Mickey Mantle Signed 1949 Commerce High School Yearbook JSA & PSA DNA COA

Mickey Mantle’s fabled sports career began on the athletic fields of Commerce High School in Commerce, Oklahoma. It was there that Mantle, nicknamed “The Commerce Comet” for his blazing speed, blossomed into one of the school’s greatest athletes, lettering in football, basketball, and baseball during his senior year. This is the Commerce High School yearbook from Mantle’s senior year in 1949. The leather hardcover book is entitled 1949 – Bengal Tales and the inside pages include twelve different images of Mantle in addition to his standard high school portrait; Mantle has signed and inscribed “Mickey Mantle – Yankees – 1951-68” in bold blue Sharpie (“10”) beside his primary photo in this example. Mantle was signed to a Yankee contract (in the back of scout Tom Greenwade’s car) immediately following his graduation, and was sent to Independence, Missouri, in the K-O-M League. This piece is somewhat unusual (and especially desirable) for a high school yearbook, in that there are no extraneous signatures or farewell messages written on the interior pages. Apparent Very Good to Excellent overall condition. Celebrity high school yearbooks have become a very popular field of collecting in recent years, with Mantle’s Commerce High book being among the most sought-after of all sports stars. (Reportedly, just 100 copies of this book were printed.) Two photographs of Mantlewith the yearbook at a 1993 Tri-Star show signing flieraccompany. Full Letter COA from JSA and LOA from PSA DNA.