How to read a card
123- 1 1st Edition stamp (only on early prints of 1999-2002 sets).
- 2 Card number and rarity: 4/102 and a star (rare).
- 3 Copyright line: the years and companies.
12345- 1 Regulation mark: the letter used for tournament rules (here G).
- 2 Set code: SVI is Scarlet & Violet, EN is English.
- 3 Card number and rarity: 081/198, then the rarity symbol (two black stars = Double Rare).
- 4 Silver border: English cards from 2023 onward.
- 5 "ex" after the name: a Pokemon ex card.
Card, pack and box images © Pokémon / Nintendo / Creatures / GAME FREAK (and Wizards of the Coast for 1999-2003), shown for identification only.
The rarity symbols
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ● Circle | Common |
| ◆ Diamond | Uncommon |
| ★ Black star | Rare (a shiny picture means Holo Rare) |
| ★★ Two black stars | Double Rare (Pokemon ex), Scarlet & Violet onward |
| ★★ Two silver stars | Ultra Rare (full-art) |
| One gold star | Illustration Rare (alternate art) |
| Two gold stars | Special Illustration Rare (alternate art with textured surface) |
| Three gold stars | Hyper Rare (gold, used to be called Secret Rare) |
| Black star with PROMO | Promo card (events, products, box toppers) |
A rarity symbol tells you how hard a card is to pull, not what it is worth. Condition, edition and demand matter more.
Go deeper: the card number
4/102 means card 4 of the 102 in the set. If the first number is bigger than the second (for example 107/105), it is a secret rare: a card hidden beyond the official set list, usually one of the rarest in the set.
Go deeper: holo and reverse holo
Holo: the picture itself shines. Reverse holo: the picture is flat and the rest of the card shines. Reverse holos were introduced in the Legendary Collection (2002), and every card in that set also came as a reverse foil.
Go deeper: silver borders on new cards
From Scarlet & Violet (2023), English cards switched from yellow borders to silver, matching Japanese cards. So a yellow-bordered card is older than 2023.