1953 Topps #259 Roy McMillan
1953 Topps #259 Roy McMillan
About Roy McMillan
Roy McMillan (1929-1997), a slick-fielding right-handed shortstop from Bonham, Texas, was signed out of a 1947 Cincinnati try-out camp and reached the majors in 1951. Over sixteen seasons he starred for the Reds (1951-1960) before finishing with the Milwaukee Braves (1961-1964) and New York Mets (1964-1966). Nicknamed "Mr. Shortstop" for his glovework, McMillan won the first Gold Glove ever awarded at the position in 1957 and repeated in 1958 and 1959. A two-time All-Star (1956-1957), he anchored one of the National League's finest double-play combinations alongside second baseman Johnny Temple from 1954 to 1959, and set a since-broken record with 129 double plays in 1954. A career .243 hitter with 68 home runs and 594 RBIs across 2,093 games, he was valued for defense over offense; Pie Traynor marveled that he "makes his own bounces." McMillan was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 1971. This #259 card is a scarce fourth-series high number and a double print.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Designations, variations & errors
High Number
Series 4 (#221-280). Printed in shorter supply and distributed late in the season, when retailers cut orders for the football months. The scarcest run in the set - holding #244 Willie Mays and the #258 Gilliam and #263 Podres rookies - and routinely 3-4x the price of low-number commons.
Double Print
Marked DP. Roughly 50% more of these cards were printed than their neighbors (the hobby calls it 'double-printed'), so they are the most plentiful cards in the set. TCDB flags 103 of them, concentrated in the low series. Five cards normally in the low run - #94, #107, #131, #145 and #156 - were also printed on the more-plentiful #166-220 sheet. A print-quantity designation, not an error or a separate card.
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 473 | 0 | 1 | 27 | 76 | 150 | 113 | 106 | 0 |
| SGC | 58 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 15 | 26 | 1 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-06-26. Half-grades fold down (8.5→8). PSA counts are straight-graded.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1953 Topps Roy McMillan card?
It is card #259 of the 1953 Topps Baseball set - one of the most beautiful sets ever made, with hand-painted color portraits numbered to 280 (274 cards issued). It pictures the Cincinnati Reds player.
Why is this card scarce?
It is in the 1953 Topps high-number series (#221-280), released late in the season in shorter supply - the scarcest run in the set, routinely 3-4 times the price of low-number commons.
What does 'double print' mean for this card?
Roughly 50% more of these cards were printed than their neighbors, so double prints (DP) are the most plentiful cards in the set. It is a print-quantity note, not an error or a separate card.
Is the 1953 Topps Roy McMillan valuable?
Value depends on grade and eye appeal. Use the links above to check current T206 Cards inventory and live eBay listings.
Sources: Trading Card Database, Baseball-Reference, PSA & SGC population reports, and Baseball-Almanac. Card data & population compiled and maintained by T206Cards.com. Page last updated 2026-07-01.