1998 Pinnacle Epix

Description

1998 Pinnacle Epix is a multi-tiered, multi-fractured, 72-card, cross-brand insert set. Randomly inserted in 1998 Pinnacle packs at the rate of one in 21, 1998 Score packs at 1:61 and 1998 Zenith packs at 1:11, the 24 players included in this set were featured on three different cards to commemorate (in ascending order of scarcity) their greatest play, game, season or moment. Each card was specific to a particular brand. To obtain all the cards for each player in this fractured insert set, one had to open Pinnacle, Score and Zenith packs.

A final selection of 24 Epix cards was slated for inclusion in 1998 Pinnacle Certified, but the manufacturer went bankrupt before that product shipped. However, a full set of Epix cards from the Pinnacle Certified set emerged on the secondary market nearly 20 years after Pinnacle's bankruptcy.

Each card is available in three different colors: Orange, Purple, and Emerald. Approximately 70% of all Epix are Orange, 20% Purple, and 10% Emerald. According to Pinnacle Brands, only 30 copies of each Emerald Moment card were produced although the cards are not serial-numbered.

Emerald Moment is the most rare while Orange Play is the least rare.

Printing plates for some cards also exist but it is unclear how these were distributed.

A second set of "All-Star Epix" inserts, separate from the regular Epix set, was released in packs of 1998 Score Rookie/Traded and 1998 Pinnacle Plus.

Checklist

Promo

In September 1997 Pinnacle Brands distributed promo cards, available in all three colors, previewing the upcoming 1998 Epix inserts. There is no player depicted and the front merely has Pinnacle's "Icon" logo. Like the regular Epix inserts, the Orange promo is the easiest to find and the Emerald the scarcest.

The back of the promo card incorrectly states that the first series of Epix inserts would be released in October 1997. The first batch of Epix would not be released until December.

Inserts

NOTES:

• Cards marked with an "S" were inserted into 1998 Score packs -- but NOT All-Star Edition packs.
• Cards marked with a "P" were inserted into 1998 Pinnacle packs.
• Cards marked with a "Z" were inserted into 1998 Zenith packs, and were embedded inside a 5" X 7" jumbo card which had to be torn open to reveal the smaller, standard-sized card.
• Cards marked with a "C" were scheduled for insertion into packs of 1998 Pinnacle Certified, but were never officially released. However, in October 2017, a full set of Epix cards intended to be released in 1998 Pinnacle Certified emerged on the secondary market, with some players having multiple copies surface.
• For the All-Star Epix, cards #E1-E12 were inserted into packs of 1998 Score Rookie/Traded (S R/T), while #E13-E24 were in 1998 Pinnacle Plus (P+).
• Each 1998 Score and Pinnacle wrapper deceptively states that there is an "EPIX INSIDE." The actual insertion ratios are 1:61 and 1:21/packs, respectively.

Player	Card Number	Play	Game	Season	Moment	All-Star
Ken Griffey, Jr.	E1	S	P	Z	C	S R/T
Juan Gonzalez	E2	S	P	Z	C	S R/T
Jeff Bagwell	E3	S	P	Z	C	S R/T
Ivan Rodriguez	E4	S	P	Z	C	S R/T
Nomar Garciaparra	E5	S	P	Z	C	S R/T
Ryne Sandberg	E6	S	P	Z	C	S R/T
Frank Thomas	E7	C	S	P	Z	S R/T
Derek Jeter	E8	C	S	P	Z	S R/T
Tony Gwynn	E9	C	S	P	Z	S R/T
Albert Belle	E10	C	S	P	Z	S R/T
Scott Rolen	E11	C	S	P	Z	S R/T
Barry Larkin	E12	C	S	P	Z	S R/T
Alex Rodriguez	E13	Z	C	S	P	P+
Cal Ripken, Jr.	E14	Z	C	S	P	P+
Chipper Jones	E15	Z	C	S	P	P+
Roger Clemens	E16	Z	C	S	P	P+
Mo Vaughn	E17	Z	C	S	P	P+
Mark McGwire	E18	Z	C	S	P	P+
Mike Piazza	E19	P	Z	C	S	P+
Andruw Jones	E20	P	Z	C	S	P+
Greg Maddux	E21	P	Z	C	S	P+
Barry Bonds	E22	P	Z	C	S	P+
Paul Molitor	E23	P	Z	C	S	P+
Eddie Murray/Hideo Nomo	E24	P	Z	C*	S	P+*

* Hideo Nomo replaced Eddie Murray on card E24 in the Moment and All-Star Epix cards.