2000 Upper Deck Gold Reserve Tom Brady ROOKIE /2500 #215 PSA 10 GEM MINT

In 2000, Upper Deck introduced a partial parallel to its flagship offering in the form of the 222-card Gold Reserve set. Primarily released to retail locations, the company picked the perfect year to create the new product because it gave collectors another Tom Brady rookie card to chase. Though still mostly an afterthought at the time of the set’s release, Brady made the cut as one of 42 first-year players in the redesigned “Rookie Action” segment of the checklist. Upper Deck gave each rookie an updated photo in the new set, unlike veterans whose cards utilized the same image and design (save for new gold accents). Upper Deck also limited production of rookies in the Gold Reserve set to /2500, leaving this card as one of 25 serial-numbered Brady rookie cards—and arguably one of the most aesthetically pleasing with a background of shimmering gold foil. On the flip side, Upper Deck suggests Brady’s “accuracy should make him a top backup,” but by using the determination he displays in the photo used for the card, Brady quickly shed that label. Once given a chance to start in 2001, he never relinquished the role until he retired following the 2022 season with seven Super Bowl championships and a litany of other NFL records—becoming the gold standard other QBs aim to replicate. Of the 366 examples of this card assessed by PSA, this one of only 19 to earn 10 Gem Mint designation. The certification number on this card has been checked against the third-party grader's online database and is active as of 06/12/2025.