Muhammad Ali's Most Graded Sports Cards and Their Prices

Muhammad Ali defined a generation of American sports with his athletic greatness, bravado, and political influence. Though he is not widely sought-after in the card hobby, his cards have seen a rise in prices in the past 10 years. We'll look at his most-graded cards, including those bearing his former name, Cassius Clay, and their current prices.

Rudy Clay holds up his brother Cassius arm with a No. 1 salute, as he visits Central High School following his return to Louisville, Ky., after winning the Olympic gold medal in boxing. Sept. 9, 1960 Muhammad Ali / Bill Strode/The Courier-Journal, Louisville Courier Journal via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Muhammad Ali, "The Greatest," has had thousands of cards and postcards made of him. He is an enduring figure for how he boxed in some of the most exciting fights ever and how he carried himself outside the ring. He was boisterous, charming, and intelligent - a one-of-a-kind up to his death in 2016.

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Feb. 18, 1959; Louisville, KY, USA; FILE PHOTO; Joe Martin (center back) poses in the ring with eight amateur champions who will represent Louisville in the tournament of champions in Chicago. He is flanked by (from left) Cassius Clay a/k/a Muhammad Ali , Jimmy Ellis , Johnny Hampton and Donnie Hall. Front from left is Fred Stokes , Joe Martin Jr. , Bill Caskey and Herschel Rice. Caskey's trophy is a best fighter award; Ali for sportsmanship; and Hampton's pair are for most aggressive fighter / The Courier-Journal-Imagn Images

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In this article, we'll look at his most graded cards, delve into his cards and look up their prices. All data has been sourced from Gem Rate.

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1. 1979 Venorlandus Muhammad Ali #3 (PSA - 2,219; SGC - 170; Beckett - 87)

Image Courtesy of Fanatics Collect

The most-graded Ali card is from a British release, paying homage to his famous quote, “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. His hands can't hit what his eyes can't see.” He said it while preparing for his title fight against Sonny Liston, which he won. PSA 10s sell for about $325 and PSA 9s for $75. Even though it's a caricature, it's a great "playing days" card made while Ali was the reigning heavyweight champion.

2. 1983 Topps History's Greatest Olympians Cassius Clay #92 (SGC - 1,180; PSA - 948; Beckett - 268)

Image Courtesy of COMC

This card was released in 1983 and refers to Ali's Rome Olympics triumph in 1960 when he won the gold medal in boxing's heavyweight division. The cards were made in anticipation of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. SGC leads the way in grading this card. The card in PSA 10 is affordable at about $130, with a population of just 29. PSA 9s (pop. 297) sell for $30.

3. 1991 All World Boxing Muhammad Ali #69 (PSA - 456; Beckett - 254; SGC - 84)

Image Courtesy of COMC

The card shows Ali boxing Joe Frazier in 1971 during the first match of their thrilling trilogy. In 1971, Frazier would knock down Ali in the 15th round on the way to winning a unanimous decision. It was Ali's first defeat, and Frazier became the heavyweight champion. Though the card was released 11 years after his retirement, the action shot shows Ali just after landing a punch on Frazier. PSA 10s sell for about $60 and PSA 9s for $25.

4. 1971 Barratt & Co. LTD Famous Sportsmen #24 Cassius Clay (PSA - 653; SGC - 91; Beckett - 29)

Image Courtesy of PSA

This card is an interesting U.K.-based release because it was released as Cassius Clay, even though he changed his name to Muhammad Ali in 1964. The card looks like an older tobacco card with its white borders. The back of the card states his name as "Cassius Clay or Muhammad Ali." A PSA 10 version (pop. 3) of the card sold for $9,760 in Nov. 2024. PSA 9 versions (pop. 85) sell for about $550.

5. 1964 Slania Stamps Cassius Clay #23 (PSA - 722; SGC - 44)

Image Courtesy of COMC

This set of stamps was released as a collectible, designed by Czesław Słania, considered the greatest and most prolific stamp engraver ever. PSA 10s (pop. 266) sell for $85-$110. PSA 9s (pop. 237) sell for about $50.

6. 1991 Kayo Muhammad Ali #235 Base (PSA - 467; Beckett - 214; SGC - 28)

Ali's famous pose standing over Sonny Liston / Image Courtesy of COMC

Up to 1991, the Kayo release was one of a handful of boxing releases. The set includes rookie cards of notable fighters like Roy Jones, Lennox Lewis, Oliver McCall, Buster Douglas, James Toney, and Arturo Gatti. The set also contains hologram inserts, including a glorious one of Muhammad Ali. PSA 10s (pop. 14) sell for about $175, and PSA 9s (pop. 190) sell for $15 - $20.

7. 1991 Players International Ringlords #40 (PSA - 338; Beckett - 82; SGC - 44)

Image Courtesy of PSA

This set is punctuated by beautiful photography and close-ups of the fighters. Mike Tyson, Julio Cesar Chavez, Lennox Lewis, Evander Holyfield, and Ali headline this set. A PSA 10 recently sold for $36.

8. 1960 Hemmets Journal (Hand Cut) Cassius Clay #23 (PSA - 416; SGC - 22)

Image Courtesy of Fanatics Collect

The Hemmets Journal is the granddaddy of all Ali cards. The Hemmets Journal is considered Ali's rookie card and is his most valuable. According to Heritage Auctions, "This hand-cut card, issued by the Swedish magazine Hemmets Journal, is one of the earliest collectible cards featuring Clay." Only one Gem Mint PSA 10 exists. The last sale for the card was in 2019 for $49,900. PSA now values the PSA 10 card at about $250,000. Three cards sold on Jan. 2 on eBay for the following prices: PSA 1 - $960, PSA 3 - $1,556, PSA 6 - $4,238.

9. 1979 Brooke Bond & Co. Muhammad Ali #21 (PSA - 344; SGC - 65)

Image Courtesy of Fanatics Collect

The landscape card shows an image of Ali during his fight against British champion Richard Dunn from their bout in Munich on May 24, 1976. Ali won the fight via TKO in the fifth round. A PSA 10 sold for $240 from a Memory Lane auction. A PSA 9 recently sold on eBay for $47, but sales have also registered between $32-$56 in the past two years.

10. 1983 Topps M & M's Olympic Heroes Cassius Clay #7 (PSA - 322; SGC - 5; Beckett - 3)

Image Courtesy of eBay

This release was a subset of its 1983 Topps Olympic Heroes release. This version was branded by M&M's and is distinguishable from its larger counterpart by the M&M's logo and the red borders. PSA 9s sell for about $30 and PSA 10s sell for $200.

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