Are Gold Pokemon Cards real? Golden cards explained

Gold cards are an extremely rare find in Pokemon TCG, so much so people question if they’re real. Here are our favorite gold cards, as well as where to get them.

Golden Pokemon cards are indeed real. For a long time, the Pokemon TCG community wished for them to become official. So much so, that Etsy artisans created their own, a gold metallic Charizard card. The first golden trading cards were plated in 23 carat gold, and released in 1999. For a long time after, none were created.

In 2013, collectors’ prayers were answered when golden Pokemon cards were released as part of the Pokemon Black & White: Legendary Treasures expansion set. The idea was to make the rarest cards in the set, which at the time were awarded the ‘gold rare’ designation, easily distinguishable.

Since then, golden Pokemon cards designated as hyper-rare have been released. These cards continue to be rolled out, with a new style of etched raised foil effect cards.

The Paldean Fates ex set is the next set to release with these on January 26, 2024, and has already been released in Japan under the name Shiny Treasures ex.

Contents

• Pokemon Card Rarity
• McDonald’s and Burger King Gold Pokemon Cards
• What are gold ‘raised foil effect’ Pokemon cards and are they real?
• List of the best hyper rare gold Pokemon cards from Scarlet & Violet and where to buy them
• Most expensive golden Pokemon cards pre-Scarlet & Violet
• Golden Pokemon Cards from Crown Zenith
• Recap

Pokemon Card Rarity

Typically, gold Pokemon cards are hyper-rare and have 3 gold stars in the bottom left corner. You have about a 1 in 54 pack chance of pulling one.

Although these cards are rare, it does not necessarily mean the card is or will be worth more than a 2-star card, which you have a 1 in 32 pack chance of pulling, on average. Note that these odds vary depending on the series of cards.

McDonald’s and Burger King Gold Pokemon Cards

A common misconception is that McDonald’s released Golden Pokemon Cards. Although McDonald’s has included several exclusive Pokemon cards in its Happy Meal campaigns, it was Burger King that sold the first-ever 23-carat gold-plated Pokemon Cards in 1999.

The six cards were Charizard, Jigglypuff, Mewtwo, Pikachu, Polywhirl, and Togepi. The Beautiful gold-plated cards came in plastic, openable Pokeballs with metallic paint on top.

Despite their beauty, the cards did not rise in price like other collectibles because they were mass-made and plated with little gold.

What are gold “raised foil effect’ Pokemon cards and are they real?

The new Pokemon Scarlet & Violet–Paldean Fates expansion, as well as its Japanese counterpart, Shiny Treasures ex will feature a “new and unique raised foil effect”. 

The beautiful foil embossing will make the “hyper rare” cards from the set even more distinguishable. Similar foil effects have been used in the past, such as in the 90’s X-Men Trading Cards with silver embossing, and in the more recent One Piece TCG.

List of the best hyper rare gold Pokemon cards from Scarlet & Violet and where to buy them:

Since the release of Scarlet & Violet, Golden Pokemon cards have been used to distinguish ‘hyper rare’ cards from the rest. These cards previously would have been designated as ‘secret rare’, like this Solalgeo GX from Ultra Prism.

Here’s a list of all of the Hyper Rare Pokemon cards and some secret rare cards for comparison.

Most expensive real golden Pokemon cards pre S/V

These golden Pokemon trading cards are all official and authentic Pokemon TCG cards. The most playable competitive cards tend to be the priciest, as they see play in decks at the highest level. You can use them in either the standard or the now, mostly unsupported extended metagames.

Golden Pokemon Cards from Crown Zenith:

Crown Zenith is still available at major retailers, and it features some of the most captivating artworks seen for years in the Pokemon TCG. These four Galarian Gallery secret rare cards in particular have held their value since release. They feature the Pokemon ‘God’ cards from the Diamond and Pearl series looking truly majestic.

Recap

Here’s a quick recap:

• Always remember to check the reputation of your seller, or use the links we’ve provided to TCGPlayer, as even Amazon will sometimes sell fake cards.
• Just because a card is gold and/or hyper-rare does not mean it will be very expensive.
• Read the product description well, to make sure you’re not purchasing a fan-made product.
• Always inspect golden Pokemon cards that you buy, and look out for grammatical errors, as well as incorrect coloration. Try to bring a real card along for comparison. If in doubt, don’t pay out in cash to avoid being scammed.
• Note that fan-made Pokemon cards can be beautiful and make for great gifts, but you cannot use them in tournament play. However, if your opponent doesn’t mind they can use proxy cards in test battles.

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For more tips and tricks to become the very best, make sure you check out our other articles:

Best Waifu Cards and Where to Buy Them | Most expensive and rarest Pokemon cards | Best Pokemon cards of all time | Best Rainbow Pokemon card | Most valuable cards in Paldea Evolved | Most expensive Charizard cards | Most valuable cards in Scarlet & Violet expansion | Most valuable cards in Crown Zenith | How many Pokemon cards are there?