In an era of baseball card overproduction, products such as the 1991 Topps Desert Shield set stand out for their rarity. It's believed Topps only produced 7,000 of each issue, each of which features a special gold stamp on the front, in the mammoth 792-card set. And, unlike standard releases sold in packs, boxes, and cases and collected as complete factory sets, these cards were only distributed via packs meant for troops stationed in the Middle East. Chipper Jones' rookie is the highlight of the 1991 Topps offering whether in its base, Desert Shield, or Tiffany form. The single-pack international distribution combined with the fact these cards were going to environments in which keeping cards in top condition was low on the priority list means finding any Jones Desert Shield example in a PSA 10 holder is tough. Only 32 of the nearly 900 graded by PSA have earned a PSA 10 Gem Mint grade. But this is the only autographed example to garner that distinction, making this one-of-a-kind Jones artifact.
The certification number on this card has been checked against the third-party grader's online database and is active as of 08/01/2024.
