1971 O-Pee-Chee Don Money #49 Philadelphia Phillies

Description

1971 O-Pee-Chee Don Money #49 Philadelphia Phillies Nothing satisfies a vintage Philadelphia Phillies collector quite like this 1971 O-Pee-Chee Don Money #49 Philadelphia Phillies single, a condition sensitive black border beauty that captures the franchise at the dawn of a new decade and its young infielder just as he was stamping his name into the big league conversation. Don Money arrived with the Phillies in 1968 after signing out of Vineland, New Jersey, and he earned a berth on the 1969 Topps Rookie All Star Team as a shortstop before sliding over to third base for the 1970 season, a journey the text on the reverse of this card proudly recounts. Nicknamed Mandrake the Magician for his unmistakable glove work, Money would later blossom with the Milwaukee Brewers into a multiple time All Star and one of the most respected defenders of his era, which keeps steady demand for his early Phillies issues more than half a century later. What elevates this particular copy is the reverse: it is an authentic Canadian O-Pee-Chee bilingual back, printed in Canada with the full career write up in both English and French on the bright yellow stock that defines the O-Pee-Chee run. It is not a Topps back and it is not a puzzle back; it is genuine Canadian issue cardboard, notably scarcer than its American counterpart and increasingly targeted by set builders and registry collectors. The 1971 design is famous for its full bleed black borders that reveal every whisper of handling, so copies holding this level of eye appeal are pursued aggressively in both raw and graded form. The front portrait shows Money in the classic Phillies red cap with rich color and a crisp facsimile autograph, and the card presents wonderfully for display or for a possible third party grading submission. front centering reads roughly 55/45 side to side and 52/48 top to bottom, the upper right corner carries the most noticeable light wear with gentle softening on the other three corners, there is minor white speckling along the black border on the right edge, and the bilingual back shows mild corner wear and light even toning, with no creases, wrinkles, stains, or writing visible in the photos. Because the card is photographed inside a protective sleeve, minor glare may conceal very small surface marks, so the grade estimate below is conservative and a careful resubmission review could return an upside surprise. For the Phillies faithful, the Canadian baseball historian, or the Money family collector, this is a smart, affordable anchor single with authentic 1971 character. Grade Estimate: EX 5