Offered here is not only one of the finest Honus Wagner signatures we have ever seen, but one of the most unusual. Wagner has signed this lined index card "John Henry Wagner" in blue fountain pen, below which he has added his team affiliation and the date: "Pirates 1946." PSA has encapsulated the card and graded the signature GEM MINT 10.

Honus Wagner's birth name was John Peter Wagner, but his family and friends called him Hans or Honus (the German equivalent of John). When signing legal documents (including checks), Wagner normally signed "J. Honus Wagner" or John Honus Wagner." We have never seen a "John Henry Wagner" signature and the example offered here may be unique. The quality of the signature is extraordinary and may relate to what's on the reverse of the card. There, Wagner began to write his name in blue fountain pen, beginning with the more familiar "J. Honus" form. However, his pen was apparently leaking badly (as evidenced by the heavy bleeding and ink stains), so he took great pains to make sure his signature on the opposite side was flawless. In that regard he succeeded, as it is one of the boldest Wagner signatures one could ever hope to obtain. The only question, and one that will never be answered, is why he scripted his name "John Henry Wagner?" Wagner was serving as a coach with the Pirates in 1946, a position he held from 1933 to 1951. This card is part of a much larger signature collection compiled by our consignor's father in the late 1940s ("The New England Autograph Collection"). All the items from the collection are featured in thirty-one separate lots in this auction, including many prominent Hall of Famer autographs. The index card (5x3") bears typewritten biographical information for Wagner along the top border and, aside from the ink bleed on the reverse, is in Excellent to Mint condition.