This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/6/2021
Since the 1952 Topps card of Mickey Mantle isn't technically a rookie card, it's fair to say that the featured pasteboard debut of Pittsburgh Pirates legend Roberto Clemente holds that honor. In the past the Clemente RC had been grouped with the premiere appearances of Sandy Koufax and Harmon Killebrew as being the "the big three" that paces the 1955 Topps set, but that characterization no longer applies as Clemente's increasing popularity has moved his 1955 Topps card to the forefront of baseball card collecting. Like Koufax and Killebrew, Clemente was a highly-touted prospect that went several years before developing into a Hall of Fame caliber player. Always hovering around the .300 mark, Clemente's breakout season was 1961, when he hit a career-high 23 round-trippers while his .351 batting average earned him the first of four National League batting titles. As for the featured card, slightly to the left of center horizontally but well within specifications for a NM/MT grade, one can't help but notice the clearly superior central image quality, bursting forth with lively red and green pigments that amplify the pure whiteness of the surrounding border. The corners easily meet PSA's lofty standards for a PSA 8 grade. A truly appealing specimen of one of the most important rookie cards that Topps ever produced.