Lot # 83: c. 1952 JF 12 Cisco Caramel Type 1 Blue Variation 3 different—Super Rare

Category: Baseball Cards

Starting Bid: $60.00

Bids: 7 (Bid History)

Time Left: Auction closed
Lot / Auction Closed




This lot is closed. Bidding is not allowed.

Item was in Auction "Auction 65 Ended 3/18/2023",
which ran from 2/27/2023 5:00 PM to
3/18/2023 11:00 PM



The Cisco Caramel Co. was a smaller competitor to Kobai, Calbee and Morinaga, the biggest companies in the Japanese candy business at the time. While Kobai Caramels featured only members of the Yomiuri Giants on their cards, Cisco printed cards only of the Nankai Hawks. Cisco produced several sets of baseball cards during the early 1950s. 

Cisco cards seem to be even scarcer than Kobai Caramel cards of the same era.  Cisco cards have been assigned the scarcity factor of R5 (fewer than 5 copies known of each card) in Japanese Baseball Cards Checklist & Price Guide, Vintage Edition 3.0

The cards were issued in various color formats.  All formats are rare, but the blue format is possibly the scarcest of all.  The card back explains redemption offers if one is to redeem the cards for prizes.

The three cards offered here all depict infielders--#13 Kunihisa Taneda, #16 Masahiro Morishita and #24 Isami Okamoto.  Of the three, Okamoto (bottom left) is the most prominent player.  He played 15 seasons for the Hawks (1949-1963), primarily at second base.  In 1952, he batted .299.  In 1953, he won the Pacific League batting title.

Masahiro Morishita (bottom right) also had a long career with the Hawks (1952-1966).  In fact, the card offered here is a Morishita rookie card.  Morishita mostly played third base and had a solid, if unspectacular, career.  

The KunihisaTaneda (top) card is a rookie as well.  However, unlike Morishita, Taneda was simply a light hitting utility infielder who lasted parts of five seasons in Japan Pro Baseball. 

Size:  Each card is 1 1/2” x 2 1/16”.

Condition:  Average—Vg to Vg/Ex

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