Leaf cards of 1948 and '49 were significant as the very first post-World War II set to feature color pictures on them. There had been virtually no issues due to wartime restrictions on ink, cardboard and many supplies needed to make gum, so the set features several rookie cards including Hall of Fame players.
Hobbyists have long argued specifics about these cards. Since the cards contain both 1948 and 1949 copyright dates on them, they are usually seen as a two-year issue. Some collectors, however, contend that they are a 1949 issue since nearly all have info about the 1948 season on them. What is certain is that the cards have long been debated in the hobby; as late as 1960, collectors were still trying to figure out how many cards it had in all.
Eventually, it was determined that there were 98 cards in a basic set. A couple of factors complicated that. First, the cards were skip-numbered from 1-168. Secondly, a premium offer on the backs of the cards offered an album and claimed that it would hold 168 cards. Finally, exactly half of the cards were severely short-printed, to the point that it is incredibly tough to piece the set together without a lot of patience.
It's not known why the set was skip-numbered, but it has been speculated that Leaf was hoping to get kids to keep spending their pennies and nickels on cards that weren't in existence. It's also possible that future series were planned but scrapped when Bowman came along and signed their players to exclusive contracts.
The set's design is basic. It features a player against a background that is either solid or two-tone. The player's name appears below his picture in a solid-colored box. Card backs have the player's biographical info and a brief write-up, which was pretty standard for gum cards before Topps came along. An ad for All-Star Baseball Gum appears at the bottom, along with a premium offer for one of three wrapper redemption premiums (a photo, a pennant or an album).
There are three acknowledged variations. Card #102 has Gene Hermanski, whose name can be found without the last i. Card #136 has Cliff Aberson with two different sleeve lengths. Finally, card #42 of Kent Peterson has him wearing either a red cap or a dark one. Since the cards themselves were crudely colored, they are occasionally found with coloring variations and registration issues.
Cards of Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams are coveted, as are the rookie cards of Jackie Robinson and Leroy "Satchell" Paige. Ruth was probably included out of respect, since he had recently passed away. Hall of Famers Ralph Kiner, George Kell, Larry Doby, Warren Spahn and Enos Slaughter have rookie cards. One interesting card from the set features John Honus Wagner, who was shown as a coach for the Pirates. On the card, he's shown stuffing chewing tobacco into his mouth, an interesting revelation for hobbyists who thought his famed T206 card was withdrawn due to an anti-tobacco stance.
Key 1948-49 Leaf Baseball Cards:
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 1948-49 Leaf #14 Billy Johnson - SGC-84 $125.00 |
 1948-49 Leaf #128 Warren Rosar - SGC-80 $80.00 |
 1948-49 Leaf #22 Al Evans - SGC-80 $70.00 |
 1948-49 Leaf #95 George Stirnweiss - SGC-80 $70.00 |
 1948-49 Leaf #42 Kent Peterson - SGC-80 $70.00 |
 1948-49 Leaf #27 Mickey Harris - SGC-80 $70.00 |
 1948-49 Leaf #59 Lucius Appling - SGC-80 $120.00 |
 1948-49 Leaf #17 frank Overmire - SGC-60 $70.00 |
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1948-49 Leaf Baseball Card Checklist
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