A Complete 1943-1947 Centennial Flour Seattle Rainiers Collection

In 2005, Sotheby’s offered a collection of some of the scarcest Pacific Coast League cards in their “Important Sports Memorabilia and Cards” auction. The lot included 136 cards, plus a few original mailing envelopes, of the four Centennial Flour’s Seattle Rainiers sets issued between 1943 and 1947.

Here’s the lot’s description:

Produced by Centennial Flouring Mills this scarce regional consists of four sets of unnumbered cards featuring only players from the Seattle Rainiers. Includes the following: 1943-Complete Set of 25 mostly NM, 1944 Complete Set of 25 mostly NM/NM+ with original mailing envelope, 1945 Complete Blue Tint Set of 27 all but a couple NM, 1945 Complete Black & White Set of 27 EX-MT to NM but for 1/3 having a water stain in the corner (includes original mailing envelope), 1947 Complete Set of 32 mostly NM/NM+ (includes original mailing envelope).

I hadn’t even been tracking that the 1945 set had both black & white and blue tint variations.

Here’s how you can tell each of the sets apart.

• The 1943 cards are 4” x 5”. The bottom of the card backs read “Compliments of / CENTENNIAL FLOURING MILLS.”
• The 1944s say, “Compliments of / CENTENNIAL HOTCAKE AND WAFFLE FLOUD.” on the back.
• The 1945s are slightly narrow but longer than the two previous releases. They have a borderless photo on the front and the name and team printed in a black bar at the bottom.
• The 1947s share the exact dimensions of the ’45s but have a white-framed box with the player’s bio on the back.

Heritage sold a collection of all five of these complete sets (both 1945 variations) in April 2010 for $3,107.