Auction Gold: Lee Joannes' Super Bowl I cufflinks!

Wow. There's an amazing find in Heritage's current auction:

1967 Green Bay Packers Super Bowl I Championship Gold Cufflinks....

Originally owned by former Packers president Lee Joannes!

1967 Green Bay Packers Super Bowl I Championship Gold Cufflinks.  It was Milwaukee Journal sportswriter Oliver E. Kuechle who coined the moniker, "The Hungry Five," a somewhat pointed commentary on the quintet of Green Bay Packers board members who seemed always to be in desperate need of cash to keep their fledgling team afloat. Today their founding franchise of professional football stands as one of the most iconic in American sports, but the team's very survival remained very much in question in those earliest years when most gridiron fans considered the collegiate game to be the only one that mattered. But together with coach and star player Curly Lambeau, Green Bay Press-Gazette publisher Andrew Turnbull, attorney Gerald Francis Clifford and team physician Dr. W. Webber Kelly, grocer Lee Joannes formed a united front against looming bankruptcy, serving as team president during the darkest days of the Great Depression. Each pioneering executive is properly immortalized in the Packers Hall of Fame.

Beyond the odd signed legal document and team correspondence, almost nothing exists in the collecting hobby from Joannes today despite his supreme relevance to the very existence of the Green Bay Packers. Presented here is a thrilling exception to that rule, a pair of gold cufflinks awarded to Joannes following the Pack's victory in Super Bowl I. Those familiar with Championship hardware from this first edition of football's most celebrated contest will note the striking resemblance to the rings presented to Starr, Hornung and the gang, but these are the only cufflinks we've ever encountered. It is safe to say that they are considerably more rare than the rings from which their design is cribbed.

Packer-green emeralds are set inside a clever design incorporating the shapes of both a football and a globe, encircled by raised text announcing, "1966 World Champions Green Bay Packers." The circular portion of each cufflink is stamped on verso with the Josten's logo and a "10K" gold content, while the clasps are stamped "1/20 12K GF," the result of two ring faces having been fashioned into tasteful sleeve adornments. Each cufflink survives in pristine original condition.

The small handful of Super Bowl I rings that have appeared on the hobby's auction block have commanded solid five-figure prices, and this offering is every bit their equal--some would argue that the connection to a "Hungry Five" member, and the duplication of the ring's primary design, would give these cufflinks the edge. It's unquestionably one of the most exciting Packers offerings to tempt the advanced collector in recent years, accompanied by a letter of provenance from esteemed Titletown collectibles purveyor Packer City Antiques. Letter of provenance from Packer City Antiques. LOA from PSA/DNA.

"Rare" is an understatement. Lee Joannes is a towering figure in Packers history. Some lucky collector is going to treasure this connection to our team's Founding Fathers.

It's also worth noting that these cufflinks reflect the original design of the Packers' Super Bowl I rings, before Vince Lombardi replaced the emerald with a diamond. Outstanding.

As much as I love Lombardi's style, I actually prefer the emerald to diamond; the green added to yellow gold really brings the Packers' colors to life.

As we get nearer to another Packer season, it's worth pausing to remember those heroes who brought the first NFL-AFL Championship Trophy home to Green Bay:



The auction ends next week: bid early, bid often.

Auction Gold - Hank Gremminger's 1962 Championship Watch

The current Heritage Auction continues to offer some real treasures.

1962 Green Bay Packers NFL Championship Watch Presented to Hank Gremminger. Widely considered the best team ever put on the field by legendary coach Vince Lombardi, the 1962 Green Bay Packers bested the New York Giants 16-7 in front of 64,892 Yankees Stadium fans in the '62 league championship game.

Heritage Auctions

After receiving stunning gold rings for the team's 1961 championship victory against the same Big Apple gridders, the Green Bay Packers mixed it up a bit the following season by awarding their players and coaches with absolutely gorgeous 14 karat gold "Hamilton" watches. Offered here is the nicest 1962 NFL Championship presentational watch ever offered. Exhibiting flawless Mint condition, the original timepiece was awarded to defensive leader Hank Gremminger for his contributions to the magnificent squad.

Heritage Auctions

Obviously never worn by Gremminger which is evident from its pristine quality, the watch is accompanied with its original case. The face displays 12 sparkling white stones, in addition to "Green Bay Packers 1962 World Champions NFL," and the famed team helmet beneath the bold print, while its back is engraved "HANK GREMMINGER GREEN BAY 16 NEW YORK 7". Consigned by Gremminger's daughter, this is one of the most significant and eye-appealing pieces from one of the greatest teams in NFL history. LOA from Tina Schooler (Gremminger's daughter). Guide Value or Estimate: $2,000 - $4,000.

This is the second 1962 World Championship watch to come up for auction in recent months (the previous one had a metal expansion band, not the standard leather). These were given to players and staff in lieu of rings following Vince Lombardi's second consecutive title.

The face is simply gorgeous, with the Packers' helmet on a black field surrounded by diamonds.

Heritage Auctions

Even if the kerning is a little off, and the city name is rendered as "GREENBAY".

Hank Gremminger was a cornerback for the Packers from 1956-65. He was part of three championship squads; this one, as well as 1961 and 1965. He was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame in 1976.

Gremminger in 1960

We might never see a finer example of this watch. A future centerpiece of somebody's collection.

Auction Gold - 1962 Championship Watch

A very rare 1962 World Champions watch has now come up for auction at Leland's. These wristwatches were given in lieu of rings to Lombardi's second championship squad.

Lelands.com

Lot 428: 1962 GREEN BAY PACKERS WORLD CHAMPIONS WATCH

The 1962 Green Bay Packers, under the guidance of legendary coach Vince Lombardi, went 13-1 and defeated the New York Giants to capture their eighth NFL championship. This commemorative watch was inscribed on the back and presented to Tom Miller, who played for the club in 1946 but was an executive with the team in 1962. The watch has some scuffing and does not work, but it's still a dazzling piece of jewelry, a 14k gold Hamilton watch featuring team logo on the face with small diamonds serving as the numbers, as well as "Green Bay Packers 1962 World Champions N. F. L." inscribed. The back of the watch has "Tom Miller - Green Bay 16 – New York 7" inscribed.

Beautiful piece.

The watch was owned, as the auction notes, by Tom Miller. He may have been just "an executive with the team" in 1962, but that doesn't do justice to his tenure with the Packers.

Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame

Miller was a former player who played in Green Bay in 1946, the last of his four years in the pros. Like many Packers, he returned to the club after his playing days were over, starting in 1956 when Lisle Blackbourn hired him as director of publicity and sales promotion.

Miller was promoted to assistant general manager in 1965 by Vince Lombardi. He kept that title after Lombardi's departure, running the team's ticket offices in Green Bay and Milwaukee. In 1981, the Packers' board voted to strip then-coach Bart Starr of his general manager's duties, splitting them between Miller as "Business General Manager" and Bob Harlan as "Corporate General Manager". Their titles were later amended to make them both "Assistant to the President", insulating both men from the coaching chaos that rocked the Packers in the 1980s.

Miller retired in 1988, and was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame in 1999.

At the time of his retirement, Miller estimated that he had personally watched 635 Packer games. He missed only two games in 35 years, and one of those was a pre-season game in Boston. What changes he saw in those 35 years; seven head coaches, two stadiums, and five World Championships. A moribund franchise brought back to glory and made a model for the entire league, thanks in part to him.

Even without the connection to Miller, this watch would be an amazing find. Its provenance only makes it more so. Bidding currently stands at $1,071.81, but I expect it to fetch more by the time the auction closes on Friday.

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UPDATE:  The final price, including bidder's premium, was $2,495.95. Undoubtedly a major addition to somebody's collection.

Auction Gold - Oliver Kuechle's 1939 Championship Wristwatch

Legendary Auctions has released its August 2012 auction preview, and there's a beautiful piece therein for fans of Packers history.

Lot #1018: 1939 Green Bay Packers Championship Watch Presented to Journalist Oliver Kuechle

In 1934, noted Milwaukee Journal sports editor Oliver Kuechle helped negotiate an agreement between the Green Bay Packers and Milwaukee city officials to stage two games per year at Milwaukee's State Fair Park—a venue with 10,000 more seats than Green Bay's Old City Stadium. Five years later, the NFL pressed the Packers to hold the 1939 Championship Game there, too. Green Bay blanked the Giants 27-0—marking the first shutout in NFL playoff history—and team executives bestowed Kuechle with this championship wristwatch in honor of his longtime affiliation with the Pack. The Hamilton watch measures 3/4" x 1" and features a gold Schwab & Wuischpard casing ("14K GOLD FILLED S & W"). The reverse is engraved, "O. KUECHLE 'PACKERS' WORLD CHAMPIONS 1939." It is possible to set the time, but the timepiece does not appear to run. Nice EX/MT exterior with moderately tarnished face and modern leather wristband. As a side note, it was Kuechle who coined the nickname "Hungry Five" for the quintet of Depression-era businessmen—among them, Curly Lambeau—who succeeded in keeping the Green Bay franchise afloat.

It's a sharp piece.

I've only seen one 1939 watch before, a similar Hamilton watch issued to trainer Carl "Bud" Jorgensen.

I love the inscription on the reverse.

O. Kuechle
"PACKERS"
World Champions
1939

I don't know if the watchband is original; Hamilton did use Spiedel bands on its wristwatches. If so, the gold stamping is in excellent shape.

Oliver Kuechle was, as the auction catalog notes, a hugely influential figure in early Packers history. Even if his only contribution had been giving the "Hungry Five" their sobriquet, his place would be assured. Kuechle's contibutions went much deeper than that, however. As a leading voice in Milwaukee sports, he was a loud and persistent booster of the team in Wisconsin's biggest city. After the Packers' first attempt at playing Milwaukee home games in Borchert Field, a cramped, wooden minor league baseball park, Kuechle helped broker a deal for Curly's boys to play at State Fair Park, a venue much more suited to the sport. State Fair would be the Packers' home away from home for the next seventeen seasons, giving the team access to a larger fanbase.

Kuechle worked his way up from sportswriter (covering, among other great events, Jesse Owens's record-setting performance at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin) to sports editor of the Milwaukee Journal. He retired in January of 1972.

The auction will be open for bidding, with a minimum bid of $300, on August 20th.

Auction Gold: Super Bowl XLV Ring

Heritage Auctions is currently auctioning off a player ring from Super Bowl XLV, giving us our best look yet at this treasure.

Lot 80057. 2010 Green Bay Packers Super Bowl XLV Championship Player's Ring. This simply dazzling symbol of professional football's greatest achievement is the very first of its kind to reach the hobby's auction block since quarterback Aaron Rodgers posted an MVP performance in a thirty-one to twenty-five victory over a veteran Pittsburgh Steelers squad in Arlington, Texas to win Super Bowl XLV. The hefty jewel-encrusted platinum prize is far more than just a pretty face, however, each gemstone telling a story that dates back to the founding of the franchise by Curly Lambeau almost a century ago.

The ring's square crest is highlighted by the team "G" logo, incorporating the green and gold colors first introduced in 1935. In each corner is a marquis-cut diamond in appropriate football shape, representing the franchise's four Super Bowl victories (I, II, XXXI and XLV). The "G" shape is comprised of thirteen diamonds, one for each NFL title dating back to the first in 1929, with the ninety-two small diamonds blanketing the outskirts and continuing along each edge counting the years since the 1919 founding of American football's most decorated team. "World Champions" stands in raised lettering amidst the sea of shimmering gemstones.

The left shank reports the name and jersey number of recipient and consignor Jay Ross, whose letter of provenance will attend. A miniature Lambeau Field completes the design. Right shank simply announces "Packers" above the Super Bowl victor's trophy named for the team's iconic leader from 1959 through 1967. Interior band is stamped "Jostens [copyright] Plat" and engraved with the words "1 Mind/Goal/Purpose/Heart" and the results of each playoff game en route to glory.

Included is the original hinged cherry wood display box with engraved glass window announcing "2010 World Champions, Jay Ross."

Certainly the most physically impressive specimen we've ever encountered from the World Championship treasure chest of the four major sports, the ring tips the scales at a thunderous four ounces--a quarter of a pound! But the Green Bay Packers have every right to go a bit overboard. As the last surviving relic of the "leatherheads" age when sleepy little towns like Dayton, Duluth and Pottsville represented the beating heart of the professional gridiron, the Green Bay Packers have maintained an underdog charm even in the light of their many successes. There is not a team in professional sports more revered by the populace of its home city, and we expect those folks will be out in force when this ring gets its turn on the Platinum Night auction block. Size fifteen. Letter of Provenance from Jay Ross. Guide Value or Estimate: $40,000 - up.

Outstanding. This is the first time I've seen the presentation box.

Now you too can own your own authentic players' Super Bowl to wear with your shareholder, season ticket holder or fan ring—provided that you have at least $38,838.00 (for now) lying around, that is.

(photo credit: HA.com)

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UPDATE 8/3:  The final price for this beauty was $53,775.00, including Buyer's Premium. If you're interested in topping that, you can make an offer to the winner via HA's website.

MVP!

In a landslide, Aaron Rodgers has been named the National Football League's Most Valuable Player for 2011.

The award was presented to him in during the NFL's new television award show, the "NFL Honors", broadcast from Indianapolis the night before the big game.

This show was the NFL's attempt to bring its regular-season awards into the Super Bowl marketing machine, with a touch of Hollywood glamour provided by host Alec Baldwin.

The league similarly tried to fold the Pro Bowl into the Super Bowl buildup two years ago by scheduling it in the Super Bowl city during the bye week between league championship games and the Super Bowl. The new location didn't last—the game was returned to its traditional Hawai'i location the following year—but the new date has remained.

Personally, I think this is an inspired move by the NFL. In previous years, the MVP was announced on Super Bowl Sunday, but by incorporating all major awards into a televised special the night before it enhances and elevates what was already a monster TV event.

While this individual award might be scant comfort for Packer fans still smarting from the playoff loss to the Giants, there is still merchandise to be bought.

Within minutes of the trophy presentation, I received this email from the Packers Pro Shop:

They sure don't waste much time. Packer backers hungry for a little postseason glory will have to satisfy themselves with these:

The new trophy design is interesting, but that's a subject for another time. Until then, enjoy your moment in the spotlight, Aaron, and hopefully next year when you travel to the New Orleans for the Super Bowl you'll have to bring your uniform along.

Jerry Kramer's Rings

Last week, the Packers tweeted this photo:

A photo of all 5 of Jerry Kramer's #Packers championship rings -1961, '62, '65, Super Bowls I & II:

But wait — I thought the Packers didn't issue championship rings to players in 1962. Didn't players receive watches instead?

Let's look at the photo a little more closely.

A very impressive collection.

Okay. The four on the right are easy. Looking at those four from middle finger to pinky, we have the 1965 championship ring, then the two Super Bowl rings, 1967 over 1966, then finally the 1961 ring.

It's the ring on his index finger that's at issue, the one they're calling a "1962 ring". Here it is, a little closer still:

Ah, mystery solved.

That's not a championship ring; it's a Packers Hall of Fame ring, given to him upon his induction in 1975. Compare it with Ray Nitschke's Class of '78 ring, sold by Heritage Auctions last April:

Heritage Auctions

Easy mistake, since PHoF rings are so seldom seen.

So far as I know, no player was issued a ring following the 1962 World Championship. But I'd love to see Mr. Kramer's watch.

(h/t: David van der Steen)

Carl Lidberg's 1929 Championship Watch

An exceedingly rare Packers treasure has recently surfaced at auction.

MEARS is currently offering this 1929 pocket watch, awarded to fullback Carl "Cully" Lidberg to mark the Packers' first World Championship.

MEARS

MEARS

The engraving on the back reads:

Carl Lidberg
Member Green Bay Packers
Football Team
National Champions 1929

We've seen on of these before, having previously dicussed Boob Darling's 1929 pocket watch, which fetched $9,560.00 at auction in 2006. What's remarkable, when comparing the two, is how different they are. Here they are side-by-side, Lidberg's on the left:

The two photographs may not be to scale, but even setting that aside we can see they are of a similar type but different style, and the engraving conveys the same information using different layouts. It speaks to the origins of this awards; instead of a mass-produced item designed and manufactured specifically for the team, these were probably pulled off a watch seller's display shelf, whatever he had available. I can't help but wonder what other variations might be out there.

Lidberg had a relatively short tenure with the Packers; he wore the Blue and Gold in 1926, 1929 and 1930. Those three years were eventful, though, and he was a member of Green Bay's first two championship clubs.

He appears in this 1929 team panoramic:

There he is, back row all the way on the right.

I've been following Packers memorabilia for twenty-five years, and this is on only the second 1929 World Champions pocket watch I've seen. It represents the beginning of the team's first glory period, and is a rare opportunity for a lucky Packers collector to own a piece of history.

1965 World Championship Ring (Yellow Gold)

Earlier this year, we took a look at a 1965 World Championship ring in 10K white gold, sold at auction by Sotheby's.

Heritage Auctions now offers us a look at the same ring in the yellow gold, with this exemplar up for auction:

Heritage Auctions

1965 NFL Championship Green Bay Packers "Jostens" Ring.    Vince Lombardi's third NFL Championship as Green Bay Packers head coach was a memorable one. After failing to make it to the big game in the previous two seasons, the Hall of Fame head coach committed to the play that he basically perfected over the years, the Packers sweep. His team would stay dedicated to its hard-nosed rushing attack in the 1965 NFL Championship Game versus the Cleveland Browns, which would be league's first championship contest televised in color, and would later be recognized as Jim Brown's final game. Offered here is an absolutely sparkling 1965 championship ring, which represents Packers board member L. J. Kelly's contribution to that memorable team. The presented ring is an original Josten's replacement ring, which was issued to Kelly's family in 1994 after his original was misplaced. Copies of the Josten's paperwork, stating what the replacement cost would be, in addition to a copy of the invoice for the replacement are included. The "[size] 9 1/2" ring, consisting of 10k white gold, a green Tourmaline base stone and .50 ct round brilliant cut diamond in the center, was made to nearly the exact specifications as the original. "Kelly" is stamped on its left shank and the championship contest score on the right. This fabulous piece of Packers history exhibits Mint quality and is a rare chance to obtain a former team member's prized jewelry. Guide Value or Estimate: $4,000 - $6,000.

Heritage Auctions

I am grateful, as always, to Heritage for their fantastic auction photos. They are an invaluable help in chronicling the Packers' history.

Heritage Auctions

Here's that view of Lambeau Field again:

Heritage Auctions

It's my favorite design element on this ring, and I'm very glad that the Packers repeated it for their Super Bowl XLV rings.

The auction description reads "10k white gold", but the photos appear to indicate otherwise.

Heritage Auctions

Although the style appears to be identical to the original rings, as a replacement this can't tell us about the metals offered at the time.

I wonder if any yellow gold rings were issued in 1966? We'll have to see if any others appear in the public eye.

Packer Alumni Association Ring

Following on our earlier discussion of Packer award rings, Dale Christiansen sent me these pictures of a ring in his collection that I had never before seen.

This ring was issued by the Green Bay Packer Alumni Association.

The stone, although it appears black in these photos, is actually a very dark green.

This ring belonged to Robert Conrad, who was with the organization for nine years. The Packers list him as the Scouting Director from 1944-50 and Personnel Director from 1944-52.

I'd love to know what that "22" at the bottom refers to. Had Mr. Conrad been a player, I'd suspect that was a place for his jersey number.

I'd also love to know more about the background of this ring; we know when Mr. Conrad was with the team, but not when he joined the Alumni Association or when this ring was designed or issued.

The Alumni Association used to be very active in Green Bay. As early as 1951, it was helping the Packers organize a Reunion and Homecoming weekend, as seen in this letter sent to former Packer players in October of that year:

Among the Packer players who served at on the Association's Board of Directors was Packer Hall of Fame center Charley Brock.

In the mid-1950s Alumni Association hosted coaching clinics, when high school and college coaches could come and watch Bart Starr and Paul Hornung, among other Packers, run through their drills.

When Vince Lombardi was hired to coach the team in 1958, a somewhat-controversial move at the time, the Association issued a press release backing him wholeheartedly and hoping that "the Lombardi plan for resurgence will pay dividends; and that the thrill of good, sound and representative football will again be part of the everyday life of the citizens of Green Bay and Wisconsin."

Their prediction proved correct, of course, and the Packers embarked on a new golden age of football. The Alumni Association was very active in the 1960s, especially in the team's Golden Anniversary year of 1969.

To commemorate 50 years of pro football in Green Bay, the Alumni Association hosted a banquet and Homecoming weekend.

The agenda for the weekend was full, with a parade, cocktail party, brunch and ceremony on the field before the game.

I love the Willard Mullin-esque drawing of a 1940s player kicking the ball on their letterhead.

The Alumni Association had big plans for the fans in 1969 as well. They published a 72-page magazine celebrating Packer history.

Today, the Green Bay Packer Alumni Association keeps a pretty low public profile. If they were involved with the recent event honoring the 1961 team, it was strictly behind-the-scenes. Only the occassional donation to a charity auction tells us that the Alumni Association still exists, hopefully still meeting the needs of all former Packers.