1959 Topps Football Cards

1959 Topps football card wrapperThere are 176 cards in the 1959 Topps football card set; they were released in two series of 88. The second series cards, numbers 89-176, appear to have been printed in larger numbers than the first series cards. This is unusual: in most sets, the earlier series were printed in greater numbers. The Gallery's virtual uncut sheet of 1959 Topps cards shows how the uncut sheets from the two series were configured. As often seen in vintage sets, the cards that were along the edges of the sheets tend to be the most challenging to find in high grades.

It is well known that the Jim Taylor rookie card in the 1959 Topps set pictures the wrong Jim Taylor. You can see that card and others that picture the wrong player on the Gallery's Mistaken Identities page.

The 1959 Topps set includes both a team card and a pennant card for each of the twelve NFL teams of 1959. If a team's pennant is in the first series, its team card is in the second series, and vice versa. Each team card has either a first or second series checklist on the back. One peculiarity of the set is that all of the Chicago Bears cards are in the second series.

You can see pictures of 1959 Topps football card wrappers on the Gallery's wrapper page, and of 1-cent and 5-cent display boxes on the Mile High Card Company web site.

Rookie cards of Pro Football Hall of Famers in the 1959 Topps set: Sam Huff, Alex Karras, Jerry Kramer, Bobby Mitchell, Jim Parker, Jim Taylor. Rookie cards of Heisman Trophy winners in the 1959 Topps set: John David Crow.

Image Set #Card Title/Players Pro Team Position College Honors Notes Grades available at Nearmint Sports Cards
1959 Topps John Unitas 1959 Topps 1 John Unitas Baltimore Colts quarterback Louisville Pro Football Hall of Fame 1979, Ravens Ring of Honor 2002 Unitas led the NFL with 2899 passing yards and 32 touchdown passes in 1959. poor
1959 Topps Gene Brito 1959 Topps 2 Gene Brito Los Angeles Rams defensive end Loyola Marymount Commanders Ring of Fame exmt
1959 Topps Detroit Lions Team 1959 Topps 3 Detroit Lions Team Detroit Lions ex+
1959 Topps Max McGee 1959 Topps 4 Max McGee Green Bay Packers end Tulane Packers Hall of Fame 1975 Rookie card

McGee led the NFL with 23.2 yards per reception in 1959.
exmt
1959 Topps Hugh McElhenny 1959 Topps 5 Hugh McElhenny San Francisco 49ers halfback Washington 49ers Hall of Fame 2009, College Hall of Fame 1981, Pro Football Hall of Fame 1970 nm oc
1959 Topps Joe Schmidt 1959 Topps 6 Joe Schmidt Detroit Lions linebacker Pittsburgh College Hall of Fame 2000, Pride of the Lions 2009, Pro Football Hall of Fame 1973
1959 Topps Kyle Rote 1959 Topps 7 Kyle Rote New York Giants end SMU College Hall of Fame 1964, Giants Ring of Honor 2022
1959 Topps Clarence Peaks 1959 Topps 8 Clarence Peaks Philadelphia Eagles fullback Michigan State ex+
1959 Topps Steelers Pennant 1959 Topps 9 Steelers Pennant Pittsburgh Steelers ex+
1959 Topps Jim Brown 1959 Topps 10 Jim Brown Cleveland Browns fullback Syracuse Browns Ring of Honor 2010, College Hall of Fame 1995, Pro Football Hall of Fame 1971 Brown led the NFL with 1329 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns in 1959. PSA 6, PSA 5, PSA 4, PSA 2.5
1959 Topps Ray Mathews 1959 Topps 11 Ray Mathews Pittsburgh Steelers end Clemson Steelers Hall of Honor 2022 nm
1959 Topps Bobby Dillon 1959 Topps 12 Bobby Dillon Green Bay Packers defensive back Texas Packers Hall of Fame 1974, Pro Football Hall of Fame 2020 nm
1959 Topps Joe Childress 1959 Topps 13 Joe Childress Chicago Cardinals halfback Auburn exmt
1959 Topps Terry Barr 1959 Topps 14 Terry Barr Detroit Lions defensive back Michigan Rookie card nm
1959 Topps Del Shofner 1959 Topps 15 Del Shofner Los Angeles Rams end Baylor Rookie card

Shofner and Charlie Bradshaw were teammates at Center High School in Center, Texas. See the Gallery's High School Teammates page.
exmt+
1959 Topps Bob Pellegrini 1959 Topps 16 Bob Pellegrini Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Maryland College Hall of Fame 1996 Pellegrini's name is misspelled "Pellagrini" on the back of this card. exmt+
1959 Topps Baltimore Colts Team 1959 Topps 17 Baltimore Colts Team Baltimore Colts
1959 Topps Preston Carpenter 1959 Topps 18 Preston Carpenter Cleveland Browns halfback Arkansas
1959 Topps Leo Nomellini 1959 Topps 19 Leo Nomellini San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Minnesota 49ers Hall of Fame 2009, College Hall of Fame 1977, Pro Football Hall of Fame 1969 exmt+
1959 Topps Frank Gifford 1959 Topps 20 Frank Gifford New York Giants halfback USC, Bakersfield College College Hall of Fame 1975, Pro Football Hall of Fame 1977 exmt
1959 Topps Charlie Ane 1959 Topps 21 Charlie Ane Detroit Lions center, tackle USC Ane's brother, Gilbert Ane, played one game for the CFL's Montreal Alouettes in 1959. nm oc
1959 Topps Jack Butler 1959 Topps 22 Jack Butler Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back St. Bonaventure Pro Football Hall of Fame 2012, Steelers Hall of Honor 2017 exmt+
1959 Topps Bart Starr 1959 Topps 23 Bart Starr Green Bay Packers quarterback Alabama Packers Hall of Fame 1977, Pro Football Hall of Fame 1977 PSA 4, PSA 6
1959 Topps Cardinals Pennant 1959 Topps 24 Cardinals Pennant Chicago Cardinals vg-ex
1959 Topps Bill Barnes 1959 Topps 25 Bill Barnes Philadelphia Eagles halfback Wake Forest exmt+

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