Vintage Vault | Einstein

The Famous Scientist has a Long History in Cards

Albert Einstein is often remembered as the genius behind the iconic E=MC² equation, or perhaps for his distinctive hair and lasting cultural legacy. Today, we’ll explore 10 fascinating Einstein cards. The first half will focus on cards from various older manufacturers, while the second half will highlight those exclusively from Topps. 

This list doesn’t necessarily feature the rarest or most expensive Einstein cards. Chances are there are still quite a number of undiscovered cards that haven’t appeared online or in checklists.

1924 Men of Genius

As of 2025, this card is considered the first Einstein trading card ever produced. Issued just three years after he won the Nobel Prize, it was created by the small tobacco brand J. Millhoff & Co. from the United Kingdom. Interestingly, many of the cards feature a star-shaped stamp on the back.

While Einstein is the most expensive card in the set by a large margin, it’s full of other big names like Edgar Allen Poe, Charles Darwin, Mozart, and Beethoven.

1928 Ogden Motion

While this isn’t exactly an “Albert Einstein” Card, I thought it would be interesting to showcase one of his many theories. This Ogden set showcased different forms of motion and is one of the earliest representations of Einstein (or his theories) on a card. 

Other notable cards in the set include one depicting gravity, with an apple falling for Newton, and a boxing card illustrating the force of punches.

1928 Die Welt in Bildern

This Einstein card features the same front image but comes with a variety of different backs. The grading companies label each back as a 1928 release minus the Salem, which is a “1929.” According to German Card Author and collector Nick Bolton, this is a mistake, and each back was released in 1928. Of the 5 backs, the rarest is the Manoli back.

Backs:

• Jasmatzi 
• Josetti
• Manoli
• Sulima
• Salem 

*Last few 8s have sold for slightly above $3,000. This was a fluke sale.

1930s Kedem Cigarettes

Though the exact year remains uncertain, this card is believed to be from an early 1930s release featuring famous Jewish individuals from around the world. While Einstein is undoubtedly the biggest name in the set, honorable mentions should also go to Charlie Chaplin and Olympian/Actor Johnny Weismuller, best known for playing the original Tarzan.

Another set, produced by Maspero Cigarettes, highlights Jewish history from the Torah through the 1940s. Like this card, none of the Maspero cards are graded due to their rarity.

1952 Felix Potin

Felix Potin was a prominent card manufacturer in France, with four major releases spanning the years 1900, 1908, 1922, and 1952. Each set features a diverse range of famous French figures, historical icons, and sports athletes from around the world.

Since each set featured an album, many of the cards were affixed to the pages, resulting in significant paper loss on the backs of most copies. Additionally, the 1952 cards are prone to surface cracking. As a result, high-grade copies are quite rare. According to PSA, only 97 cards from the set have been graded, and just 19 of those have received a grade of 3 or higher without qualifiers.

1952 Topps Look N See

This is the first Albert Einstein card released by Topps — part of the 1952 Look N’ See set, which highlighted prominent historical figures. While raw copies of this card are relatively affordable, higher-grade versions can command a significant premium.

1955/56 Topps Hocus Focus

Hocus Focus is one of the scarcest Topps releases from the 1950s, distributed in 1955 and 1956. The easiest way to distinguish between the two years is by examining the edges of the card. If they’re unperforated, it’s from 1955. The 1956 version features perforated edges.

The sets are a mix of baseball players and non-sports icons. For reference, a PSA 4 Jackie Robinson card from this set sold for $1,831 at Lelands in 2024.

Although not included on this list, there is also an Einstein card from a German “Hokus Pokus” set, a 1959 release that is similarly rare. It’s easy to confuse the two sets due to their similar names and scarcity.

1965 Topps Push Pull #29 Albert Einstein / Thomas Edison

When it comes to iconic scientists, Einstein and Edison undoubtedly belong on the Mount Rushmore of great minds. Topps captured this duo in the Push Pull set, which features both of them on a single card.

The 36-card set includes three baseball player combos: Ruth/Gerhig, Berra/Mantle, and Stengel Wins/Stengel Loses. To reveal the alternate image, collectors would need to “push or pull” the tab at the bottom of the card, making for an interactive and unique experience.

1967 Topps Who Am I

Before	After

In this set, collectors are given a hint about the subject matter, then must scratch off the card to reveal the answer. This wasn’t the only time Topps used this interactive approach — 1980s hockey cards were famous for featuring a scratch-off puck on the front of the card.

2008 Allen & Ginter Einstein

While hunting for rookie cards of stars like Evan Longoria, Clayton Kershaw, Joey Votto, and Max Scherzer, you might also come across an Albert Einstein card in the 2008 Allen & Ginter set. Like all the cards on the checklist, this one is also available in a mini version. The mini card has three different parallels to chase: black border, No Number (/50), and Bazooka Back (/25).

A PSA 10 of the full-size card can be found for under $25

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