Exceedingly rare social security card dating from the first year of issue in 1936, belonging to, and signed by, Olympic gold medal winner and film star Johnny Weissmuller. This is the earliest social security card that we have ever offered and the fact that it is signed by one of the greatest athletes of the twentieth century and the man whose name today is nearly synonymous with Tarzan, makes it especially significant. Weissmuller's signature has been beautifully signed in black fountain pen along the base and grades 9/10. Both this card and Weissmuller's robe (offered as a separate lot in this auction) have been consigned by Weissmuller's biographer, who received the  items directly from the Weissmuller family, with whom he enjoyed a close friendship. The card (3.25x1.75"), which is dated "12/30/36" in the lower left corner, remains in Very Good to Excellent condition. Full LOA from PSA. (Please note: the images of Weissmuller on our website are for illustrative purposes only, the photos are NOT included in the lot.) 

One of the most interesting aspects of this card is that the typed name reads "Peter John Weissmuller." Peter was the name of Johnny's brother, and the reason for his brother's name on this card goes back twelve years. When Johnny was preparing for the 1924 Olympics in Paris, he needed a birth certificate to travel abroad. Johnny didn’t have a U.S. birth certificate because he had been born in Freidorf, Romania on June 2, 1904. In January of 1905 the Weissmuller family (parents and infant Johnny) had emigrated to the U.S. and landed in Windber, PA. At the time of the Olympics, his coach, William Bachrach, pulled some chicanery and had Johnny use his younger brother Peter’s U.S. birth certificate (Peter was born in 1905). Of course this was all unnecessary, because Johnny was a “naturalized” citizen by 1924, and had only needed to report this information to the proper authorities to get a passport. However, for years Johnny used the name “Peter John Weissmuller” on all his official documents, for fear of losing his five Gold Olympic Medals (the way that the Olympic Committee had taken away Jim Thorpe’s Gold Medals.)

In 1950 Johnny Weissmuller was voted “The Greatest Swimmer of the Half-Century, 1900-1950” by the Associated Press poll of sports writers and broadcasters. Johnny was also an international swimming star, winning five gold medals (in five races) between the 1924 Paris and 1928 Amsterdam Olympics, and was undefeated in every event between 1921 and his retirement in 1929.

After his swimming career was over, Weissmuller went on to everlasting glory on the silver screen as “Tarzan” of the movies. One dozen Tarzan pictures over sixteen years and sixteen more “Jungle Jim” films through 1956, made the name “Johnny Weissmuller” a household name and a movie idol of epic proportions. People all over the world are still watching Weissmuller’s “Tarzan” films and his photo is recognizable in every country in the world. Johnny was even a real-life hero in 1927, when he and his brother Peter were credited with saving the lives of eleven people after the tragic overturning of the pleasure boat, “Favorite,” during a horrific squall one balmy summer day on Lake Michigan.

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