Top 7 Mickey Mantle cards from the '50s with on-card autographs
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Mickey Mantle signed more autographs than just about anyone. "The Mick" was a regular at card shows in the late '80s and early '90s. Ironically, though, he rarely signed actual baseball cards. He mostly autographed baseballs, photos, and sometimes stickers.
For many years, there was a widespread belief among baseball card collectors that having a card signed actually devalued it, instead of enhancing its worth.
Because of that belief, there are relatively few vintage Mickey Mantle autographed cards. To illustrate this, here are the PSA population counts for Mickey Mantle’s 1950s Topps cards alongside the population counts of those same cards bearing his autograph.
1952 Topps Mickey Mantle PSA Population Count: 1,654
1952 Topps Mickey Mantle PSA Population Count with an Autograph: 17
1953 Topps Mickey Mantle PSA Population Count: 4,518
1953 Topps Mickey Mantle PSA Population Count with an Autograph: 59
1956 Topps Mickey Mantle PSA Population Count : 8,498
1956 Topps Mickey Mantle PSA Population Count with an Autograph: 39
1957 Topps Mickey Mantle PSA Population Count: 7,621
1957 Topps Mickey Mantle PSA Population Count with an Autograph: 42
1958 Topps Mickey Mantle PSA Population Count: 7,940
1958 Topps Mickey Mantle PSA Population Count with an Autograph: 58
1959 Topps Mickey Mantle PSA Population Count: 9,743
1959 Topps Mickey Mantle PSA Population Count with an Autograph: 36
The scarcity of Mickey Mantle autograph cards has driven their prices to skyrocket in recent years. This article will highlight the 7 most valuable Mickey Mantle vintage on-card autographs. (Each Mantle card is included in the rankings only once.)
7. 1955 Bowman Mickey Mantle #202 PSA 5, Auto 10
What Makes this Card Special: Only 30 of these brown beauties have been graded by PSA, and this PSA 5 copy of the Mantle auto is the highest graded one in existence. An Auto 10 grade by PSA is the cherry on top and makes this the best ever 1955 Bowman Mickey Mantle auto. The iconic '55 Bowmans, with the unique Color TV design, are a set collectors have always loved. Unlike a common sticker auto card, this one was held in the hand of the Mick, and he delivered a beautiful blue sharpie signature.
Condition Rank: #1 among all known PSA autographs of this card
Price: $39,040 (sold August 25th, 2025)
6. 1956 Topps Mickey Mantle (Gray Back) #135 PSA 5.5, Auto 10
What Makes this Card Special: This 1956 blazer pops and looks better than the 5.5 grade it was given by PSA. The auto placement by Mantle is superb on this one as he avoided getting ink on his face. Some people don't like the look of the ballpoint pen autos, but others seek them out and view them as an homage of the times when pens were used more than sharpies for autographs. 1956 is Mantle's Triple Crown season, further adding this this card's appeal.
Condition Rank: #5 among all known PSA autographs of this card. A PSA 7 and three PSA 6's exist of the 1956 Topps Mantle auto.
Price: $72,000, sold May 16, 2024
5. 1953 Topps Mickey Mantle #82 PSA 4, Auto 10
What Makes this Card Special: Many people consider the 1953 Topps to be the nicest looking Mantle. The beautiful 1953 Topps set uses hand-painted portrait style artwork for each player, and the Mantle card is an absolute stunner. This particular copy looks good for a PSA 4 (bad corners doesn't bother some vintage collectors when it comes to eye appeal). Most would prefer blue ink to match the baby blue eyes and blue hat, but this black PSA 10 auto still pops on the white background.
Condition Rank: #4 among all known autographs of this card. Three PSA 5s of the 1953 Mantle auto exist.
Price: $84,000, sold January 27, 2023
4. 1952 Bowman Mickey Mantle #101 PSA 5, Auto 9
What Makes this Card Special: Less experienced collectors might not realize another baseball card set from 1952 exists, but grizzled hobby veterans appreciate the greatness of 1952 Bowman. Overshadowed by the iconic 1952 Topps Mantle, the 52 Bowman showcases fantastic artwork of a baby-faced Mantle. This particular copy is the highest grade in existence for PSA 52 Bowman Mantle Autos. The black ball-point pen auto is a bit choppy, but the eye appeal is still solid.
Condition Rank: #1 among all known PSA autographs of this card
Price: $99,000, sold July 14, 2023
3. 1952 Berk Ross Mickey Mantle PSA 1.5, Auto 10
What Makes this Card Special: Berk Ross cards were not distributed nationally like Topps or Bowman. They were a rare mail-in premium set often sold in two-card panels. This makes the 52 Berk Ross one of the "odd-ball" Mantle cards that has become extremely popular among hard-core Mickey Mantle collectors. Around 300 of the Berk Ross Mantles have been graded by PSA, but only 3 autographs of this card have been graded. This copy was only graded a 1.5, but the eye appeal isn't bad, especially when you consider the beautiful blue PSA 10 auto.
Condition Rank: #2 among all known PSA autographs of this card. A PSA 2 copy and a PSA 1 copy of the 1952 Berk Ross Mantle auto exists.
Price: $132,000, sold May 16, 2024
2. 1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle Rookie #253 PSA 2.5, Auto 8
What Makes this Card Special: This is a rookie auto of the baseball card king. Some novice collectors might wrongly assert that the 1952 Topps Mantle is his rookie, but this 51 Bowman is it. Some nicer eye appeal versions of this auto are out there, but this card doesn't come up for sale often and I'm sure the winner of this Mantle auto at a Heritage Auction last year is very happy with their purchase.
Condition Rank: #5 among all known PSA autographs of this card. A PSA 3 copy, two PSA 4 copies, and a PSA 5 copy of the 1951 Bowman Mantle rookie auto exists.
Price: $284,400, sold February 24, 2024
1. 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle #311 PSA 5.5 Auto 8
What Makes this Card Special: This is "The Holy Grail" of baseball cards, and it was touched/signed by Mantle himself. It doesn't get any better than that. Some avid vintage on-card autograph collectors would choose this card over the SGC 9.5 copy of the 52 Topps Mantle that sold for over $12 million. The eye appeal on this one is great, and it is much more rare than the non-autographed version of the card. (1,654 vs. 17).
Condition Rank:#1 among all known PSA autographs of this card
Price: $1,067,500 sold August 23, 2025
David is a collector based in Georgia and a lifelong fan of the New York Yankees, New York Giants, and New York Knicks. He is an avid sports card collector with a strong passion for vintage baseball cards and vintage on-card autographs. David enjoys obtaining autographs through the mail and loves connecting with other knowledgeable collectors to discuss the history and evolution of the hobby. He also previously wrote about the New York Giants for GMENHQ.com