1962 Post (Life Magazine) Mickey Mantle

On the surface, this card appears to be a 1962 Post Cereal card, taken right off the back of the box. But a few clues tell otherwise. The most notable being the advertising on the back.

Post inserted two cards in issues of the April 13, 1962 Life Magazine. It was part of an ad linking Post Cereal and subscriptions to Life Magazine.

Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris, coming off their battle for the single-season HR record, were promoted heavily and the only two players to appear in the advertisement. The perforated edges and lack of blue lines separating the stats provide us with other clues that this card is not a cereal box card.

Sometime during this card's life, Mantle was ripped in two. Was it done when separating the card from the ad? Was is done in later years? Who knows?

What I can tell you is it wasn't done recently. That transparent tape is brittle and old.

If only baseball cards could talk.