CGC Certifies Mile High All-American #16
Famed Pedigree Copy is Finest-Known and Among Most Valuable Comics in Existence
CGC has certified the Edgar Church (Mile High) copy of All-American #16. The comic has been graded CGC 9.4, making it the finest known example of the issue. Originally issued in July 1940, it features the first appearance and origin story of the Green Lantern. Of all the Golden Age key books, All-American #16 is considered to be the most difficult to locate in high grade.
The comic book has resided in the collection of long-time collector and owner of Comic Heaven, John Verzyl since 1984. Verzyl elected to have the book certified by CGC for several reasons, he comments: “I am entertaining several offers to purchase it, and wanted to get it certified to make the grade official! When people ask me how it grades, I can simply reply CGC 9.4 Near Mint, and there’s no argument. Second, it now is much easier to handle the comic. The holder makes it possible to showcase the book without fear of damage or a thumb dent. Plus, the book looks amazing in the holder. In a lot of ways, this book was made for a CGC holder.”
Since acquiring the book in 1984, only Verzyl has handled the comic book. Even when it was photographed by Ernst Gerber for the Photo Journal in the late-1980’s, John maneuvered the book himself to ensure that it was not damaged. He did not have reservations about releasing the book to CGC, comments Verzyl: “I’ve known Steve Borock and Mark Haspel [President and Vice President of CGC, respectively] for many years. I had a high level of confidence that they would treat the book properly. I knew that they could be trusted with value.”