Note: Marino image used for display purposes only and is not represented as being the actual jersey worn by Marino as the offered lot.
Offered for our Inaugural Super Bowl 2010 Auction, MEARS is proud to present an extraordinary Dan Marino game worn jersey that is accompanied by the impeccable provenance originating directly from the personal collection of former New England Patriots free safety Fred Marion. With picture perfect physical characteristics, verifiable game wear, and airtight provenance, this jersey was awarded the MEARS A10 grade, a quite rare evaluation among modern day jerseys.
The jersey is described as, “The aqua mesh jersey features the number “13” on the front, reverse, and each shoulder, and is lettered “Marino” on the reverse above the number. All numerals are silk screened in white and outlined in orange. All letters are silk screened in solid white. A Miami Dolphins team emblem appears on each sleeve. A “Wilson” exclusivity label, reading “Tailored Exclusively for Presige Teams by Wilson,” and adjacent “48” size tag appear on the left front tail. Marino has signed the jersey “Dan Marino 13” in black marker on the reverse numeral “1.” Original and unaltered, the jersey displays light wear, including light soiling along the shoulders.
The jersey is rock solid in terms of manufacturer characteristics, (proper tagging, lettering, numbering, sizing, and tailoring), but as a very rare added bonus, contains first hand provenance originating from a competitor and contemporary of Marino’s. Not only is the provenance in the form of a hand written letter, but the specific details and date the jersey was worn was recorded in the letter.
The Fred Marion signed, handwritten letter attesting to its provenance that reads in full: “This Dan Marino game-worn jersey was given to me by Dan Marino after the Dolphins-Patriots game in Miami on December 10, 1989. I played safety for the Patriots in that game and Dan lit us up for 300 yds that day in a 31-10 victory, but I guess that happened to a lot of defensive backs over the course of his great career. The jersey has been in my possession since that day and was displayed in my bar along with his Pittsburgh [college] jersey for many years. It still has some visible mud stains on the right shoulder and sleeve area, I hope from a hit or sack and not from a first-down scramble. Sincerely Fred Marion [signed].”
The jersey displays light wear, including light soiling along the shoulders and sleeves as mentioned by Marion in his letter. The important provenance of this jersey, not to mention its date-specific use, makes this one of the finest Marino jerseys in existence.
The size 48 has been verified as issued and worn by Marino during the relative time period. Similar examples in the MEARS database used to verify size include:
1980s Wilson Road size 48
1990 Wilson Road size 48
1990 Wilson Road size 48
Marino passed for 3,997 yards and 24 touchdowns in 1989. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005. Graded A10 by MEARS (5 point base grade, plus 5 points for provenance). This is one of fourteen Dan Marino Jerseys listed in the MEARS population report and one of only three graded A10. LOA Troy Kinunen/MEARS and James Spence/JSA.