1955 Topps #188 Charlie Silvera
1955 Topps #188 Charlie Silvera
About Charlie Silvera
Charles "Swede" Silvera was a right-handed catcher and a San Francisco native who starred at St. Ignatius Prep before signing with the New York Yankees in 1942. After World War II service interrupted his early minor-league years, he converted to catcher with Triple-A Kansas City and reached the majors on September 29, 1948, going 3-for-4 with a triple in his debut. That hot bat won him the backup job behind Yogi Berra, a role he held for most of nine seasons with the Yankees (1948-1956) before a final year with the Chicago Cubs in 1957. Silvera was part of six World Series champions - five straight from 1949 through 1953 plus 1956 - yet the perennial understudy made just one Series appearance, in Game 2 of the 1949 Fall Classic. Over 10 seasons and 227 games he batted .282 with 1 home run and 52 RBI. His nickname "Swede" came not from his Portuguese-Irish heritage but from his blond, wavy hair. He later coached and scouted for decades, earning another ring as a Marlins scout in 1997. This card #188 is a scarcer high-number and a double-print in the 1955 set.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference
Variations & how to tell them apart
High Number (#161-210)
Series 2 (#161-210) shipped in the fall against the new football-card season, so retailers cut their orders and far fewer were printed. As a result the set's biggest high-number names - Roberto Clemente (RC), Willie Mays, Yogi Berra, Phil Rizzuto, Gil Hodges and Duke Snider - are tougher than low-number stars such as Williams, Robinson and Aaron.
Double Print (DP)
To make up for the four numbers that were never issued (#175, #186, #203, #209), Topps double-printed four high-number commons - #170 Jim Pearce, #172 Frank Baumholtz, #184 Harry Perkowski and #188 Charlie Silvera - so these are the most available cards in the otherwise-scarce high series.
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 821 | 0 | 6 | 129 | 253 | 209 | 136 | 85 | 3 |
| SGC | 98 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 30 | 26 | 0 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-06-26. Half-grades fold down (8.5→8); totals are summed across each grader's listed variations.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1955 Topps Charlie Silvera card?
It is card #188 of 206 in the 1955 Topps set - Topps' first fully horizontal design. It pictures the New York Yankees player.
Why is the 1955 Topps Charlie Silvera a double print?
To fill the four numbers never issued (#175, #186, #203 and #209), Topps double-printed four high-number commons - #170, #172, #184 and #188 - so they are the most available cards in the otherwise-scarce high series.
Why is this card scarce?
It is in the 1955 Topps high-number series (#161-210), which shipped in the fall against the new football cards, so far fewer were printed - the scarcest run in the set.
Is the 1955 Topps Charlie Silvera valuable?
Value depends on grade and its scarce high-number status. 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.