1956 Topps #30 Jackie Robinson
1956 Topps #30 Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson's final regular-issue card - he retired after the 1956 season rather than accept a trade to the Giants. Double-printed.
About Jackie Robinson
Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson (1919-1972) was a four-sport star at UCLA who played shortstop for the Negro Leagues' Kansas City Monarchs in 1945 before Dodgers executive Branch Rickey signed him to break Major League Baseball's color barrier. Debuting at Ebbets Field on April 15, 1947 as a Brooklyn first baseman wearing number 42, he won the inaugural Rookie of the Year Award, then settled in as a dynamic second baseman. Robinson captured the 1949 NL MVP and batting title (.342) and was named an All-Star for six straight seasons (1949-1954). Across ten years he batted .311 with 137 home runs, 734 RBI, and 197 stolen bases, including a knack for stealing home, and helped Brooklyn win its only World Series in 1955. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1962 on the first ballot, and MLB retired his number 42 across all clubs in 1997. This 1956 issue was his final regular-issue card: after the season the Dodgers traded him to the rival Giants, but Robinson chose to retire rather than report. Card #30 was double-printed and, like others in the first series, exists with both scarcer gray-stock and common white-stock backs.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
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.
Double Print
An uncut Series-1 sheet (110 cards, 10x11) shows 20 cards were double-printed - modestly more plentiful than their series-mates. The list happily includes #30 Jackie Robinson and #31 Hank Aaron. The only print-quantity designation in the set (there is no recognized short-print run).
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 10,661 | 0 | 37 | 570 | 964 | 1,552 | 1,760 | 5,680 | 98 |
| SGC | 4,820 | 0 | 7 | 31 | 151 | 319 | 664 | 3,376 | 272 |
PSA by variation: Gray Back 3,576 · White Back 7,085
SGC by variation: Gray Back 2,173 · White Back 2,647
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 Jackie Robinson card?
It is card #30 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 Brooklyn Dodgers player.
Does the 1956 Topps Jackie Robinson 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 Jackie Robinson 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.