Cassius Clay / Muhammad Ali Rookie Contenders
A rookie card by modern definition comes from the first year that an athlete’s image is used in a fully licensed product by a major manufacturer that is widely distributed in packs. What is the true rookie card for Cassius Clay / Muhammad Ali? This is a popular topic of conversation in the hobby which is largely complicated by the fact that Clay’s earliest “cards” are actually hand cut from journals. If you believe that it is possible that the 1960 Hemmets Journal #23 image was never intended to be hand cut and separated from its sheet to be collected as an individual “card” (see “Hand Cut Debate”) or if you feel that a trading card should be factory cut and available for purchase in packs, then you are faced with a compelling debate and an amazing selection of hard to find releases that can all make a strong case to be considered the true Cassius Clay rookie card. It also leaves you with the potential for a wide variety of other amazing pre-rookie options that can be collected for one of the greatest athletes and most famous cultural icons the world has ever seen. There are many sides to this story and several different arguments that can be made on this topic. Many times these arguments may also be biased based on which card the arguing party has in their personal collection. I own most of the cards on this list including the hand cut options, and in my opinion 1964 should be considered the rookie year for Cassius Clay because it is the first confirmed year that you could actually pull a factory issued Cassius Clay card in a pack. My research has led me to 10 different Cassius Clay cards that can all make a case that they deserve a shot at the title. Below you will find pictures and an argument both for and against the case of each of these 10 contenders (in no particular order).
1960 Hemmets Journal HC #23
Pros: The first “card” for Cassius Clay that is recognized by the major grading companies. This set was released in 1960 and is the only option listed on the PSA registry from before 1962 for Cassius Clay. It is a numbered image and was released in a collectible set of famous athletes, printed by Hemmets Journal in Sweden. It is consistently the most expensive Cassius Clay card in the hobby and his highest demand collectible.
Cons: These cards must be hand cut from a sheet of 4 total athletes. This sheet (#6) was 2 hole punched and clearly meant to be stored with the rest of the 21 collectible sheets that fit in the classic red Hemmets Journal binder. When these individual images are removed, the backs do not cleanly and evenly line up with the fronts. These cards were not factory cut, so there are a variety of acceptable overall dimensions. The centering and corners of these individual cards can be manipulated or altered.
1964 Chocolates Simon #87
Pros: 1964 is the first widely recognized year with multiple options for factory cut cards of Cassius Clay that were available for purchase in packs. This card is considered by most to be the first pack issued card available for Cassius Clay (However the 1962 Editorial Bruguera likely came first). It is also the first image on a card depicting Clay as the Heavyweight Champion.
Cons: There are 3 other cards for Cassius Clay that were released before this card (not including the Exhibits card which has a possible print range as late as 1966). While it was available for purchase in packs, it was not widely distributed by a major manufacturer (sold in packages of Simon Chocolates, and only available in Spain).
1962 Po-Po Boxing Disc (1962 Editorial Bruguera)
This card is extremely rare and the only graded copy in existence is mislabeled. It is not part of the 1962 Po-Po set. However after further research, the card has been determined to be part of a supplemental set of “115 redondas de Futbol y otros deportistas” from the 1962 Editorial Bruguera Los Diez Mandamientos album (issued in Argentina).
Pros: This appears to be the first ever pack issued card for Cassius Clay.
Cons: Extremely rare, it was obviously not widely distributed. 1 Hand Cut card was released prior (Hemmets Journal) and some copies of the Exhibits cards may have been available for purchase in vending machines before this set.
1962 Swedish Rekord HC
This card was released in 1962 as a 2 sportsmen card cut out from the cover of issue #5 of the Swedish Rekord Journal. It can be graded as either an individual Clay image or the 2 sportsmen cutout with Kjell Jarlenius.
Pros: 1962 release date. The backs of the card do line up with the fronts and it is widely accepted that these cards were meant to be cut out and removed from the Swedish Rekord Journal (unlike the argument against the Hemmets Journal sheets).
Cons: If you are willing to consider a hand cut card from a journal as a “rookie” for Cassius Clay then there is an earlier release (1960 Hemmets Journal). These cards were not factory cut, so there are a variety of acceptable overall dimensions. The centering and corners of these individual cards can be manipulated or altered.
1965 Lampo I Grandi Campioni #154
There are two different back variations of this card: The Collezioni and Edizioni Lampo.
Pros: The first licensed issue from a major card manufacturer distributed in packs. Clay’s first card that showcases a traditional sports card look.
Cons: There are 8 other cards for Cassius Clay that were released before this card. It was not widely distributed (only released in Italy).
1964 Heinz Veb Eggs #23
Pros: 1964 is the first widely recognized year with multiple options for factory cut cards of Cassius Clay that were available for purchase in packs. This is a factory cut card.
Cons: I have not been able to determine if it was available in packs or not. Cassius Clay’s name is only referenced on the back description of the card and the image is not a very accurate representation of him. This card is very rare and does not appear to have been widely distributed.
1966 Panini Campioni Dello Sport #377
There are two different print runs (light and dark) and two different backs (regular and Valida) for this card.
Pros: The first widely distributed Cassius Clay card from a major manufacturer that was licensed and sold in packs. Panini was the only brand that produced and distributed multiple cards over multiple years for Cassius Clay. Every other Cassius Clay card produced by a manufacturer was for one year only. 1966 is Clay’s first year Panini card.
Cons: There are 16 other cards for Cassius Clay that were released before this card. The best argument for ‘rookie’ relies on the “wide distribution” definition which differentiates it from the Lampo which came out 1 year earlier.
1964 Mac Robertson’s Olympic Quiz Cards
Pros: 1964 is the first widely recognized year with multiple options for factory cut cards of Cassius Clay that were available for purchase in packs. It is factory cut.
Cons: This is a game card from a quiz game used as promotion for the Tokyo Olympics. It does not appear to have been available in packs. It was only available in Austraila. There are 4 other cards for Cassius Clay that were released before this card.
1958-1966 Exhibits
Depending upon the grading company, this card is authenticated as being available for purchase in vending machines between the years 1958 and 1966 (Clay did not become famous or turn pro until after winning the Gold Medal in the 1960 Rome Olympics). There are two different cards stock color variations.
Pros: Factory cut and it appears possible that some copies of this card were available for purchase prior to all of the other pack issued cards on this list.
Cons: No longer graded by PSA due supposedly to the high number of fakes created. The authentic Exhibits cards do not have dates on them and were distributed over a range of years, so it is impossible to tell what year a specific card was released. Distributed in vending machines, not packs. Larger than a typical trading card and appears more like a postcard.
1964 Hitschler Olympic #20
This extremely rare card was produced by Bergmann Hitschler which sold gum and candy in packs. They appear to have produced multiple Olympic sets in the 1960’s. I have seen several other Olympic cards with the same look of this card (including Jesse Owens), most of which have 1960 as the date referenced on the front. I have also seen soccer and musician sets from Hitschler in the 1970’s. I own a raw copy of this card and have seen only one other photo of another copy online, which sold in a Lelands auction years ago.
Pros: The date on the card is 1964 which is the first widely recognized year with multiple options for factory cut cards of Cassius Clay that were available for purchase in packs. It is factory cut.
Cons: PSA would not grade my card due to lack of information about the set. There were at least 4 other Cassius Clay cards released before this card.