2012 Score Patrick Willis #171 (San Francisco 49ers)

This is a 2012 Score football card featuring Hall of Fame linebacker Patrick Willis of the San Francisco 49ers. The card follows the standard 2.5 by 3.5 inches dimensions on glossed cardstock. The design features a high-action photography layout with a white top border containing the 'Score 12' logo and a white bottom border displaying the player's name and position (LB). A San Francisco 49ers helmet logo is centered just above the nameplate. The image depicts Willis in his home red and gold uniform, in a tackle stance on a grass field against the Dallas Cowboys. Regarding condition, the card is housed in a clear protective plastic sleeve and appears to be in 'Excellent to Near Mint' condition; the corners look relatively sharp through the sleeve, with no visible surface creasing or staining, though the centering on the top-to-bottom borders appears slightly shifted toward the bottom. The printing is crisp with vibrant reds and golds, characteristic of the 2012 Score production line by Panini America. This base card represents a key defensive star during the height of his career.

I have examined the digital representation of the 2012 Score Patrick Willis #171. This card, produced by Panini America, showcases the Hall of Fame linebacker in his prime. Based on my visual inspection, the card exhibits vibrant color saturation and clean surface gloss. I observe sharp corners and edges consistent with an 'Excellent-Mint' (approx. PSA 6-7) grade; however, the vertical centering is biased toward the bottom edge, which is common for this production year but detracts from a 'Gem Mint' designation. As a base card from a high-volume retail product, it lacks the scarcity of parallels or autographs. The market for non-short-printed base cards of modern legends like Willis is stable but modest. Comparable sales on platforms like eBay and COMC typically show this card selling for nominal amounts, often as part of a team set or player lot. The demand is primarily driven by 49ers team collectors rather than high-end investors, as the 2012 Score set is considered a budget-friendly entry-level product. While the card appears authentic based on the font kerning, logo placement, and stock texture, I must note that a definitive authentication is impossible via digital images. A physical examination is required to verify the stock thickness, surface integrity under magnification to identify potential 'doctoring' (such as trimmed edges), and the absence of reprint pixelation. No provenance was provided; therefore, this valuation assumes the card is a genuine specimen from the 2012 Panini production run.