Abraham Lincoln on Topps Baseball Cards

Baseball cards aren't just for kids anymore, nor are the subjects related only to baseball. Topps, Upper Deck, and many other sport card manufacturers have created presidential cards. Here are some cards that honor Abraham Lincoln from Topps.

Look 'N' See (1952)
Scoop (1954)
US Presidents (1956)
Civil War News (1962)
Who Am I? (1967)
US Presidents (1972)
American Pie (2002) - Mt. Rushmore (#79)
American Treasures (2003)
Presidential Pastime (2004)
World Champions (2006)
Campaign (2008)
First Couples (2008)
Heritage (2009)
Heritage: Hero's Journey (2009)
Heritage: Hero's Journey Stamp Collection (2009)
Abe Lincoln Variants (2010)
Magic Historical Coins (2012)

Topps Civil War News: Council of War - Abraham Lincoln (1962)

The 1962 Topps Civil War News series includes Abraham Lincoln strategizing with General Ulysses S. Grant in a card titled "Council of War" (card number 79). In September, 2009, a PSA 9 card was listed for $49.99; in 2016, a PSA 9 sold at eBay auction for $112.50, with the second-highest bidder casting a bid for $110. In 2009, a PSA 8 was listed for $34.99 by two different sellers. You can pick up a non-graded excellent card for less than $10.

1962 Civil War News Checklist

There are 88 cards in the Topps 1962 Civil War News series. It's not a collection for the faint of heart because it graphically depicts the horrors of war. A set of all 88 from a recent Cello pack opening sold on eBay on September 22, 2009, for $750.

	Card Number	Card
	1	The Angry Man (John Brown)
	2	President Jeff Davis
	3	The War Starts
	4	Rebel Power (what the card says) Confederate Power (what the checklist says)
	5	Exploding Fury
	6	Pulled to Safety
	7	Death at Sea
	8	Destructive Blow (Merrimac v. The Congress)
	9	Savages Attack
	10	Destruction at Sea (Monitor v. Merrimac)
	11	Attack

This ungraded Attack card (number 11) sold on eBay on September 26, 2009, for $19.01.

	Card Number	Card
	12	Bloody Combat
	13	Dying Effort
	14	Fight to the Finish
	15	Nature's Fury
	16	Direct Hit
	17	The Flaming Raft
	18	Death to the Enemy
	19	Pushed to His Doom
	20	Death Fall
	21	Painful Death
	22	Wave of Death
	23	Crushed by Wheels
	24	After the Battle
	25	Hanging the Spy
	26	Messenger of Death
	27	Bloody Massacre
	28	The Cannon Roars
	29	Bridge of Doom
	30	Charging the Bullets
	31	Terror of the Sea (Alabama v. Commerce)
	32	Death Struggle
	33	Fight for Survival
	34	Wall of Corpses

This PSA 9 Wall of Corpses card (number 34) sold on eBay on September 29, 2009, for $161.59. Seller uncommons has many PSA cards listed.

	Card Number	Card
	35	Gasping for Air
	36	Midnight Raid
	37	Death Barges In
	38	General Grant
	39	General Lee
	40	Bullets of Death
	41	Protecting His Family
	42	The Battle Continues
	43	Costly Mistake (death of General Stonewall Jackson)
	44	Shot to Death
	45	Riverboat Explodes
	46	Vicious Attack
	47	Death Battle
	48	Smashing the Enemy
	49	The Explosion
	50	Stolen Secrets
	51	Horse Thieves
	52	Friendly Enemies
	53	Train of Doom
	54	A Horseman Falls
	55	The Silent Drum
	56	Burst of Fire
	57	Hand to Hand Combat
	58	Angel of Mercy (Clara Barton)

This PSA 8 Angel of Mercy card (number 58) is currently listed as a Buy It Now for $45.00 by eBay seller triplessinc (as of October 4, 2009).

	Card Number	Card
	59	Submarine Attack
	60	Suicide Charge
	61	The Flaming Forest
	62	The General Dies
	63	Ambushed
	64	Jaws of Death
	65	Flaming Death
	66	Victim of the War
	67	Deadly Duel
	68	The Will to Win
	69	Death in the Water
	70	The Sniper
	71	No Escape
	72	The Cannon's Victim
	73	Through the Swamp
	74	Fighting for Victory
	75	The Family Flees
	76	Blazing Cannon
	77	Trapped
	78	Sudden Attack
	79	Council of War (Abraham Lincoln) Lincoln and Grant, November 1, 1864 President Lincoln met with the commanding officer in charge of the Northern Army, General Grant, this afternoon. The two men discussed the current campaigns and battle plans for the future. Lincoln hopes that the fighting will end soon and that the weary soldiers on both sides will be able to rejoin their families. Military maps were studied by both men and Grant revealed some of the Union's strategic moves to the president. Discussing future plans, General Grant was optimistic that the war would end within the year. He believed that the North's military strength was just nearing its peak and gave as evidence the recent shattering victories over the Confederate Army. Lincoln expressed his great confidence in Grant's decisions.
	80	City in Flames
	81	Deadly Defense
	82	Destroying the Rails
	83	The Looters
	84	Deadly Arrows
	85	Attacked from Behind
	86	Dynamite Victims
	87	The War Ends
	88	Checklist

The set was also made in 1965, by A&BC of England. The cards in that set are smaller than the Topps cards.

Likewise, there is a French version of the set, with cards the size of the English cards. A complete 88 card French set sold on eBay on September 16, 2009, for $547.92. There was also a Spanish set printed in Spain in 1968; many of the bloodier, grizzyly images were redrawn in this set.

To see the full scans of the French set, visit Bob Heffner's Civil War News French page. He's got some nice scans of the Spanish set also.

Scroll down for more pictures including Wax Pack after these listings.

Civil War News Format

The 1962 Civil War News series shows an illustration on the front of the card, accompanied by a "headline" and a "date line." For example, card 47 carries a "Death Battle" headline and a date line of "Seminary Ridge, PA--July 3, 1863."

To see the front images of all the Civil War News cards, visit Bob Heffner's Civil War News text page.

The back of the card uses a newspaper layout and displays a news story about some aspect of the Civil War.

1962 Topps Civil War News 47

To see the full text of all the stories on the backs of the Civil War News cards, visit Bob Heffner's Civil War News text page.

1962 Topps Civil War News Friendlly Enemies 1962 Topps Civil War News Battle Continues

Civil War News Packaging

Here is an unopened wax pack and an unopened cello pack. Notice that the back of the cello pack shows an example of the facsimile Confederate currency that was included as an extra. Note that "Civil War" was the official set name, but collectors appended "News" to the name because of the name of the newspaper masthead used on the back of the cards.

This unopened cello pack, graded 9.5 by GAI, sold on eBay on September 23, 2009, for $255.01. Shanony, the seller, noted that the centering on the face card was well centered, as was the card on the back. The listing was viewed 87 times and had 10 bidders competing for it.

This outstanding 1962 Topps Civil War News rack pack sold on eBay in October, 2009, for $699 (only one bid received in the auction). It was sold by robodojo, who often has some great pieces to sell!

1962 Topps Civil War News rack pack

In December 2009, upsalaallamerican sold a 1962 Civil War rack pack in similar condition on eBay for $654. The auction started for $169 and got nine bids from eight different bidders. It came out of a rack pack box the seller once owned. He opened all of them except this one. At over $600, he may have wished he'd left a few more unopened!

1962 Topps Civil War News wrapper

You can see a Civil War News box at the bubblegum-cards site.

1962 Civil War News baseball cards