Roberto Clemente is recognized on the video board during the game between the Los Angeles Angels and the Seattle Mariners at Angel Stadium. Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Roberto Clemente rookie card sells for more than $1 million at auction

A "museum quality" 1955 Roberto Clemente Topps rookie card sold for more than $1 million at a PWCC auction, according to TMZ Sports.

The winning bid reportedly came in at $1,055,000 and falls just short of another Clemente rookie card that sold for $1.107 million a couple of years ago.

"It's an exciting price and signals that collectors continue to see Roberto Clemente assets and vintage trading cards as a very desirable investment," said PWCC exec Jesse Craig via TMZ. "It's really amazing when these museum-quality pieces appear at auction because we not only get to curate and present the card, but we also get to discuss Roberto Clemente with new audiences."

Clemente remains a popular figure in baseball given his legendary career and work off the field as a humanitarian. Every season Major League Baseball remembers his legacy with Roberto Clemente Day and gives out the Roberto Clemente Award to the player who "best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual's contribution to his team."

There has also been a push in recent years to have his No. 21 retired leaguewide. 

While the $1 million price tag for the Clemente rookie cards is impressive and ranks among the most expensive all time, it still does not top the list.

A 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card once sold for more than $12 million, while the legendary 1909 T-206 Honus Wagner card has sold for over $7 million. A 1933 Babe Ruth card sold for more than $4 million, while a 1916 Sporting News Ruth card sold for more than $2.46 million. 

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