1993 Magic The Gathering MTG Alpha Black Lotus BGS 8.5 NM-MT+

When Magic: The Gathering (MTG) debuted to an unsuspecting public, it surpassed Wizard of the Coast’s expectations, including game creator Richard Garfield's. MTG was the first collectible card game ever made, allowing players to strategize and create new and inventive decks with their favorite monster and artifact cards. This wide breadth of play choices ensured that no two games would ever be identical, unlike traditional card games like poker. Released in August of 1993, the Alpha printing is the first print run of the original Magic: The Gathering, designed by Richard Garfield and released by Wizards of the Coast. According to the original Wizards of the Coast CEO Peter Adkinson, the Alpha print run consisted of 295 unique collectible playing cards, including 116 different rare cards, limited to a total of 2.61 million cards with only approximately 1,008 of each rare card such as the Black Lotus released. The first three printings of the game became known as Alpha, Beta, and Unlimited (ABU), with slight changes to the card's corners and cardstock with an increased printing amount each next time. Out of these three printings, however, nine cards rose to dominate over all others and became dubbed the ""Power Nine"" as a result. Even among the Power Nine, no single card dominated like the Black Lotus, a free-to-play Mono Artifact that adds three mana of any single color of your choice to users’ mana pool. Illustrated by Christopher Rush, the same artist who designed the symbols for mana, the Black Lotus is easily the most recognizable and coveted Magic card. The rays of sunlight breaking through the forest's canopy and illuminating the Black Lotus remains popular with collectors for its beauty, simplicity, and recognizable design. Game Creator Richard Garfield, who found it amusing to empower a flower, created the Black Lotus. It contrasted well with more traditional fantasy archetypes such as rings or other physical equipment. As a result, the Black Lotus was added to the Magic the Gathering cards reserved list by Wizards of the Coast, which the company will not reprint. Thus, the Black Lotus will likely never see a playable re-release, making any of the few official copies left even more desirable. Consistently ranked as one of the most iconic and influential trading cards, the Alpha Black Lotus is a premier collection grail for any with even passing knowledge of its existence. Bask in the beauty of Christopher Rush's magnum opus, the Black Lotus.