In its April 2007 auction, Mastro offered this incredibly rare 36-card uncut sheet of 1948 Bowman Basketball high numbers (#37–72), including George Mikan’s iconic rookie card. But what makes this sheet particularly interesting is its unusual printing.
The cards are missing their normal red and blue ink, creating monochromatic fronts (grays). The reverse is even more interesting, featuring overlapping printing from three different Bowman issues: 1948 Basketball, 1948 Movie Stars, and 1949 America Salutes the FBI.
Mastro speculated that the sheet may have been used as a printer’s proof or resulted from the factory using random stock while bringing its presses up to color.
A somewhat similar sheet, missing only its red ink and featuring normally printed backs, sold for $6,960 in REA’s Spring 2005 auction. You can read more about that sheet in REA’s auction archive.
Fortunately, collector Matthew Weiss has done some excellent research into these unusual cards. In his Sports Collectors Daily article, he explains the two recognized variations: No Red and No Color/Overprint Back. The latter category, which includes cards like those on the Mastro sheet, is particularly scarce.
Weiss has also assembled an extensive 1948 Bowman Basketball reference page featuring examples, population information, and some fascinating historical research into how these production oddities may have escaped Bowman’s factory.
While complete sheets are exceptionally scarce, you can occasionally find individual 1948 Bowman Basketball No Red and Overprint variations on eBay.
I haven’t been able to trace the Mastro sheet beyond its April 2007 appearance, but I’d love to know where it ended up. Has anyone seen it offered publicly since? If you have any additional information about this particular sheet, please reach out!
Happy Collecting!
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