2001 Pacific Gold Crown Die Cuts Baseball Cards

2001 Pacific Gold Crown Die Cuts baseball cards are one of those quad runs that have excellent collectibility. Not only are the colors appealing, the design is stunning. The Gold Crown Die Cut concept began in 1995 and was an instant hit and continued until its final Pacific release with a 36-card set in 2001. It didn’t begin with parallels, however, but by 2001, there were 4 (for six different players in the set) and they are all beautiful. For some reason, card #27 was skipped and instead, two players have card #26 – Rick Ankiel and Pat Burrell. If you’re new to this run or are still yet to piece this batch together, here’s what to expect:

• 2001 Pacific Gold Crown Die Cuts: This is the base version. It features a red crown and no serial number. These were inserted at a rate of 1:73 packs.
• 2001 Pacific Gold Crown Die Cuts Blue: These carry an unstated insertion ratio and a stated print run of 100.
• 2001 Pacific Gold Crown Die Cuts Purple: These carry an unstated insertion ration and a stated print run of 50.
• 2001 Pacific Gold Crown Die Cuts Autograph: These carry an unstated insertion ratio and feature a green crown. Only 6 players made it into the autograph set. These are somewhat difficult to find.

It took me a while to knock out this 4-card run. I can remember waiting patiently for the autographed example to surface at a price point that made sense to me. When I did, it was a PSA/DNA authenticated version that I would end up cracking out of its case and sending to BGS for card grading in a hope to get a 9.5 but ended up getting a 9, which is fine with me. Why anyone would submit a pack-issued card to be authenticated is beyond me. I’m just glad I got the chance to add this final piece to my run of 2001 Pacific Gold Crown Die Cuts baseball cards.

This set is timeless and even today, when I look back and reflect on it, I’m reminded of a time when design was implemented with careful precision. 2001 was a year that was finely woven into the tail end of a cherished era that helped shape the hobby from a design perspective. Pacific is largely to thank for this direction and I’m glad to have enjoyed its many releases during its brief but important tenure in the hobby.

To view the current eBay auctions for 2001 Pacific Gold Crown Die Cuts, click here.

Set Information:

Checklist:

2001 Pacific Gold Crown Die Cuts is a 36-card set. Card #27 does not exist. Rick Ankiel and Pat Burrell are both card #26. The 6 players included in the skip-numbered Autograph set are indicated with an asterisk next to their name.