The eras, 1999 to today
In 30 secondsCards are released in sets, and sets are grouped into eras (also called series). Older eras are rarer because fewer people kept their cards in good condition. If someone says a card is "vintage", they usually mean the Wizards of the Coast era, 1999 to 2003.
| Era | Main sets | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Original (Wizards of the Coast) 1999 - 2000 | Base Set, Jungle, Fossil, Base Set 2, Team Rocket, Gym Heroes, Gym Challenge | Where it all began. The first English sets, including the famous 1st Edition and Shadowless Base Set. |
| Neo 2000 - 2002 | Neo Genesis, Neo Discovery, Neo Revelation, Neo Destiny | Introduced the second generation (Johto) Pokemon, plus the first Shining Pokemon. Neo Destiny was the last English set with 1st Edition cards. |
| Legendary Collection and e-Card 2002 - 2003 | Legendary Collection, Expedition, Aquapolis, Skyridge | The last Wizards of the Coast sets. e-Card sets had a strip for the Nintendo e-Reader. Skyridge and Aquapolis introduced Crystal cards. |
| EX 2003 - 2007 | EX Ruby & Sapphire to EX Power Keepers | The first sets after Wizards of the Coast, made under Nintendo and Pokemon USA (today The Pokemon Company International). Introduced Pokemon-ex and the famous Gold Star cards. |
| Diamond & Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold & SoulSilver 2007 - 2011 | Diamond & Pearl to Call of Legends | Brought in Pokemon LV.X and later LEGEND cards. |
| Black & White 2011 - 2013 | Black & White to Legendary Treasures | Fifth generation. Introduced Pokemon-EX (capital EX) and Full Art cards. |
| XY 2014 - 2016 | XY to Evolutions | Mega Evolution and BREAK cards. Evolutions (2016) reprinted the Base Set look. |
| Sun & Moon 2017 - 2019 | Sun & Moon to Cosmic Eclipse | Pokemon-GX and Tag Team GX cards. |
| Sword & Shield 2020 - 2023 | Sword & Shield to Crown Zenith | Pokemon V, VMAX and VSTAR, plus the hugely popular alternate-art cards. |
| Scarlet & Violet 2023 - 2025 | Scarlet & Violet onward | ex cards returned, silver borders replaced yellow ones on English cards, and new rarity symbols arrived. |
| Mega Evolution 2025 - today | Mega Evolution series (launched September 2025) | Mega Evolution returns, with new rarity tiers such as Mega Hyper Rare. |
What each era looks like
For every era: real packs, a box where we have one, an example card, and how to recognise a card from that era at a glance.
Original (Wizards of the Coast) 1999 - 2000
How to recognise it:
- Yellow border, and the copyright line at the bottom mentions Wizards.
- Early prints carry the 1st Edition stamp under the left of the picture.
- Set symbol bottom right of the picture: none on Base Set, a flower on Jungle, a skull on Fossil, an "R" on Team Rocket.
Neo 2000 - 2002
How to recognise it:
- Still yellow borders and Wizards in the copyright line.
- Second-generation (Johto) Pokemon, plus the new Darkness and Metal types.
- Shining Pokemon secret rares. Neo Destiny is the last set with 1st Edition stamps.
Legendary Collection and e-Card 2002 - 2003
How to recognise it:
- Legendary Collection introduced reverse holos with a "fireworks" sparkle.
- e-Card sets have a new layout and a strip of tiny dots for the Nintendo e-Reader.
- Aquapolis and Skyridge number their holos H1 to H32 and hide Crystal cards.
EX 2003 - 2007
How to recognise it:
- No more Wizards: the copyright line names only Pokemon, Nintendo, Creatures and GAME FREAK.
- Pokemon-ex cards with a lowercase "ex".
- Gold Star cards, the rarest of the era.
Diamond & Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold & SoulSilver 2007 - 2011
How to recognise it:
- Pokemon LV.X cards, an upgrade placed on top of the Pokemon.
- HeartGold & SoulSilver LEGEND cards are printed in two halves that fit together.
- Yellow borders continue.
Black & White 2011 - 2013
How to recognise it:
- Pokemon-EX return, now with a capital "EX".
- Full Art cards, where the picture covers the whole card.
- Yellow borders continue.
XY 2014 - 2016
How to recognise it:
- Mega Evolution Pokemon-EX.
- BREAK cards printed sideways (landscape).
- Evolutions (2016) reprinted the original Base Set look, so check the set symbol and date.
Sun & Moon 2017 - 2019
How to recognise it:
- Pokemon-GX, with a "GX" attack that can be used once per game.
- Tag Team GX cards show two Pokemon on one card.
- Rainbow-coloured secret rares.
Sword & Shield 2020 - 2023
How to recognise it:
- Pokemon V, VMAX and VSTAR.
- A small regulation mark letter (D, E or F) printed near the bottom left.
- Hugely popular alternate-art cards.
Scarlet & Violet 2023 - 2025
How to recognise it:
- Silver borders on English cards instead of yellow.
- Pokemon ex return with a lowercase "ex".
- New rarity symbols with gold stars, and regulation marks G, H and I.
Mega Evolution 2025 - today
How to recognise it:
- Mega Evolution Pokemon ex.
- Silver borders continue.
- New top rarity tiers such as Mega Hyper Rare.
Pack and box images via Bulbapedia, card images via TCGdex, all © Pokémon / Nintendo / Creatures / GAME FREAK (and Wizards of the Coast for 1999-2003), shown for identification only.
Go deeper: why the dates differ between websites
Different collectors draw the lines between eras in slightly different places, for example whether the e-Card sets belong with the EX era. The order is always the same. We follow the release timeline at Bill's Archive, which lists every set with its date.
Sources (checked October 2026): Bill's Archive: complete release timeline · Card Shop Finder: every WotC set