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This is an extremely rare 1869 George Washington portrait card produced by L. Prang & Co. of Boston, one of the most influential American lithography firms of the 19th century. The card features a finely detailed oval portrait of George Washington, rendered in Prang’s signature high‑quality chromolithographic style, with the caption “GEO. WASHINGTON.” printed beneath the image. Early Prang portrait cards are highly sought after due to their craftsmanship, historical significance, and limited surviving examples.
L. Prang & Co. (founded by Louis Prang, often called the “Father of the American Christmas Card”) was renowned for elevating American color printing to world‑class standards. By the late 1860s, Prang’s firm was producing some of the most technically advanced chromolithographs available, celebrated for their clarity, color richness, and artistic precision. Prang’s work was widely used in schools, museums, and patriotic publications, making his early portrait cards important artifacts of American printing history.
This Washington card represents one of Prang’s earliest patriotic portrait issues and is a standout piece for collectors of presidential memorabilia, 19th‑century lithography, or early American ephemera.
Authentication Note:
Once sold, this card will be submitted to ’s Authenticity Guarantee program, where it will be professionally inspected and verified before being forwarded to the buyer.
Size approximations: 4 inches tall x 2 1/2 inches wide. Please also see photos for size (note any coin, ruler and/ or pop can used to illustrate size are not included in the sale).
Condition: This 1869 L. Prang & Co. Washington portrait card is in well‑preserved antique condition, showing expected age characteristics for a 150+‑year‑old paper collectible. The printed portrait remains clear, sharp, and well‑defined, with strong linework and legible text. The card surface shows light toning, minor edge wear, and small age spots, consistent with natural oxidation of 19th‑century paper stock. No major tears, losses, or structural damage observed. The reverse is clean with typical period discoloration. Overall, the card retains excellent visual appeal and presents as a strong example of an early Prang patriotic lithograph. In consideration of any purchase it is recommended that the zoom tool be used to thoroughly inspect all the photos. Sold as preowned and as pictured.
This listing is for an Extremely Rare Collectible 1869 L. Prang & Co. George Washington 1st Trading Card as pictured. Provenance: this item was in an antique 19th century family album. The album was purchased from a local saleeer in Northern Virginia. The saleeer has not released any history of the previous ownership. The album will also be listed to sell by us later. The pictures are part of the description, what you see is what you get. Since we are not experts in authenticating this listing by any means, please inspect the pictures and be the judge.
Shipping: for domestic orders only - if multiple items are purchased in one day we will gladly combine the shipping to reduce cost when feasible. Combined shipping is not available for international orders. Note we will only send the item to the original buyer and address and not to a third party. Participation in ’s Global Shipping Program is subject to change. The seller reserves the right to cancel any international order that does not meet the terms and conditions of ’s Global Shipping Program policies.
Payment: buyer agrees to pay within two days. Applicable state taxes will be applied to your invoice if you are ordering from a state that legislates state taxes be collected by online platforms. Additionally, any applicable fees, taxes, customs charges, insurance, etc, as determined by ’s Global Shipping Program will be the responsibility of the buyer as per ’s policies.
Return/ refund policy: no returns, no partial refunding.
Exceptions to “no return” policy:
1) item description does not substantially match the item. If a return request is accepted, we will refund the amount of item(s) that was paid (ie not shipping) once the item is returned. Buyer must provide tracking number and pay return shipping. Fees may apply.
2) item is broken/ damaged in transit. Items damaged during transit will be refunded upon timely notification (maximum 7 days from tracked delivery of the item) and receipt of photographic evidence of damage, including photos of the packing. Buyer agrees to keep the damaged item and packing for at least 14 days and present it to a local carrier’s office if requested to aid in the processing of an insurance claim. Fees may apply.
Unless specifically noted in a listing, any base, plate stand or teacup stand is for display purposes only and will not be shipped with the item.
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