1995 Pokemon Japanese Alpha Prototype Mounted On Card Nidorino #33 CGC 10 GEM

Believed to be the first Pokémon cards ever made, there’s a strong argument to be made that Japanese Alpha Prototype cards such as this Nidorino are also the most important Pokémon cards ever made. That makes it all the more amazing that their existence remained more rumor than fact for more than 25 years. Alpha Prototype cards were the first step on the journey that would become one of the most beloved franchises in the history of card collecting. In July 2024, Takumi Akabane verified that Pokémon TCG creator Tsunekazu Ishihara, now president of the Pokémon Company, developed Alpha Prototype cards in 1995, the year before the release of the 1996 Media Factory Japanese Base Set. Ishihara presented these designs to Pokémon executives to show them the potential look and gameplay mechanics of the TCG. There are 26 Alpha Prototype cards, all of which feature black and white pixelated sprite designs from the original video games for the artwork. Alpha Prototype cards share several general characteristics with the versions millions of fans and collectors today know and love, including the character name, height and weight, HP, and level. But few other aspects resemble what was ultimately released to the public in the 1996 Japanese Base Set. Prototype cards have different types of energy symbols that do not appear on any other cards. They also have habitat information that was later removed. Prototype cards don’t have rarity symbols in the bottom right corner nor illustrator credit listed on the bottom of the card. When compared with the final iteration of the '96 Japanese Base Set, these quirks help illustrate just how early in the game's development Prototype cards were created. Prototype cards were made on paper and then affixed to firmer cardstock. As such, graded and authenticated versions of these cards will often include the word “Mounted” on the label. This Nidorino is one of four graded examples of this issue, and the only one to earn a CGC 10 grade. It's one of three Alpha Prototype Pokémon cards, along with a range of Playtest and Presentation cards, live now in the Fanatics Collect September Premier Auction. Learn more about some of the most important Pokémon cards ever made in our guide What are Pokémon Prototype, Playtest, and Presentation Cards?: https://www.fanaticscollect.com/definitive-guides/what-are-pokemon-prototype-playtest-and-presentation-cards The certification number on this card has been checked against the third-party grader's online database and is active as of 09/09/2024.

This item was flash inserted on Sep 6, 2024.