1998 Pokemon Test Print Gold Border Foil Blastoise MTG BACK #9 CGC 6.5 EXMT+

This incredible rarity has Blastoise on the front and a Magic: The Gathering back on the reverse side. How is this possible? Wizards of the Coast, the company that printed the first Magic: The Gathering cards, also had the licensing to print the first English Pokémon cards. These MTG Back Blastoise cards represent the company’s first attempt in 1998. The TCG community got their first look at these cards back in 2016. But it wasn’t until 2019 that the first example of such cards was submitted to CGC for grading. CGC conducted many tests and interviewed past employees of WOTC, utilizing all four known examples of this card. The tests included examining the cards under USB microscopes, examining the rosette dot print pattern, Spot-Fluorescent lighting testing, and an X-ray fluorescence scanner test. With the results of the tests and testimonials from past WOTC employees, CGC was able to conclude that, “They are authentic test prints made by WOTC, and they are among the hobby’s most intriguing rarities.” Rarely seen in the wild, this month’s Fanatics Fest Premier Auction represents an incredible chance to capture a true piece of Pokémon history. The certification number on this card has been checked against the third-party grader's online database and is active as of 06/11/2025.