1998 Skybox E-X2001 Essential Credentials Now Peyton Manning ROOKIE /54 BGS 9.5

Colts owner Jim Isray expressed confidence that Peyton Manning would bring his franchise “consistent excellence” instead of being a “flash in the pan” as many touted quarterbacks become. “We do feel he will be one of the pillars that will be here for the next decade,” Irsay said after Indianapolis selected him atop the 1998 NFL Draft. “When people see (him wearing) the horseshoe, they will believe in it more.” Many collectors shared Isray’s belief, as Manning’s rookie cards—especially rare parallels such as this revolutionary 1998 SkyBox E-X2001 /54 Essentials Credentials Now issue—picked up an immediate following and have maintained a high level of demand ever since. Many collectors fondly remember the second year of the popular premium brand from SkyBox, which built on the success of the 1997 E-X2000 set—an experimental release that utilized a plastic stock, intricate layering, and die-cutting. For the 60-card follow-up series, 1998 E-X2001, the company put a new twist on the Credentials parallel, utilizing a new plastic stock, unique serial numbering, and two tiers that offered more scarcity. “I had had that plastic sitting around in my magic book for a long time,” said Jean MacLeod, one of the lead designers at Fleer/SkyBox in the 1990s. “It was called a glow edge. When you held it, it had that ‘glowing edge’ to it.” The 1998 Essential Credentials Now parallel features a green color scheme on each card, with serial numbering based on the card’s number (e.g., Manning’s card #54 is /54). This example, stamped 22/54 is one of two assessed by BGS to earn a 9.5 grade with none graded higher. The certification number on this card has been checked against the third-party grader's online database and is active as of 06/09/2025.