Chris Hammond Autographed 1995 Collector's Choice Gold Signature #309 Florida Marlins Card

The 1995 Collector's Choice Gold Signature #309 Chris Hammond features the left-handed pitcher with the Florida Marlins on the premium Gold Signature parallel of his regular Collector's Choice card. Personally autographed by Hammond, this variation is especially appealing because it combines the card's printed gold facsimile signature treatment with Hammond's genuine hand-signed autograph.

Upper Deck introduced Collector's Choice in 1994 as an affordable, photography-driven alternative to its premium flagship product. The brand quickly developed a strong identity of its own, and the 1995 Collector's Choice set offered collectors multiple versions of individual cards through its signature-themed parallels.

The Gold Signature is the key upgraded version of Hammond's #309. The card retains the same basic photography as the standard issue but is distinguished by a gold-colored facsimile player signature incorporated into the card's design. The printed signature is not an autograph; Hammond's genuine hand signature was added separately.

That distinction gives an autographed Gold Signature card a particularly interesting appearance. Collectors receive both the manufacturer's original facsimile-signature design and an authentic autograph from Hammond on the same carda natural fit for an autographed player collection.

The Gold Signature is also the scarcer and more difficult parallel compared with the much more commonly encountered Silver Signature version. For collectors assembling all versions of Hammond's 1995 Collector's Choice #309, the progression from the regular base card to Silver Signature and then Gold Signature creates an excellent three-card group representing Upper Deck's mid-1990s parallel strategy.

Hammond was an established member of the Florida Marlins when the card was released. Florida had selected him from Cincinnati in the 1992 MLB Expansion Draft, making him one of the players chosen to construct the franchise's inaugural Major League roster.

During Florida's first season in 1993, Hammond became one of the club's most dependable starters. He made 32 starts, finished 15-12 and led the inaugural Marlins with 15 victories. The win total remained the highest of his Major League career.

Hammond stayed with Florida through 1997, spending five seasons with the organization during its formative years. His time with the Marlins represents the most substantial starting-pitcher portion of a career that later became notable for an extraordinary transformation.

After spending the 1999 through 2001 seasons outside the Major Leagues, Hammond returned with the Atlanta Braves in 2002 at age 36. Reinvented as a reliever, he produced one of baseball's most impressive comeback seasons, going 7-2 with a 0.95 ERA in 63 appearances while surrendering only seven earned runs over 76 innings.

Hammond ultimately pitched parts of 14 Major League seasons for seven organizations. The combination of his career story, the considerably tougher Gold Signature variation and his genuine autograph makes this one of the more interesting Collector's Choice cards in a comprehensive Hammond collection.

Card Details:

• Player: Chris Hammond
• Team: Florida Marlins
• Year: 1995
• Manufacturer: Upper Deck
• Brand: Collector's Choice
• Parallel: Gold Signature
• Card Number: #309
• Gold Signature parallel of the regular 1995 Collector's Choice #309
• Features a printed gold facsimile player signature
• Facsimile signature is part of the card's original design
• Hammond's genuine hand autograph is separate from the printed Gold Signature
• Creates a distinctive signature-on-signature presentation
• Scarcer than the Silver Signature parallel
• More difficult variation for comprehensive player collectors
• Excellent companion to the regular and Silver Signature #309 versions
• Desirable example of mid-1990s parallel collecting
• Early Florida Marlins collectible
• Selected by Florida in the 1992 MLB Expansion Draft
• Member of the inaugural 1993 Florida Marlins
• Made 32 starts during Florida's first season
• Finished 15-12 in 1993
• Led the inaugural Florida Marlins with 15 victories
• 15 wins established Hammond's Major League career high
• Spent five seasons with Florida from 1993 through 1997
• Cincinnati Reds sixth-round selection in the 1986 MLB Draft
• Former University of Alabama pitcher
• Made his Major League debut on July 16, 1990
• Returned to the Major Leagues with Atlanta at age 36 in 2002
• Went 7-2 with a remarkable 0.95 ERA in 63 appearances in 2002
• Allowed only seven earned runs over 76 innings during his comeback
• Pitched parts of 14 Major League seasons
• Personally autographed by Chris Hammond
• Condition: NM-MT or better

Authentication: Signature obtained through a private signing conducted by Under the Radar Sports Promotions and guaranteed to pass any third-party authentication service.

As the tougher Gold Signature version of Hammond's 1995 Collector's Choice #309, this genuinely autographed card is an especially desirable piece for collectors building complete Chris Hammond runs, Florida Marlins collections or specialized sets of 1990s parallels.