For the first time in hobby history, a United States president’s card has sold for six figures.
It’s not George Washington. His top sale is $26,400 for a 2021 Bowman Cut Signature 1/1. Nor Abraham Lincoln, whose record card is a Civil War-era issue, which sold for $18,000 in October. Donald Trump had a record price paid for one of his 2011 Leaf autograph cards last month, yet at $48,000, it is not even close.
Instead, the honor belongs to William McKinley, the 25th president who held the White House in 1897-1901.
Mile High Card Company auctioned off a 1932 U.S. Caramel card of the rather forgettable president for a record $101,508 on Thursday night.
The card is a true rarity in the non-sports card world, with less than 10 known to exist. Graded SGC 3, the McKinley card beat out the previous record of $96,000, which was set in 2014 for the highest-graded SGC 5 copy.
Much like the tale of George Bush's 1990 Topps card, which has become a hobby favorite over the years thanks to its unique backstory, the McKinley card’s value arises from unorthodox origins: A candy company’s plan to prevent kids from winning free chocolate.
While McKinley rarely tops a list of U.S. presidents, generally falling in the middle of rankings by scholars and close to last when it comes to name recognition (though perhaps most notable as the answer to a trivia question regarding the names of the four U.S. presidents to be assassinated), his cardboard legacy is well intact.
Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct.