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Picking up on the subtle differences between Panini Prizm football, basketball, and baseball cards can be a difficult thing for new collectors. That said, it’s the identification process and “sleuthing” that is actually the most enjoyable for others.
Either way, the Panini Prizm color scale and telling the difference between the silver prizm and base prizm requires skill and knowledge. Navigating the hobby without this expertise can be a costly mistake.
Prizm Color Guide (Which are the Best?)
First, here is a breakdown of the different colors available in 2023 Prizm football and basketball. The table guide is searchable and sortable for your viewing pleasure. Please keep in mind these products have not been released, so full and complete information is not available at this time.
| Product | Parallel | SN |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 Football | Black & Red Checker | NA |
| 2023 Football | Black & White Checker | NA |
| 2023 Football | Blue | NA |
| 2023 Football | Disco | NA |
| 2023 Football | Green | NA |
| 2023 Football | Green Ice | NA |
| 2023 Football | Green Wave | NA |
| 2023 Football | Lazer | NA |
| 2023 Football | Neon Green Pulsar | NA |
| 2023 Football | No Huddle | NA |
| 2023 Football | Orange Ice | NA |
| 2023 Football | Pink | NA |
| 2023 Football | Press Proof | NA |
| 2023 Football | Purple Pulsar | NA |
| 2023 Football | Red | NA |
| 2023 Football | Red Sparkle | NA |
| 2023 Football | Red/White/Blue | NA |
| 2023 Football | Silver | NA |
| 2023 Football | Snakeskin | NA |
| 2023 Football | White Sparkle | NA |
| 2023 Football | Pandora | #/ 400 |
| 2023 Football | Orange | #/ 249 |
| 2023 Football | Purple Ice | #/ 225 |
| 2023 Football | Blue Wave | #/ 199 |
| 2023 Football | Hyper | #/ 175 |
| 2023 Football | Red Wave | #/ 149 |
| 2023 Football | Purple | #/ 125 |
| 2023 Football | Blue Ice | #/ 99 |
| 2023 Football | Purple Wave | #/ 99 |
| 2023 Football | Blue Sparkle | #/ 96 |
| 2023 Football | No Huddle Blue | #/ 95 |
| 2023 Football | Green Scope | #/ 75 |
| 2023 Football | No Huddle Red | #/ 70 |
| 2023 Football | Orange Wave | #/ 60 |
| 2023 Football | Purple Power | #/ 49 |
| 2023 Football | Red & Yellow | #/ 44 |
| 2023 Football | No Huddle Purple | #/ 35 |
| 2023 Football | Red Shimmer | #/ 35 |
| 2023 Football | Blue Shimmer | #/ 25 |
| 2023 Football | Navy Camo | #/ 25 |
| 2023 Football | Gold Sparkle | #/ 24 |
| 2023 Football | Forest Camo | #/ 15 |
| 2023 Football | No Huddle Pink | #/ 15 |
| 2023 Football | Gold | #/ 10 |
| 2023 Football | Gold Shimmer | #/ 10 |
| 2023 Football | Gold Wave | #/ 10 |
| 2023 Football | Green Sparkle | #/ 8 |
| 2023 Football | Gold Vinyl | #/ 5 |
| 2023 Football | Green Shimmer | #/ 5 |
| 2023 Football | No Huddle Neon Green | #/ 5 |
| 2023 Football | White Knight | #/ 3 |
| 2023 Football | Black Finite 1/1 | #/ 1 |
| 2023 Football | Black Shimmer 1/1 | #/ 1 |
| 2023 Football | Black Stars 1/1 | #/ 1 |
| 2023-24 Basketball | Not Specified | |
| 2023-24 Basketball | Choice Tiger Stripe | Not Specified |
| 2023-24 Basketball | Choice Red | #/ 88 |
| 2023-24 Basketball | Choice Blue | #/ 49 |
| 2023-24 Basketball | Choice Cherry Blossom | #/ 20 |
| 2023-24 Basketball | Choice Green | #/ 8 |
| 2023-24 Basketball | Choice Nebula (1/1) | Not Specified |
| 2023-24 Basketball | Fast Break | Not Specified |
| 2023-24 Basketball | Fast Break Blue | #/ 150 |
| 2023-24 Basketball | Fast Break Red | #/ 100 |
| 2023-24 Basketball | Fast Break Purple | #/ 75 |
| 2023-24 Basketball | Fast Break Pink | #/ 50 |
| 2023-24 Basketball | Fast Break Bronze | #/ 20 |
| 2023-24 Basketball | Fast Break Neon Green | # /5 |
Now, for those color parallels that have serial numbers, you can use logic to conclude that a 1/1 is the best, and a /99 is better than a /249.
But what about the other colors that aren’t numbered? We will have the answer upon release!
How to tell the difference between silver Prizm and base?
One way to identify a silver prizm is to look on the back of the card for the bold, italicized “PRIZM” in all caps. Another way is to look for the “refractor” rainbow-like lighting on the front of the card.
(Learn more about refractor cards or continue reading below for silver prizm vs. base details and examples.)
For example, take a look at the back of this 2019-20 Panini Silver Prizm Keldon Johnson card from COMC compared to the base version of the card. Notice the “PRIZM” printed just below the right-hand side of his “NCAA totals” stat line.
Now, if only it were that easy, right? While the above instruction is fairly straightforward, it’s not an end all, be all determination. Meaning, there are a number of additional factors and points to know.
PRIZM isn’t always located in the same place
One important thing to note is that this “PRIZM” will not always be found in this exact space on every card. It can sometimes be found at the very top right of the card, near the top and in the middle, on the bottom, etc. It all depends on the particular set and its design.
Here are a few additional examples across different years, sports, and sets:
Read More: Select Football Card Levels
See how they all have PRIZM yet it’s printed in different areas of the card? That’s what makes reading cards important. These are all silvers.
One other thing to note here is that some cards even say PRIZM twice. For instance, and for whatever reason, these 2021 Prizm baseball inserts (Lumber Company and Rookie Class) print PRIZM twice along the top of their cards.
Could it be a printing error? I’m not sure, but I haven’t seen an example from either of these sets that didn’t have the PRIZM printed twice.
The bottom “set” text is not the same
Also worth noting—we are not talking about the mention of “PRIZM” at the very bottom of the card. Meaning, if you look at the bottom of Panini cards, you’ll see a mention of the set and set year. So, if you happen to be looking at the actual Prizm set (more on this below) there is going to be a mention of PRIZM (as in “2020 PANINI—PRIZM FOOTBALL”).
Silvers can be found in Select, too
As the above point alludes to, there is a set from Panini actually called Prizm, however, silver prizms can be found in other Panini products, like Select. The identification process is the same, and you’ll still be looking for PRIZM but just a note to not let the fact that the card is from Select throw you off from thinking you have a silver.
Optic is a little different
Not to make matters more confusing, but Optic also has silvers, however, they are generally referred to as “holos” and not prizms. So, you can say “silver” generally refers to silvers in either Prizm, Select, or Optic, but “silver prizm” is generally reserved fro Prizm and Select while “holo” is reserved for Optic.
And again, there are differing opinions on this, and one person might say one thing while the next says something different.
PRIZM doesn’t always mean silver
Last, the presence of PRIZM on the back of the card identifies that the card is a prizm, but it doesn’t 100% mean that the card is a silver prizm. Meaning, there are a number of different prizm variations. The silver is closest to the base version which is why we are detailing it here in this post, but it’s also worth mentioning that identifying a silver by the PRIZM ont he back of the card is only one piece of the puzzle.
The other piece is what the card actually looks like. Again, if it has the refractor finish on the front – and is not a different color like red or purple, and doesn’t have any of the other design elements like pulsar, disco, etc. – then it most likely a silver.
