1959 Topps #550 Roy Campanella
Roy Campanella, 'Symbol of Courage' — a tribute card issued after the January 1958 car accident that ended his career and left him paralyzed. His final Topps card.
About Roy Campanella
Roy "Campy" Campanella (1921-1993) was a Hall of Fame catcher who starred for the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1948-1957, winning three National League MVP awards (1951, 1953, 1955) and a World Series championship in 1955. A veteran of the Negro Leagues before integration, Campanella was renowned for his powerful bat, quick release, and leadership behind the plate on the Dodgers' famed "Boys of Summer" teams. His career ended tragically when a car accident on January 28, 1958, left him paralyzed from the shoulders down, just as the Dodgers were relocating to Los Angeles. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1969. Unlike any other card in the 1959 Topps set, Campanella's card #550 was specially titled "Symbol of Courage," featuring him in his wheelchair alongside an inset of his playing days, with a tribute write-up on the back penned by National League president Warren Giles — a unique honor reflecting his ongoing rehabilitation and his enduring legacy as an inspirational figure in the game.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference
Variations & how to tell them apart
High Number (Series 7)
The seventh and final series. High numbers carry a BLACK card-number box (the other six series use green) and were printed in the lowest quantity, so they are the scarcest cards in the set.
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 1,497 | 3 | 13 | 134 | 288 | 318 | 290 | 443 | 8 |
| SGC | 428 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 26 | 73 | 108 | 197 | 14 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Snapshot 2026-07-05. 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 1959 Topps Roy Campanella card?
It is card #550 of 572 in the 1959 Topps Baseball set - Topps' largest set to that point, issued across seven series with a circular color photo on every front. It pictures the Los Angeles Dodgers player.
Is the 1959 Topps #550 a high number?
Yes - cards #507-572 are the seventh-series high numbers, printed in the lowest quantity and identifiable by a BLACK card-number box instead of the green box used on the first six series.
Is the 1959 Topps Roy Campanella valuable?
Value depends on grade, the series (the high numbers run scarcer), and any 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 2026-07-10.