Mickey Mantle's 1955 Yankees American League Championship ring is up for auction through Goldin. This will be the first of his rings to ever have been put up for sale, and the auction house estimated that it could sell for $300,000-$500,000.
"Mickey Mantle awards -- whether it's an MVP award or a championship ring -- they are not only extremely desirable, they never come up for sale," CEO and founder Ken Goldin told CBS Sports. "Most of the items are owned by the family or in a museum, so they are virtually impossible to get."
The ring features the classic Yankees "bat and hat" logo with some gemstones.
Mantle gifted this ring to his brother, Ray, following his first World Series loss in 1955. That season, Mantle led the AL with 37 home runs. However, he only had 10 plate appearances in three World Series game that year due to injuries.
The Yankees ended up losing to the Brooklyn Dodgers in seven games, which became their first loss in a World Series since 1942 and only their second since 1926. Mantle seems to have been motivated by the loss, as he came back stronger and had what is considered to be the best season of his career in 1956.
A few years after Mantle passed, Ray decided to sell the ring to a private Yankees memorabilia collector. Ray wrote a letter in Yankees stationary on May 12, 2000 to confirm the ring is authentic.
"The purpose of this letter is to verify and authenticate Mickey Mantle's 1955 World Series ring. In 1955, the New York Yankees were the American League Champions defeated by the Brooklyn Dodgers in seven games. The players received the 1955 World Series ring on opening day in 1956. My brother, Mickey Mantle, gave me this ring in 1956. It has been in my possession until now."
The ring is included in the Goldin 100, which is showcasing rare and valuable collectibles valued at $100,000 and above.
Also featured in that auction is a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card, which the auction house said is "the most iconic post-war card in the world and the most popular gum card of Mantle ever issued." The card is graded NM-MT 8 by PSA and there are only 14 other versions that have been graded in a higher tier among more than 1,875 copies recorded in PSA's census reporting. Goldin said there is a chance it could sell for $1 million
Other items in the Goldin 100 include the earliest known game-worn Michael Jordan shoes, which were not Air Jordans, but rather Nike Air Ship sneakers he wore during his fifth NBA game. There is also a Babe Ruth rookie card from 1916 and a 1954 Topps Hank Aaron rookie card graded MINT 9 by PSA.
The auction is currently open and bidding is available through Sept. 13.
