1st Edition cards
12- 1 The 1st Edition stamp: a small black circle with "Edition 1", just under the left of the picture.
- 2 No shadow on the right of the picture box (also true of Shadowless prints).
The packs of the 10 sets with 1st Edition
Card, pack and box images © Pokémon / Nintendo / Creatures / GAME FREAK (and Wizards of the Coast for 1999-2003), shown for identification only.
The 10 English sets with 1st Edition cards
| Set | Year | Cards in set |
|---|---|---|
| Base Set | 1999 | 102 |
| Jungle | 1999 | 64 |
| Fossil | 1999 | 62 |
| Team Rocket | 2000 | 83 |
| Gym Heroes | 2000 | 132 |
| Gym Challenge | 2000 | 132 |
| Neo Genesis | 2000 | 111 |
| Neo Discovery | 2001 | 75 |
| Neo Revelation | 2001 | 66 |
| Neo Destiny | 2002 | 113 |
No 1st Edition: Base Set 2, Legendary Collection and every set after Neo Destiny. Neo Revelation's 66 includes its two Shining cards.
Base Set: the four print runs
| How to tell | Rarity | |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Edition | Edition 1 stamp under the picture, no shadow on the right of the picture box | Rarest |
| Shadowless | No stamp, and no drop shadow on the right edge of the picture box. Thinner text | Rare |
| Unlimited | Drop shadow on the right of the picture box. Bolder HP text | Most common |
| 1999-2000 ("4th" or "UK") print | Like Unlimited, but the copyright line says 1999-2000 | Less common than Unlimited |
Base Set has 102 cards, 16 of them holo. Shadowless only exists in English: a "Shadowless" French or German Base Set card is a red flag.
Go deeper: the most famous 1st Edition card: Charizard
The 1st Edition Base Set Charizard (4/102) is the best-known card in the hobby. Collectors track how many PSA has graded at a perfect 10:
- About 120 PSA 10s in 2019, and the count barely moved that year.
- 121 by November 2020.
- About 125 as of October 2026 (tracking sites show 123 to 125, depending on when they last updated).
So after more than 25 years, only around 125 copies have ever been graded perfect by PSA. That is not the number that exist: many copies are ungraded, damaged, or graded by other companies. For today's exact figure, check PSA's live Population Report.
Go deeper: why nobody knows exactly how many were printed
Wizards of the Coast never published official print-run numbers. Every "how many exist" figure you see is an estimate, built from grading population reports and collector research. Treat any exact print number with suspicion unless it has a source.