Johnny Weissmuller 1936 Owned and Signed Social Security Card - The First Year of Social Security Cards!
Exceedingly rare social security card dating from the first year of issue in 1936, belonging to, and signed by, Olympic gold medal winner and film star JOHNNY WEISSMULLER. This is the earliest social security card that we have ever offered and the fact that it is signed by one of the greatest athletes of the twentieth century and the man whose name today is nearly synonymous with Tarzan, makes it especially significant.
Weissmuller's signature has been beautifully signed in black fountain pen at bottom. The card measures 3.25x1.75 and is dated "12/30/36" in the lower left corner.
An additional Letter of Authenticity from PSA/DNA accompanies the card.
One of the most interesting aspects of this card is that the typed name reads "Peter John Weissmuller." Peter was the name of Johnny's brother, and the reason for his brother's name on this card goes back twelve years. When Johnny was preparing for the 1924 Olympics in Paris, he needed a birth certificate to travel abroad. Johnny didn’t have a U.S. birth certificate because he had been born in Freidorf, Romania on June 2, 1904. In January of 1905 the Weissmuller family (parents and infant Johnny) had emigrated to the U.S. and landed in Windber, PA. At the time of the Olympics, his coach, William Bachrach, pulled some chicanery and had Johnny use his younger brother Peter’s U.S. birth certificate (Peter was born in 1905). Of course this was all unnecessary, because Johnny was a “naturalized” citizen by 1924, and had only needed to report this information to the proper authorities to get a passport. However, for years Johnny used the name “Peter John Weissmuller” on all his official documents, for fear of losing his five Gold Olympic Medals (the way that the Olympic Committee had taken away Jim Thorpe’s Gold Medals.)
Social Security cards, along with the Social Security number system, were first issued by the Social Security Administration in November 1936 as part of the New Deal Social Security program.
Exceedingly rare social security card dating from the first year of issue in 1936, belonging to, and signed by, Olympic gold medal winner and film star JOHNNY WEISSMULLER. This is the earliest social security card that we have ever offered and the fact that it is signed by one of the greatest athletes of the twentieth century and the man whose name today is nearly synonymous with Tarzan, makes it especially significant.
Weissmuller's signature has been beautifully signed in black fountain pen at bottom. The card measures 3.25x1.75 and is dated "12/30/36" in the lower left corner.
An additional Letter of Authenticity from PSA/DNA accompanies the card.
One of the most interesting aspects of this card is that the typed name reads "Peter John Weissmuller." Peter was the name of Johnny's brother, and the reason for his brother's name on this card goes back twelve years. When Johnny was preparing for the 1924 Olympics in Paris, he needed a birth certificate to travel abroad. Johnny didn’t have a U.S. birth certificate because he had been born in Freidorf, Romania on June 2, 1904. In January of 1905 the Weissmuller family (parents and infant Johnny) had emigrated to the U.S. and landed in Windber, PA. At the time of the Olympics, his coach, William Bachrach, pulled some chicanery and had Johnny use his younger brother Peter’s U.S. birth certificate (Peter was born in 1905). Of course this was all unnecessary, because Johnny was a “naturalized” citizen by 1924, and had only needed to report this information to the proper authorities to get a passport. However, for years Johnny used the name “Peter John Weissmuller” on all his official documents, for fear of losing his five Gold Olympic Medals (the way that the Olympic Committee had taken away Jim Thorpe’s Gold Medals.)
Social Security cards, along with the Social Security number system, were first issued by the Social Security Administration in November 1936 as part of the New Deal Social Security program.
Exceedingly rare social security card dating from the first year of issue in 1936, belonging to, and signed by, Olympic gold medal winner and film star JOHNNY WEISSMULLER. This is the earliest social security card that we have ever offered and the fact that it is signed by one of the greatest athletes of the twentieth century and the man whose name today is nearly synonymous with Tarzan, makes it especially significant.
Weissmuller's signature has been beautifully signed in black fountain pen at bottom. The card measures 3.25x1.75 and is dated "12/30/36" in the lower left corner.
An additional Letter of Authenticity from PSA/DNA accompanies the card.
One of the most interesting aspects of this card is that the typed name reads "Peter John Weissmuller." Peter was the name of Johnny's brother, and the reason for his brother's name on this card goes back twelve years. When Johnny was preparing for the 1924 Olympics in Paris, he needed a birth certificate to travel abroad. Johnny didn’t have a U.S. birth certificate because he had been born in Freidorf, Romania on June 2, 1904. In January of 1905 the Weissmuller family (parents and infant Johnny) had emigrated to the U.S. and landed in Windber, PA. At the time of the Olympics, his coach, William Bachrach, pulled some chicanery and had Johnny use his younger brother Peter’s U.S. birth certificate (Peter was born in 1905). Of course this was all unnecessary, because Johnny was a “naturalized” citizen by 1924, and had only needed to report this information to the proper authorities to get a passport. However, for years Johnny used the name “Peter John Weissmuller” on all his official documents, for fear of losing his five Gold Olympic Medals (the way that the Olympic Committee had taken away Jim Thorpe’s Gold Medals.)
Social Security cards, along with the Social Security number system, were first issued by the Social Security Administration in November 1936 as part of the New Deal Social Security program.