1956 Topps #62 Hal Smith
1956 Topps #62 Hal Smith
About Hal Smith
Harold Wayne Smith (born December 7, 1930, in West Frankfort, Illinois) was a right-handed catcher who signed with the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent in 1949 but never played for them, reaching the majors only after a massive 17-player trade sent him to the Baltimore Orioles following the 1954 season. He made his big-league debut on April 11, 1955, as Baltimore's Opening Day catcher, making this 1956 Topps #62 his rookie card. Smith spent parts of ten seasons (1955-1964) with the Orioles, Kansas City Athletics, Pittsburgh Pirates, Houston Colt .45s, and Cincinnati Reds, batting .267 with 715 hits, 58 home runs, and 323 RBI over 879 games. His signature moment came in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series: with two outs in the eighth inning, Smith hit a dramatic three-run homer off Yankees right-hander Jim Coates to give Pittsburgh a 9-7 lead, a blast largely overshadowed when Bill Mazeroski won the Series with a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth. Like other early-series 1956 Topps cards, #62 exists with both the common white and scarcer gray back-stock.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference
Variations & how to tell them apart
White Back / Gray Back Series 1 & 2 (cards 1-180)
Every card #1-180 exists with the reverse printed on white/cream card stock OR on gray card stock. Cards #181-340 are gray-back only. The scarcity FLIPS at #100: on cards 1-100 the gray back is slightly scarcer (a modest premium); on cards 101-180 the gray backs are far more common (about 12-15 to 1), so the WHITE back is the scarce, premium variation - often +50% or more, and disproportionately so in high grade, since the white-stock cards tend to be more brittle.
- White Back: Printed on white/cream card stock. The standard/common look on cards 1-100; the SCARCE, premium variation on cards 101-180.
- Gray Back: Printed on gray card stock. The scarcer variation on cards 1-100 (modest premium); the common look on cards 101-180; the ONLY back on cards 181-340.
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 859 | 0 | 19 | 251 | 249 | 188 | 80 | 72 | 0 |
| SGC | 65 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 23 | 12 | 12 | 4 | 1 |
PSA by variation: Gray Back 261 · White Back 598
SGC by variation: Gray Back 32 · Gray Back (Overprint - Red Sox) 1 · White Back 32
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-06-30. 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 1956 Topps Hal Smith card?
It is card #62 of 340 in the 1956 Topps set - Topps' first set after buying out rival Bowman, and one of the most attractive issues in the hobby. It pictures the Baltimore Orioles player.
Does the 1956 Topps Hal Smith have back variations?
Yes. Every card #1-180 exists with the reverse printed on white/cream card stock OR on gray card stock. Cards #181-340 are gray-back only. The scarcity FLIPS at #100: on cards 1-100 the gray back is slightly scarcer (a modest premium); on cards 101-180 the gray backs are far more common (about 12-15 to 1), so the WHITE back is the scarce, premium variation - often +50% or more, and disproportionately so in high grade, since the white-stock cards tend to be more brittle.
Is the 1956 Topps Hal Smith valuable?
Value depends on grade and (where it applies) the back or front variation. Use the links above to check current T206 Cards inventory and live eBay listings.
Sources: Trading Card Database, Baseball-Reference, BaseballCardPedia, PSA & SGC population reports, and Baseball-Almanac. Card data, images & population compiled and maintained by T206Cards.com. Page last updated 2026-07-01.