While Marutoku bromides from 1950 are quite commonly seen, and 1951 Marutoku Bromides are fairly well known, very little is known about the 1952 Marutoku issue. Based on the paucity of examples that we have encountered over the years, it may be assumed that the volume of cards printed in 1952 was only a tiny fraction of the Marutoku Company's output during the prior two years.

For example, cards of only eight different players from the JCM 174 base set have ever been discovered. Only one JBR 174 display sheet has ever surfaced, and many of the cards originally attached to the display are missing. As a result, prior to discovering the card in this lot, only three different third prize player cards were known.

This card depicts only the fourth player known to be in the JBR 174a set. The player is Hawaiian, Tomoharu Kai, and the card is a rookie card. Tomoharu Kai attended McKinley High School in Honolulu, and then joined the Hawaii Red Sox baseball team. In 1952, at the tender age of 18, he made his debut in Japan Pro Baseball as an outfielder for the Kintetsu Pearls. His rookie season was a great success, as Kai batted .327 in 82 games. Kai's production tailed off in 1953, as he batted only .253 in 79 games. In his first season, he had played only in the outfield, but in his second season, he logged some time at second base as well.

Kai never returned to Japan Pro baseball after the 1953 season, and we know nothing about his life after that. We do know, however, that the winner of this card will own the only copy known to exist today.

Blank back card.

Size: 2 1/8" x 2 15/16"

Condition: Good to Vg. There is extra glue and paper on the blank back, since it was originally offered as a prize on a display sheet. All JBR 174a cards are expected to have extra paper and glue on the back.