Diamond King was a short-lived baseball card manufacturer that produced cards for only three seasons from 1956-1958. Despite their brief run producing cards, Diamond Kings have developed a cult following among vintage baseball card collectors due to their unique designs and the fact that they captured iconic players and moments from what is considered the golden age of baseball in the 1950s.
Diamond King cards were produced by Donruss Chewing Gum in Brooklyn, New York. Donruss had been producing baseball cards as inserts in their gum packs since 1951 under the Play Ball brand name. In 1956, Donruss decided to try producing higher quality cards under the Diamond King moniker to compete with the more prestigious brands like Topps.
The cards featured colorful illustrations instead of photos on the fronts. The backs contained stats and biographical information on the players. What made Diamond Kings really stand out was the creative artwork styles used on the fronts that varied widely from card to card. Some cards had almost cartoon-like renderings of players while others had a more realistic painted style. This eclectic approach was quite different than the uniform photo style of competitors.
Another unique aspect of Diamond Kings was that they were available both as gum insert cards and also in sealed wax packs just containing cards and no gum. This made them the first baseball cards sold this way, predating Topps’ pioneering approach of selling cards only in wax packs starting in 1959.
The 1956 set included cards for 144 players from the American and National Leagues. Some of the biggest stars featured included Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams and Stan Musial. The set also had Manager cards for Casey Stengel and Walter Alston. The most valuable and iconic card is the #75 Mickey Mantle which has a painted portrait of the “Commerce Comet” swinging and depicted the action pose he was known for. This card in near mint condition can fetch over $10,000 today.
In 1957, Diamond King increased their set size to 160 cards. The design style evolved to have a more uniform realistic painted look across all cards. Highlights included rookie cards for future Hall of Famers like Willie McCovey and Bob Gibson. Another standout card was the #93 featuring a young Tony Kubek of the Yankees doing a head first slide. The 1957 set is considered the most visually appealing of the three Diamond King years due to the cohesive painted style.
For 1958, Diamond King made their set even larger at 180 cards. The quality of the artwork declined noticeably. Many of the cards had crudely drawn stick figure type renderings of players that lacked detail. This was likely due to Donruss trying to cut costs and rush production to get the cards to market. The 1958 set is also notable for including the first cards featuring the expansion teams, the Milwaukee Braves and the Chicago White Sox.
Despite the drop in quality for 1958, Diamond King cards are still highly collectible today given their scarcity. Only a small number of the 1956-1958 sets seem to have survived to the present. Part of this is because they were sold as gum inserts, which were more prone to damage over time in pocket or purse. Also, as a short-lived brand, Diamond King never achieved the same name recognition as the industry giants like Topps that have been producing cards continuously since the 1950s.
For the few collectors who complete a Diamond King set from any of the three years, it’s seen as a major accomplishment in the hobby. Individual high-grade cards also demand top dollar at auction. While their production run was brief, Diamond Kings succeeded in breaking new ground and capturing a special moment in baseball history with their creative artwork. They remain an iconic early vintage issue that is popular with collectors looking to add some visual diversity and uniqueness to their collections beyond the standard Topps and Bowman issues.
Despite only being produced for three years in the mid-1950s, Diamond King baseball cards have developed a strong cult following among vintage collectors. Their innovative designs, capturing of star rookies and Hall of Famers like Mantle and Mays, and scarcity have made individual high-quality examples quite valuable. Completing even one of their sets is considered an achievement. Diamond Kings left their mark by introducing new concepts like wax-pack distribution and creative artwork styles ahead of their time that still engage collectors today. Their brief but impactful run ensured they would become a beloved part of the early years of the modern baseball card era.
