Gold Pokémon Cards Introduction
Gold Pokémon cards were first introduced to the Trading Card Game on 6th November 2013 with the launch of the Black and White Legendary Treasures expansion set. Two Gold cards were introduced in this set – Reshiram 114/113 and Zekrom 115/113.
The cards are completely covered in gold, including the border, with the featured character etched into the background. They proved extremely popular and a small number have been included in subsequent sets to present day. They are highly sought after by players, collectors and investors and generally feature in the top Chase cards of the set.
Their rarity and collectability means they are often among the highest valued cards on the market. As such they are a target for fraudsters and users of buying sites such as Ebay will often see Pokémon cards listed as Gold Secret Rare, Gold Hyper Rare and Metal Gold cards. For any buyer it is important to be able to recognise if Gold Pokémon cards are real or fake.
Contents
Gold Secret Rare Cards Real or Fake?
Gold Hyper Rare Cards Real or Fake?
Metal Gold Cards Real or Fake?
Gold Secret Rare Cards
The term Gold Secret Rare cards refers to all gold cards produced by the Pokémon Company from 2013 to January 2023. They have card numbers that are higher than their set number and each set / series features a distinctive gold design.
The card above is the Galarian Gallery Gold Secret Rare GG70/GG70 Arceus VSTAR from the Crown Zenith special set released in January 2023. All four Gold cards released in this set feature the same Gold / Brown image style with a plain gold border.
When determining whether these Gold Pokémon cards are real or fake there are a number of checks that can be made:
- Does the design of the card match the expected design? – Fake cards are mass produced and usually differ from the actual design produced by Pokémon.
- Does the card actually exist? – Check the card number against a list of all Gold Secret Rare cards produced and ensure that the card is on the list. Fake gold cards generally depict popular Pokémon like Pikachu and Charizard rather than copy actual cards produced.
- Check the spelling, font and HP / Attack details – Fake cards often use a different font, have spelling mistakes and incorrect HP and attack details.
- Check the back of the card matches the back of authentic cards.
Complete List of Gold Secret Rare Cards with Gallery
How to Spot Fake Pokémon Cards
Gold Hyper Rare Cards
With the release of the Scarlet and Violet Series in March 2023, new rarity symbols were introduced and Gold Secret Rare cards became Gold Hyper Rare cards. They carry the a rarity symbol of three gold stars next to the card number, which is higher than the set number. As with the Gold Secret Rare cards, each set has a distinctive design.
The cards above shows Chien-Pao ex from the Paldean Fates set. All six Gold Hyper Rare cards released in this set feature a green background with the Pokémon character embossed in gold and a plain gold border.
When determining whether Gold Hyper Rare Pokémon cards are real or fake it is important to consider:
- Does the design of the card match the expected design? – Fake cards are mass produced and usually differ from the actual design produced by Pokémon.
- Does the card actually exist? – Check the card number against a list of all Gold Secret Rare cards produced and ensure that the card is on the list. Fake gold cards generally depict popular Pokémon like Pikachu and Charizard rather than copy actual cards produced.
- Check the spelling, font and HP / Attack details – Fake cards often use a different font, have spelling mistakes and incorrect HP and attack details.
- Check the back of the card matches the back of authentic cards.
Complete List of Gold Hyper Rare Cards with Gallery
How to Spot Fake Pokémon Cards
Metal Gold Pokémon Cards
Metal Gold Pokémon Cards are frequently seen on sites such as Ebay and Amazon. The fact that they are made of metal gives the impression of richness and added value. However, what most people don’t realise is that the majority of these are fake.
To date the Pokémon Company have only released three Metal Gold Pokémon cards:
Two were released in the Celebrations Ultimate Premium Collection of 2021 featuring Charizard and Pikachu
The third was released in 2023 in the Pokémon 151 Ultra Premium Collection and features Mew ex.
Two other official metal cards have been released featuring Arceus V and Arceus VSTAR. They were released in 2022 in the Arceus Premium Collection Box. However, these are not gold cards but metal versions of the regular card design.
Determining whether Metal Gold Pokémon Cards are real or fake is a fairly straightforward procedure:
- Is the card one of the three designs featured above? If not it is a fake.
- Is the back of the card gold coloured or is it the regular blue Pokémon design? Genuine Metal Gold Pokémon cards feature the same background as regular cards. Fake Metal Gold cards generally have a gold background.
