1974 Topps #1 Hank Aaron: New All-Time Home Run King
About this card
Cards #1-6 are the Aaron Special subset that opens the set: #1 Hank Aaron: New All-Time Home Run King, then five career-recap cards (#2-6), four seasons to a card, 1954-1957 through 1970-1973. #2, #3 and #4 show the Milwaukee Braves, his club in those seasons before the franchise moved to Atlanta, and are correct as printed.
The story on this card
Aaron batted .301 with 96 RBI for Atlanta in 1973. Topps devoted #1-#6 to its 1974 Aaron Special: #1 carried the heading "New All-Time Home Run King," while #2-#6 reproduced earlier card fronts from 1954 through 1973. He also appeared on All-Star card #332, paired with Chicago White Sox first baseman Dick Allen.
Hank Aaron joined the Milwaukee Braves in 1954 after playing for the Indianapolis Clowns in the Negro American League. The Braves had offered him $50 a month more than the New York Giants. He moved through Eau Claire and Jacksonville before an injury to Milwaukee outfielder Bobby Thomson opened a place for him in spring training. Aaron spent 21 seasons with the Braves and two with the Milwaukee Brewers, finishing with a .305 average, 3,771 hits and 755 home runs. He retired with major-league career records of 2,297 RBI, 6,856 total bases and 1,477 extra-base hits. He won batting titles in 1956 and 1959, earned three Gold Gloves and was selected for All-Star teams in 21 seasons. Braves publicist Don Davidson promoted the name Hank, although Aaron's given name was Henry; Hammerin' Hank became another familiar name. On April 8, 1974, he hit career home run 715 off Al Downing in Atlanta to pass Babe Ruth, after enduring racist threats during the pursuit. His career total remained the major-league home run record until 2007. Elected to the Hall of Fame in 1982, Aaron later worked in the Braves' front office as a senior vice president. He died in 2021.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · National Baseball Hall of Fame · MLB.com · BaseballCardPedia
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 5,126 | 1 | 119 | 857 | 1,000 | 988 | 781 | 1,374 | 6 |
| SGC | 1,408 | 0 | 4 | 68 | 212 | 271 | 347 | 488 | 18 |
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
More Hank Aaron in this set: #2 Aaron Special, #3 Aaron Special, #4 Aaron Special, #5 Aaron Special, #6 Aaron Special, #332 All-Stars
Team card: #483 Atlanta Braves
More Atlanta Braves cards:
- #5 Hank Aaron Special: 1966-1969
- #6 Hank Aaron Special: 1970-1973
- #29 Phil Niekro
- #45 Dave Johnson
- #71 Danny Frisella
- #93 Rod Gilbreath
- #140 Darrell Evans
- #164 Tom House
- #183 Johnny Oates
- #227 Mike Lum
- #244 Carl Morton
- #272 Paul Casanova
- #298 Roric Harrison
- #320 Dusty Baker
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1974 Topps #1 card?
It is card #1 of the 660-card 1974 Topps Baseball set, picturing Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves. Cards #1-6 are the Aaron Special subset that opens the set: #1 Hank Aaron: New All-Time Home Run King, then five career-recap cards (#2-6), four seasons to a card, 1954-1957 through 1970-1973. #2, #3 and #4 show the Milwaukee Braves, his club in those seasons before the franchise moved to Atlanta, and are correct as printed.
How many Hank Aaron cards are in the 1974 Topps set?
Seven: the six cards of the Aaron Special subset (#1-6) - #1 Hank Aaron: New All-Time Home Run King and five career-recap cards (#2-6), four seasons to a card - and #332 All-Star First Basemen, which pairs him with Dick Allen.
What are the key cards in the 1974 Topps set?
#1 Hank Aaron: New All-Time Home Run King, #20 Nolan Ryan and #456 Dave Winfield (his rookie card, the headline rookie of the set) are the headline cards. The set's signature variation is #599 1974 Rookie Pitchers, the only card in the set with three printings - one "Washington Nat'l Lea." and two San Diego. Among the Washington cards, PSA names #241 Glenn Beckert and #250 Willie McCovey as its examples. The set was issued all at once and printed in equal quantities, so it has no high-number or short-print run.
How many cards are in the 1974 Topps Baseball set?
660 cards, tracked as 678 collectible states. Numbers run from 1 to 660 with none skipped, issued all at once as a single series and printed in equal quantities; 17 cards carry catalogued print variations that the master set counts separately - fourteen San Diego / "Washington Nat'l Lea." pairs (thirteen Padres player cards and the #226 team card), the three-state #599 Rookie Pitchers, the #608 Apodaco misspelling and the #654 Jesus Alou front without a position.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA CardFacts, 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.