1969 Topps Planet of the Apes Trading Cards Collector’s Guide

June 24, 2018 Victor Medina

In 1969, Topps released a 44 card set for the 1968 hit film Planet of the Apes, starring Charlton Heston and Roddy McDowell. giving kids around the country the chance to relive the events of the landmark film.

Although Topps is known for their sports cards, they have offered a wide range of movie, television, and pop culture card sets over the years. Despite the popularity of the Apes films, the trading cards occupy a mostly obscure corner of the movie trading card hobby. The collector base for the cards, however, are a dedicated lot, making it difficult to find the cards in good condition without paying a high premium.

The card design was fairly simple – a white border around a movie still, overlaid with a small red scroll (a reference to the film’s “Sacred Scrolls”) with a title. The cards were sold in 5-cent packs.

The cards feature a green-colored back, featuring a brief description of the image front and artwork of Dr. Zaius and a couple of ape soldiers. Collectors refer to the cards as “green backs,” in order to differentiate them from the TV series cards.

In 1975, Topps released more Planet of the Apes cards, this time depicting scenes from the short-lived television series. However, Topps used the exact same card design on the front, and even included the same 1967 copyright notice on the back.

This has caused some confusion with novice collectors who do not know they difference between the two sets. The TV cards, however, were a much larger set and featured a “puzzle” back, with a portion of a larger image for kids to assemble. That’s why it is important to note that “green backs” are always from the 1969 movie set.

Here are some sample images of the movie cards, taken from eBay.

Here is a checklist of the cards, with card number and title.

1. Crash Landing!
2. Bail Out!
3. Stranded!
4. Spaceman George Taylor!
5. First Sign of Life!
6. Discovery!
7. Man vs. Beast!
8. Captive of the Apes!
9. Stalking Human Prey!
10. Another Prisoner!
11. Nova is Captured!
12. No Escape!
13. Ape Brutality!
14. Captured!
15. The Victors!
16. Proud Conquerors
17. “Say Cheese!”
18. Ape Surgeon!
19. Taylor’s Life is Saved
20. Pleading for Mercy!
21. Caged!
22. Taylor’s Ally!
23. Word of Anger!
24. Human on a Leash!
25. Return to Prison!
26. Ape Scientist!
27. Taylor’s Escape Fails!
28. Zoo Attendant!
29. Water Torture
30. Ape Madhouse!
31. Manacled!
32. Ape Jury!
33. Speaking Against Taylor!
34. The Trail Continues!
35. Ape City!
36. Deciding Taylor’s Fate!
37. Escape!
38. The Search!
39. The Forbidden Zone
40. “Under Arrest!”
41. Friends of the Human!
42. Farewell!
43. Man’s Destiny!
44. Lights! Camera! Action!