Also part of the Yahtzee Box Find, this lot includes a total of 116 hand-cut cards from 1922 through 1929 issues of the Zee-Nut E137 Pacific Coast League series. Produced by San Francisco's Collins-McCarthy Co., the cards were distributed in packages of the candy company's Zee-Nut product, a mixture of popcorn, peanuts, and coconuts similar to Cracker Jacks. The first four issues (1911-14) were taller cards (4" to 4-1/4" in height). Starting in 1915, the design of Zee-Nuts got much smaller and more delicate, ranging from 1-3/4" to 2" wide by 2-3/4" to 3-14" tall. There are zero Zee-nut sets (no complete, near or partials from any year) listed in the PSA Registry. That right there tells you just how difficult it is to complete one, let alone get close.
A total of 12 cards in this lot have been graded by PSA: seven are the only graded example in the PSA Pop Report; six are the highest graded examples between both PSA and SGC; and one is the only graded example, period. All cards in the 1911 Zee-Nut near set in Lot 20 and several among the 1915-20 Zee-nuts in Lot 21 have pencil marks on the backs made by the original collector, a local kid from the S.F. Bay Area who pulled each card from Zee-Nut snack packages. Most cards in this lot have no such marks and, therefore, do not warrant the "MK" qualifier. Here are the graded results listed by year of issue.
1922 Frank "Wildfire" Schulte, Seattle Indians: PSA PR 1 -- only one PSA graded (1 by SGC, PR)
1922 Paul Strand, Salt Lake City Bees: PSA PR 1 -- only one PSA graded (1 by SGC, FR)
1922 Ray "Wiz" Kremer, Oakland Oaks: PSA GD+ 2.5 -- one of two PSA graded (1 by SGC, PR)
1926 Earl Averill, S.F. Seals: PSA GD 2 -- total PSA pop 5, only one graded higher
1926 Ike Boone, Mission Reds: PSA FR 1.5 -- only one PSA graded (1 by SGC, VG)
1926 Lefty O'Doul, Hollywood Stars, PSA FR 1.5 -- one of two PSA graded
1926 Frank Shellenbach, Hollywood, PSA FR 1.5 -- only one PSA graded (1 by SGC, EX)
1927 Paul Strand, Portland Beavers: PSA EX 5 -- only one PSA graded (1 by SGC, AUTH)
1927 Red Killefer [sic, Killifer], Seattle Indians: PSA PR 1 -- only one PSA graded (1 by SGC, VG)
1929 Curt "Coonskin" Davis, S.F. Seals: PSA GD 2 -- total PSA pop 3, 0 higher (0 by SGC)
1929 Henry Kawaihoa "Prince" Oana, S.F. Seals: PSA VG 3 -- 1 of 2 PSA graded; other AUTH (0 by SGC)
1929 Cuckoo Christensen, Mission Reds: PSA EX 5 -- only graded example (0 by SGC)
See all Zee-Nut PSA Pop Reports: https://www.psacard.com/pop/#0%7Czeenut
While Earl Averill is the only Cooperstown Hall of Famer among the graded dozen, all played in the big leagues and half were MLB stars. This is Averill's first ever issued card (a.k.a. his true rookie) as he made his professional baseball debut in 1926 with the Seals, batting .348 with 236 hits and 23 homers. The centerfielder would then become the Indians' all-time leader in RBI, total bases, runs and triples (top four in hits, doubles, HR and walks) in his 11 seasons in Cleveland (1929-39), appearing in the first six MLB All-Star games played (1933-38). O'Doul was an MLB star and a San Francisco Seals legend; the pitcher, outfielder and first baseman did it all, going 25-9 with a 2.39 ERA in 1921 and winning PCL MVP in 1927 (.378/33 HR/158 RBI). The two-time NL batting champ (.398 in 1929 for Phillies) played in the inaugural 1933 MLB All-Star Game before returning to the PCL to manage the Seals for 17 seasons (1935-51).
"Wildfire" Schulte starred for the Cubs' 1907 and '08 World Series winning teams along with the famous Tinker-Evers-Chance double-play combo; the oufielder was named NL MVP in 1911, leading the majors with 21 homers, and this was his last issued card. "Coonskin" Davis starred on the mound for the Seals before becoming a two-time NL All-Star with 158 career wins in a 13-year MLB career. "Wiz" Kremer, a right-handed SP, spent ten years in the minors (mostly with the Oaks) before a ten-year MLB run with the Pirates, averaging over 18 wins/year from 1924-30 and finishing with a 143-85 record and 3.76 ERA. Christensen was runner-up for the 1926 NL batting title with a .350 average for the Reds (led NL with .426 OBP). Prince Oana played 23 years of pro ball including two brief stints in the big leagues with the Phillies and Tigers as pitcher and outfielder (.308 average and 3.77 ERA); the Hawaiian went through several marriages and was a notorious "playboy" during his career.
After a brief run with the Boston Braves, Paul Strand became a PCL superstar with the 1923-24 Bees, leading the league in batting average (.384 and .394), hits (289 and 325) and home runs (28 and 43); he won the PCL Triple Crown in 1923 with 187 RBI and 180 runs, and his 325 hits remain a single-season record in all of pro ball. Ike Boone had two solid MLB seasons with the Red Sox (1923-24), batting .337 and .330 with 22 HR and 166 RBI combined; the outfielder may be the greatest minor league hitter of all-time, batting .370 lifetime including .380 with 32 HR and 137 RBI in 1926 (when this card was produced) the 1929 Triple Crown (.407/55 HR/218 RBI with 323 hits). Shellenback is the PCL's all-time leader in wins (296), innings (4,184) and CG (364); the expert spitballer was a member of the notorious 1919 White Sox until his despised pitch was outlawed in the majors, sending him to the PCL where he starred on the mound for 19 seasons (also batted .273 lifetime with 70 HR). An MLB utility guy for seven seasons, Red Killefer later found a home in the PCL, first as a star player/manager for the Angels, then as skipper of the Seattle Indians, and later as president of the Mission franchise.
The 104 ungraded cards, in mostly AUTH to GD condition, listed alphabetically by team, are:
1922 Sacramento Senators - Pete Compton, Lefty Hampton, Earl Kunz, Walter Pearce, Buddy Ryan (PCL HOF); Vernon Tigers - Chet Chadbourne, Truck Hannah (PCL HOF), Hugh High; LA Angels - Tom Daly, Howard Lindimore; Seattle Indians - Buckshot May, Walt "Judge" McCredie (PCL HOF); SF Seals - Willie Kamm, Pete Kilduff; SLC Bees - Rudy Kallio, Joe Wilhoit; Portland Beavers - Rowdy Elliott. 17 total cards.
1926 SF Seals - Sam "Slam" Agnew, Frank Brower, Bill Crockett, Bert "Babe" Ellison (PCL HOF), Flashkamper, Marty Griffin, Syd Hansen, Dickey Kerr, Kilduff, Byrl Lang, Eddie Mulligan (PCL HOF), Norbert Paynter, Guy Williams, Johnny Zaepfel [sic, Zaeffel]; Oakland Oaks - Kunz, Johnny Stuart; LA Angels - Whitey Glazner, Earl Hamilton, Gus Sandberg, Rasty Wright; Seattle Indians - T. Baldwin (Red?), Billy Lane; Portland Beavers - Dennis Burns, George "Frenchy" LaFayette, Lenny Metz, Doc Prothro; Mission Reds - Allen, Eddie Bryan, Jimmy Christian, Bert Cole, Danning, Charlie Eckert, Neal Finn, Walt "Judge" McCredie (PCL HOF), Danny Murphy, Tom Oliver, Paddy Siglin, Evar Swanson, Roxy Walters; Sacramento Senators - Dan Alley, Bill Cunningham, Bud "Country" Davis, Dutch Hoffman, Kallio, Ray Keating, Art Koehler, Merlin Kopp, John Monroe (PCL HOF), Frank Osborn, Merv Shea, Bill Sweeney (PCL HOF); Hollywood Stars - Joe Connolly, Les Cook, Fritz Coumbe, Johnny Frederick (PCL HOF), George Hollerson, Hank Hulvey, Roy Leslie, Lindimore, Waddy MacPhee, Harry O'Neill, John Peters, Gus Redman, Frank Zoeller; plus four unidentified from 1926 due to poor condition. 68 total cards.
1927 Portland - Al McCurdy, Paul Strand (PCL HOF), Archie Yelle; Sacramento - Jim McLaughlin; LA Angels - Rasty Wright; SF Seals - "Slam" Agnew, Mulligan (PCL HOF); Missions - 2 Bill Rodda; Oakland - Leo Dickerman; Seattle - Duke Brett, Charles Borreani. 12 total cards.
1929 Missions - "Cuckoo" Christensen, Neal Finn, Clyde Nance; Hollywood - Dick McCabe, Wally Ritter; Portland - Bob Shanklin; Seattle - Chick Ellsworth. 7 total cards.
In all, there are 14 PCL Hall of Famers represented in this lot: Averill, Boone, Ellison, Frederick, Hannah, Killefer, McCredie (2, both ungraded), Monroe, Mulligan (2, both ungraded), O'Doul, Buddy Ryan, Shellenback, Strand (3, two graded), and Sweeney.
These two sites provide great info about all Zee-Nut issues, including checklists and design:
http://www.starsofthediamond.com/zeenuts.html
https://prewarcards.com/2016/10/03/1911-1938-e136-e137-zeenut-sets
For more on the "Yahtzee Box Find", see Lots 3 and 4 or read these recent hobby media articles.
https://sportscollectorsdigest.com/auctions/texas-tommy-vintage-card-collection
https://www.sportscollectorsdaily.com/yahtzee-1914-texas-tommy-find-includes-cobb-jackson