When Precious Metal Gems made their gridiron debut in the 1997 Metal Universe Football release, their print run /150 and larger checklist made them more common than their now-famous basketball counterparts. However, that number dropped to just /50 the following year for 1998 Metal Universe Football, making for a heartier chase for that edition's foil-covered cards of gridiron greats.
The circular 1998 Precious Metal Gems pattern applied to this card pairs beautifully with John Elway's Broncos uniform, enhancing the aesthetic of the base issue and elevating this printing to another level entirely. The mountainous background provides an added level of character few sets offer.
The card's full-foil front makes PMGs some of the best-looking parallels ever produced. It also makes them difficult to find in quality condition thanks to frequent surface blemishes and chipping on the edges. That makes this NM-MT+ BGS 8.5 all the most impressive. Subgrades include 9.5 for Centering and Surface.
The certification number on this card has been checked against the third-party grader's online database and is active as of 05/22/2026.
