1971 Topps #525 Ernie Banks
About Ernie Banks
Banks opened 1970 in an unfamiliar role, backing up Jim Hickman at first base, and played 72 games. On May 12 at Wrigley Field he reached 500 home runs with a second-inning drive off Atlanta's Pat Jarvis into the left field bleachers, in front of a crowd thinned by dark clouds and threatening skies. He finished 1970 with a .252 average, 12 home runs and 44 RBI. His 1971 Topps card is fifth-series #525, with the Chicago Cubs.
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. His No. 14 became the first number the Cubs retired, in 1982; he entered the Hall of Fame in 1977 on the first ballot, received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013, and died in Chicago in 2015.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference · Baseball Almanac · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 2,498 | 1 | 6 | 258 | 612 | 538 | 423 | 656 | 4 |
| SGC | 838 | 0 | 2 | 21 | 104 | 191 | 202 | 248 | 70 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Data as of 2026-10-19. Half grades fold down for both graders (8.5→8); PSA qualified slabs (OC, ST, PD, MC and the like) are not counted.
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Related cards
Team card: #502 Chicago Cubs
More Chicago Cubs cards:
- #12 Johnny Callison
- #38 Jim Colborn
- #64 1970 National League RBI Leaders
- #66 1970 National League Home Run Leaders
- #70 1970 National League Pitching Leaders
- #72 1970 National League Strikeout Leaders
- #90 Joe Pepitone
- #98 Joe Decker
- #121 Cubs 1971 Rookie Stars
- #151 Tommy Davis
- #175 Jim Hickman
- #203 Larry Gura
- #220 Ron Santo
- #248 Hoyt Wilhelm
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1971 Topps #525 card?
It is card #525 of the 752-card 1971 Topps Baseball set, picturing Ernie Banks of the Chicago Cubs.
How many cards are in the 1971 Topps Baseball set?
752 cards, tracked as 761 collectible states. Numbers run from 1 to 752 with none skipped, issued in six print series (132/131/130/130/120/109 cards), the sixth (#644-752) the high numbers; seven cards carry catalogued print variations that the master set counts separately - the #42, #265 and #306 photo pairs and the #123, #206, #369 and #619 checklists, #369 and #619 in three printings each.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA (its price guide, master set registry and set article), BaseballCardPedia, Cardboard Connection, 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 2026-10-25.