LOT Old Heritage Auctions  /  2006 October Signature Sports Auction #705  / 

19612

1939 Lou Gehrig Retirement Presentational Plaque

Currency:USD Category:Sports - Cards & Fan Shop Start Price:1,500.00 USD Estimated At:6,000.00 - 8,000.00 USD
1939 Lou Gehrig Retirement Presentational Plaque
<B>1939 Lou Gehrig Retirement Presentational Plaque.</B></I> The most heartbreaking and inspiring moment in baseball history came on July 4, 1939, when the heroic Iron Horse bade farewell to his fans with the unforgettable words, "Today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth." One of the many gifts bestowed upon the departing legend was a silver charger engraved with a poem entitled "American Sportsman," and the names of all of his Yankees teammates. As a special gift to a select group of VIP's, the famed makers Dieges & Clust fabricated a small supply of plaques bearing the same text. This one was presented to Gehrig's close friend and Treasurer of the New York Yankees Frank Linder a few years after that sad Independence Day. A short note on Col. Charles J Dieges' business card, affixed to verso, dedicates it to Linder. The plaque measures 7x13" in size and shows light wear from decades of storage, but nothing that can diminish the tremendous visual and historical appeal. Only those closest to this monumentally important figure owned one of these touching memorials. Will you join that elite group with a winning bid? Letter of provenance from Linder's grandson is included.
Sign In to Bookmark Lot