Charlie Silvera - 1957 Topps #255
1957 Topps #255 Charlie Silvera
Uncorrected error: Born in '24, not '34 It was never corrected, so there is only one version of the card.
The #176 "Bakep" error: the back header reads "EUGENF W. BAKEP," the whole name garbled on the printing plate. It is the ONLY error Topps corrected in 1957, which is why the error back carries the premium — a PSA population near 215, topping out at PSA 8.
About Charlie Silvera
Charlie "Swede" Silvera — so dubbed by Mission Bowl owner John Swanson, who cared only that the Portuguese-Irish kid had blond, wavy hair — signed with the Yankees out of San Francisco in 1942, gave 1943-45 to wartime service, and debuted in September 1948. For nine seasons he was Yogi Berra's backup catcher, collecting six World Series rings (1949-1953, 1956) despite a single Series appearance, Game 2 in 1949. That August he had hit .329 filling in for an injured Berra. Traded to the Cubs for Harry Chiti, he hit .208 in 26 games in 1957, his final season, finishing a career .282 hitter with one home run. Decades of coaching and scouting followed, including a seventh ring with the 1997 Marlins; he died in 2019 as the last surviving player from all five straight Yankees title teams. This card, from his lone Cubs season, carries a famous error: the back says he was born in 1934, not 1924.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 561 | 3 | 22 | 192 | 181 | 105 | 35 | 23 | 0 |
| SGC | 49 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 23 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 0 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-07-05. Half-grades fold down (8.5→8). PSA counts are straight-graded (the +/Q qualifier rows are excluded).
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- #55 Ernie Banks
- #74 Vito Valentinetti
- #84 Moe Drabowsky
- #134 Don Kaiser
- #137 Bob Rush
- #155 Jim Brosnan
- #159 Solly Drake
- #176A Gene Baker
- #176B Gene Baker
- #183 Chicago Cubs
- #186 Jim King
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Frequently asked questions
What is the 1957 Topps Charlie Silvera card?
It is card #255 of the 1957 Topps Baseball set - the 407-card, 2-1/2 by 3-1/2 inch set that was Topps' first at the modern standard card size, with full-color photography and complete career stats on the back. It pictures Charlie Silvera, Chicago Cubs.
How many cards are in the 1957 Topps set?
407 numbered cards. Collectors usually count 408 because #176 Gene Baker exists in an error ('Bakep') and a corrected back. The PSA master set adds the 8 checklists, 4 contest cards and the Lucky Penny for 421 items.
Sources: PSA CardFacts, Beckett, BaseballCardPedia, Baseball-Reference, PSA & SGC population reports, and hobby press-sheet research (Net54 / Topps Archives). Card data compiled and maintained by T206Cards.com. Page last updated 2026-07-05.