The 1956 Topps #135 Mickey Mantle is among the most recognizable and desirable cards of the postwar era, issued during the season in which "The Mick" captured the American League Triple Crown with a .353 average, 52 home runs and 130 RBI, along with his first MVP award. The horizontal design pairs a large, smiling portrait of Mantle in his Yankees cap with a vivid action scene of a leaping catch at the wall, framed by bright red and yellow nameplates and a facsimile signature.

This example is the scarcer gray back variation, one of two cardboard stock variations Topps used during the 1956 production run. The reverse features Mantle's 1955 and lifetime statistics, including his league-leading 37 home runs, along with the set's charming three-panel cartoon highlighting his record-tying grand slam in the 1953 World Series and his speed.

Graded EX 5 by PSA (certification no. 174088800), the card displays strong color and eye appeal for the grade, with a sharp image and clean registration. Light wear appropriate to the grade is evident at the corners and edges, while the surfaces remain free of creases. The card presents with well-balanced centering for a 1950s issue.

Mantle cards from his Triple Crown season continue to be among the most actively pursued in the hobby, and the 1956 Topps issue is a staple of any serious Yankees or vintage collection. A wonderful opportunity to acquire an attractive, professionally graded example of a true hobby blue-chip.