First edition, shadowless or unlimited: which Base Set card do you have?
Base Set was printed four times in English. Two marks tell the runs apart: a first edition stamp, and a shadow beside the picture frame. First edition is worth the most, by a long way.
What does your card show?
A stamp, no shadow
First edition.
- The first print run, from early 1999.
- The scarcest and most valuable of the four.
- Check the stamp is sharp. Fakes add blurry stamps to later cards.
No stamp, no shadow
Shadowless.
- The second run, printed for a short time.
- Worth several times an unlimited copy.
- The HP is in thin type and the colors are lighter.
A shadow, dated 1999
Unlimited.
- The main print run and the most common.
- Most Base Set cards in old collections are these.
A shadow, dated 1999 and 2000
The British print.
- A later run sold in Britain.
- The copyright line names both years.
- Scarcer than unlimited, and collected in its own right.
A stamp and a shadow
First edition Machamp, or a later set.
- Every Base Set Machamp has the stamp, so it is common.
- Jungle, Fossil and Team Rocket first editions all have shadows.
- A black stamp reading Edition 1 beside the picture means first edition.
- No stamp and no shadow beside the picture frame means shadowless.
- A shadow down the right of the frame means unlimited, the common run.
- A copyright line with both 1999 and 2000 is the later British print.
- Only Base Set has shadowless cards. Jungle and Fossil do not.
One card, four print runs
The same Charizard from each run, from our own scans. Look at the stamp and at the right side of the picture frame.
The first edition stamp
Look to the left of the card, just below the picture frame.
- The stamp is a small black circle with a 1 and the word Edition.
- On trainer cards it sits in the bottom left corner.
- English sets carried it from Base Set in 1999 to Neo Destiny in 2002.
The shadow
Look at the right side and the bottom of the gold frame around the picture.
- Unlimited cards have a dark shadow there, as if the frame stands off the card.
- Shadowless cards have none. The frame looks flat.
- Shadowless cards also print the HP in thinner red type.
The copyright line
| Print run | Nintendo years | Wizards years | Shadow |
|---|---|---|---|
| First edition | 1995, 96, 98, 99 | 1999 | No |
| Shadowless | 1995, 96, 98, 99 | 1999 | No |
| Unlimited | 1995, 96, 98 | 1999 | Yes |
| British print | 1995, 96, 98 | 1999 and 2000 | Yes |
The line runs along the bottom of the card, in tiny type.
What each is worth
The gap between the runs is wide, and widest for the holo cards.
- First edition holos are the most valuable English cards of their time.
- Shadowless holos sell for several times their unlimited price.
- Unlimited commons in played condition are worth little.
Each Base Set card has its own page, with a price for each printing. See Charizard's page.
Other early sets
- Jungle, Fossil, Team Rocket and the Gym sets have first edition and unlimited runs.
- None of them has a shadowless run.
- Base Set 2, from 2000, has no first edition at all.
In stock today below its usual price
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Common questions
How do I know if my Pokémon card is first edition?
Look for a small black stamp with a 1 and the word Edition, left of the card below the picture. No stamp means it is not first edition.
What does shadowless mean on a Pokémon card?
The gold frame around the picture has no dark shadow down its right side. Shadowless cards are an early Base Set print run and sell for more than unlimited ones.
Are all first edition cards shadowless?
In Base Set, yes, apart from Machamp. First edition cards of later sets such as Jungle and Fossil all have the shadow.
Is a first edition Machamp valuable?
Less than you would hope. Every Base Set Machamp came with the stamp, in a starter set sold in large numbers. A clean copy still has a price worth checking.
What is the 1999 and 2000 Base Set print?
A later print run sold in Britain. Its copyright line names both 1999 and 2000. It is scarcer than the unlimited run and collected by specialists.
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