border widths and a slightly irregular factory cut, but the player image, name, team, position, and logo are fully present. The reverse exhibits characteristic white chipping around the black perimeter, including rubbing at the corners and along the top and side edges. Its bilingual text and cartoon remain complete and readable. No definite crease is identified for this position, and there is no obvious writing, major stain, or paper loss in the provided images. The conservative EX 5 estimate recognizes solid visual appeal while accounting for corner softness, edge wear, surface marks, and centering. This is an estimated raw grade based solely on the photographs and not a professional grading result. Grade Estimate: EX 5