Joe Montana Rookie Card: Which One It Is and How to Identify It

• 1981 Topps #216 (Topps): You can't discuss 1981 Topps Football without first mentioning the Joe Montana rookie card.

• Front uses a banner-shaped name/position graphic below the photo: the front shows a player photo with a banner-shaped icon below it.
• This was the first year Topps put its own logo on a football card front: for the first time, Topps used its own logo on the front of a football card.
• Back repeats the banner/fold theme around the card number and stats: the back places the player's name and position, as well as the card number, inside various folds across the top.

This is the card that headlines the entire 1981 Topps football set per the source.

• Card number and set on the back must match the listing above; "rookie card" is a specific card, not any early card of the player.
• Print quality: genuine cards have crisp text and a regular dot pattern under magnification; reprints and fakes blur, especially in small type.
• Stock and size: compare thickness, gloss and corners against a common card from the same set.
• Chrome and Prizm parallels carry a foil, color or serial-number mark that the base card lacks; the base card is the reference rookie unless the source says otherwise.
• Grading is a separate step; a slab authenticates and grades, and the grading guide explains what the number means.

Shoot the front flat, straight on, in daylight, with all four corners in frame, then the back so the card number and copyright line are readable. For chrome or foil cards, take a second front shot tilted under the light to show the finish. The app reads the player, set and number; the checks above confirm the version.