1st Edition, Shadowless or Unlimited? How to Tell Base Set Pokémon Cards Apart
The stamp, the shadow, the text and the copyright line: four checks that tell the Base Set prints apart, which sets have a 1st Edition, and how Cardmarket lists them.
Last updated 2026-10-27.
A black "1 EDITION" stamp: 1st Edition. No stamp, no shadow along the picture frame and thin HP text: Shadowless. A shadow: Unlimited.
All three prints exist for the English Base Set; Shadowless exists for Base Set only.
Base Set prints, in order
Four details are enough to tell them apart.
| 1 EDITION stamp | Shadow along the picture frame | HP and attack text | Copyright line | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Edition | Yes | No | Thin | © 1995, 96, 98, 99 Nintendo |
| Shadowless | No | No | Thin | © 1995, 96, 98, 99 Nintendo |
| Unlimited | No | Yes | Bold | © 1995, 96, 98 Nintendo |
| Later Unlimited | No | Yes | Bold | Dated 1999–2000 |
Check a card in four steps
- The stamp. A black circle with a "1" and the word EDITION. On a Pokémon card, on the left about halfway down the card; on a Trainer card, bottom left; on an Energy card, top right. There: it is 1st Edition.
- The shadow. Unlimited cards have a drop shadow along the picture frame. None: Shadowless (or 1st Edition).
- The text. HP and attacks in thin type on Shadowless and 1st Edition, bolder on Unlimited.
- The copyright line, at the bottom of the card. A "99" at the end of the years: Shadowless or 1st Edition. "1999–2000": the later Unlimited print. Trainer and Energy cards have no picture frame, so the text and this line are the only clues.
Which sets have a 1st Edition
In English, every Wizards of the Coast set from Base Set to Neo Destiny (2002), except Base Set 2.
Base Set 1st Editions are the most sought after: they came out before Pokémon took off in the West, and much of the print had sold by the time it did. Some of the last ones, in the Neo era, came out at the same time as their Unlimited print or even after it: they are worth far less. Outside English, Base Set 1st Editions keep the Unlimited layout, shadow included: there is no French or German Shadowless. In Japan, 1st Editions start later, from 2001 to 2016, with a different stamp in the bottom right corner.
On Cardmarket
- Base Set cards have two pages: one for the print with the shadow (English Unlimited, and copies in other languages) and one for Shadowless, which also holds English 1st Edition copies.
- For Jungle, Fossil, Team Rocket and the Neo sets, 1st Edition copies are on the card's own page, with a "1st Edition" filter.
- Either way, read the edition icon on the listing before you buy.
On Manakodex, prices don't separate editions yet: for Base Set, the price shown can come from the Shadowless page, which mixes Shadowless and 1st Edition copies. For a valuable card, look at the listing itself. Before grading a rare card, our guide to grading from France compares the fees.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my Pokémon card is 1st Edition?
Look for the stamp: a black circle with a "1" and the word EDITION. On a Pokémon card it sits on the left, about halfway down the card; on a Trainer card in the bottom left corner, on an Energy card in the top right. No stamp means it is not 1st Edition.
What is a Shadowless Pokémon card?
It is the second English print of Base Set: the 1st Edition layout without the stamp. It has no drop shadow along the picture frame, and its HP and attack text are thin. It exists only in English and only for Base Set.
Which sets have a 1st Edition?
In English, every Wizards of the Coast set from Base Set to Neo Destiny (2002), except Base Set 2. Some of the last ones came out at the same time as their Unlimited print or even after it, and are worth far less than the early ones.
Do Japanese cards have a 1st Edition?
Yes, but later: from Pokémon VS and Pokémon Web in 2001 to the 20th Anniversary set in 2016. The Japanese stamp is a large "1" sitting on the word EDITION, in the bottom right corner of Pokémon and Trainer cards.
Method and limits
- Prints, shadow, text and copyright lines: Bulbapedia, "1st Edition (TCG)"; stamp position and shape: CGC's article on first editions; read on 27 October 2026.
- How Cardmarket files editions: our own captures of Cardmarket pages.
- This guide gives no prices: our captures don't separate editions yet.