CSC Collector Guide · Baseball
Mickey Mantle
1953 Bowman Color #59 base
For Mantle collectors, 1953 Bowman Color puts the photograph in charge. Number 59 gives his follow-through room to breathe, without the nameplates and logos that usually compete for a card front. It is an early Mantle to look at, as well as to file in a checklist.1, 2
Quick Facts
- Player
- Mickey Mantle
- Sport
- baseball
- Year / season
- 1953
- Manufacturer
- Bowman
- Set / product
- Bowman Color
- Card Number
- 59
- Variation / parallel
- base
- Autograph
- NON AUTOGRAPH
- Relic
- NO RELIC
- Serial denominator
- Not serial numbered
- Rookie status
- NOT ROOKIE
The exact catalog identity is Mickey Mantle, 1953 Bowman Color, card #59.
Sources
Identification
The exact issue is Mickey Mantle, 1953 Bowman Color #59, base. Match that full identity when comparing copies.1, 2
Why This Card Matters
The appeal is the individual portrait of Mantle's swing within Bowman's photographic set. There is also a separate Mantle appearance on the three-player #44; choosing #59 means choosing the single-player image.1, 2
Player Legacy
Mickey Mantle arrived in New York in 1951 and began the Yankees chapter of his career. He returned in 1952 as the Yankees' starting center fielder, taking over the position Joe DiMaggio had occupied. That transition puts a 1953 card near the beginning of the familiar Mantle story, before the great statistical peaks that came to define it. In 1956 he won the American League Triple Crown, batting .353 with 52 home runs and 130 RBI. He earned three AL Most Valuable Player awards and finished with 536 home runs. Injuries were part of the career as well as the achievements. The Hall of Fame elected him in 1974. Looking back from those milestones, #59 preserves a young Yankees centerpiece rather than a career retrospective.3
Card and Set Context
Bowman Color left its photographs free of front captions and team-logo devices. Its 2½-by-3¾-inch format gives the image a different presence from a modern standard-size card. Bowman also issued a separate Black & White set that year; the product name belongs in the identification.2
Collector Context
A Mantle run can give the single-player #59 and the three-player #44 different jobs. One concentrates on the swing; the other records teammates together. Neither slot needs a claim about future value to make sense.2
Grading and Condition
Judge the photograph first, then the card around it: focus, surface marks, corners and centering. For this image-led issue, a grade alone cannot tell you which copy has the visual balance you prefer.1, 2
What to Verify
Check the single-player #59 rather than stopping at Mantle and 1953 Bowman. The full photograph and Color product name settle which early Mantle slot the copy belongs in.1, 2
Current eBay Listings
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Current asking prices are marketplace listings, not verified sales or appraisals.
Marketplace listings retrieved .
Best Matches
1953 Bowman Color #59 Mickey Mantle PSA 7.5 NM+ New York Yankees HOF
Exact identity · Seller-stated grade
Listing price: USD 18995.00
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1953 BOWMAN COLOR BASEBALL #59 MICKEY MANTLE PSA 7 NM HOF YANKEES
Exact identity · Seller-stated grade
Listing price: USD 12777.77
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1953 Bowman Color #59 Mickey Mantle PSA 5 EX
Exact identity · Seller-stated grade
Listing price: USD 6399.99
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1953 Bowman Color Mickey Mantle #59 Yankees CGC 1
Exact identity · Seller-stated grade
Listing price: USD 949.00
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1953 Bowman Color MICKEY MANTLE ⚾️ HOF 🔥 #59 PSA 3 - Newly Graded!
Exact identity · Seller-stated grade
Listing price: USD 3749.99
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1953 Bowman Color #59 Mickey Mantle - PSA 5 (Very High End)
Exact identity · Seller-stated grade
Listing price: USD 7700.00
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1953 Bowman Color Mickey Mantle PSA 4 #59
Exact identity · Seller-stated grade
Listing price: USD 6500.00
Auction
View on eBay →Collector Questions
Is this the same Mantle card as Bowman Color #44?
No. Number 59 is the individual Mantle card; #44 includes Hank Bauer and Yogi Berra as well.2
Why specify Color?
Bowman also made a Black & White set in 1953. Color is part of this issue's identity.2
Sources & Research
- 1953 Bowman Color Mickey Mantle PSA · retrieved 2026-10-14T12:41:36Z
- 1953 Bowman Color PSA · retrieved 2026-10-14T12:41:50Z
- Mickey Mantle — Hall of Fame biography National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum · retrieved 2026-10-16T00:13:51Z