1953 Topps #147 Warren Spahn
1953 Topps #147 Warren Spahn
Warren Spahn, a single-printed Hall of Fame ace.
About Warren Spahn
Signed by the Boston Braves in 1940, left-hander Warren Spahn reached the majors in 1942 but then lost three prime seasons (1943-45) to World War II, serving as a combat engineer who fought at the Battle of the Bulge and the Ludendorff Bridge and earned a Purple Heart and battlefield commission. Returning in 1946, he pitched 21 seasons for the Boston and Milwaukee Braves before finishing in 1965 with the Mets and Giants. A 17-time All-Star, he won 363 games with a 3.09 ERA and 2,583 strikeouts — the most wins ever by a left-hander — and led the NL in wins eight times while notching a record 13 twenty-win seasons. He took the 1957 Cy Young Award and helped Milwaukee beat the Yankees in the 1957 World Series, and threw no-hitters at ages 39 and 40. Immortalized in the 1948 "Spahn and Sain and pray for rain" verse, he was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1973. This series-2 card exists with the back biography in either black or white text.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Designations, variations & errors
White-text biography
A minor printing variation: on some copies the back biography is printed in white text, on others in black text. Catalogued by TCDB (and noted by price guides for the series-2 range) but considered a minor variation, not a headline.
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 1,485 | 0 | 3 | 68 | 140 | 238 | 308 | 718 | 10 |
| SGC | 688 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 23 | 43 | 91 | 477 | 51 |
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 Warren Spahn card?
It is card #147 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 Boston Braves player.
Is the 1953 Topps Warren Spahn 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.