1964 Topps #55 Ernie Banks
About Ernie Banks
First-series #55 reports the bottom of Banks's Cubs career. He spent most of 1963 fighting a low-grade case of the mumps, missed time with a sore knee and a bruised heel, and sat out the last three weeks, finishing at .227 with 18 home runs and 64 RBI. The team around him did better than he did: the 1963 Cubs posted their first winning record since the 1940s.
Ernest Banks of Dallas turned pro in 1950 with the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro American League, then spent two Army years in Germany during the Korean War. The Cubs bought his contract in September 1953, and he became the first Black player to appear in a game for Chicago, debuting on the 17th without ever spending a day in the minors. A shortstop until he became the Cubs' regular first baseman in 1962, Banks was the first National League player to win back-to-back MVP awards, in 1958 and 1959, both for losing clubs. He hit a major-league-best 47 home runs in 1958, led the NL in RBI both seasons with 129 and then 143, and in 1960 won the first Gold Glove given a Cub. Called Mr. Cub and Mr. Sunshine for the disposition behind his standing invitation to play two, he was an All-Star in 11 seasons, played in 14 All-Star Games, and hit 512 home runs, the 500th on May 12, 1970, at Wrigley Field. He retired after 1971 having never played a postseason game. His No. 14 became the first number the Cubs retired, in 1982; he entered the Hall of Fame in 1977 on the first ballot, took the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013, and died in Chicago in 2015.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · Baseball Almanac
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 3,010 | 0 | 30 | 246 | 499 | 711 | 518 | 1,002 | 4 |
| SGC | 1,038 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 90 | 189 | 261 | 460 | 17 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Data as of 2026-09-04. Half grades fold down for both graders (8.5→8); PSA qualified slabs (OC, ST, PD, MC and the like) are not counted.
Find this card
Search T206 Cards Shop 1964 Topps cards Live auctions Buy It Now on eBay Sold prices
As an eBay Partner Network affiliate, T206Cards.com may earn from qualifying purchases.
Related cards
Team card: #237 Chicago Cubs
More Chicago Cubs cards:
- #1 1963 National League E.R.A. Leaders
- #29 Lou Brock
- #78 Merritt Ranew
- #96 Bob Buhl
- #111 Don Elston
- #131 Steve Boros
- #175 Billy Williams
- #192 Cubs 1964 Rookie Stars
- #220 Dick Ellsworth
- #252 Ken Aspromonte
- #269 Ellis Burton
- #286 Don Landrum
- #309 Paul Toth
- #336 Andre Rodgers
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1964 Topps #55 card?
It is card #55 of the 587-card 1964 Topps Baseball set, picturing Ernie Banks of the Chicago Cubs.
What are the key cards in the 1964 Topps set?
The #50 Mickey Mantle anchors the set, with #150 Willie Mays, #200 Sandy Koufax, #300 Hank Aaron, #440 Bob Clemente, #55 Ernie Banks and #125 Pete Rose (wearing the All-Star Rookie trophy) among the stars, the #331 A.L. Bombers card gathering Mantle with Roger Maris, Norm Cash and Al Kaline, the #423 Tops in NL card pairing Aaron and Mays, and the #243 Richie Allen and #541 Phil Niekro Rookie Stars cards.
How many cards are in the 1964 Topps Baseball set?
587 cards, tracked as 589 collectible states. Numbers run from 1 to 587 with no gaps, and no number carries two different cards; two cards - #4, the A.L. Pitching Leaders, and #517, the seventh-series checklist - carry a catalogued back variation that the master set counts separately.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA CardFacts, Cardboard Connection, The Topps Archives, Baseball Almanac, Baseball-Reference, the SABR BioProject and the National Baseball Hall of Fame, PSA & SGC population reports. Card data compiled and maintained by T206Cards.com. Page last updated 2026-10-11.