Graded EX+ 5.5 by PSA. Hall of Famer, in his Topps Rookie Card appearance. Among more than 1,600 copies recorded in PSA's census reporting, barely twenty percent of those graded examples have achieved a higher, unqualified tier. An iconic trading card picturing a New York Yankees legend, the offered relic stands as the flagship of its era's span of contemporary collectibles. This famous piece – from its issue's challenging series of "High Number" entries – is beloved for its image and design, treasured for its revered subject, and notorious for its perpetually short supply. In recent years, also, the '52 Topps Mantle has stood as a symbol of ever-increasing demand for the hobby's most coveted items; by extension, the card's consistently escalating price level brings about the unfortunate effect of depriving numerous collections from incorporating an attractive specimen of this key, showpiece depiction. The Mantle card presented here, however, even in the face of the hot-market trends that budget-minded collectors view with intimidation, qualifies as truly "ideal" on several levels. Most importantly, this Mantle rookie presents delectably, with a bright, fault-free illustration, nicely calibrated centering within pure white borders and a fresh, wholesome aura. The mild, hardly noticeable touches to the item's smooth surface and well-shaped corners bring about negligible detriment to the card's fully satisfying aesthetic, and essentially affect only the numerical grade adorning its PSA label. (Significantly, these nominal "faults" will likely serve to enhance the beautiful item's affordability.) A very special representation of one of the industry's most avidly sought-after pieces, in high-quality Excellent-plus condition.