The 1953 Bowman color set is considered by many to be the most beautiful baseball card issue ever produced. It is known as "the pure card" in that each example is simply an image of a player. No text. No logos. Nothing to distract or interfere with the beauty of the photo. In the case of the 1953 Bowman Color set, those photos are in color.

1953 was the fifth in a string of six consecutive All-Star seasons for Spahn, and maybe the best year of his career. He led the Major Leagues with career highs of 23 wins and a 188 ERA+, and he led the Major Leagues with career lows of 2.10 ERA and 1.058 WHIP, finishing 5th in MVP voting.

This closeup has become one of the better-known images of the great left hander. Some very minor diamond cutting and centering a hair south on the canvas keep this example from being visually perfect. The corners are strong, and the bright colors of the Braves' Indian head logo patch on Spahn's left sleeve in the foreground are as vibrant as ever. Some light edge chipping and faint snow keep this card from grading even higher than it already has.