How to Tell if a Pokémon Card Is Rare: Rarity Symbols Explained

Short answer: Look at the small symbol next to the card number in the bottom corner. A circle means common, a diamond means uncommon, and a star means rare or better, with two and three stars and gold stars marking the higher rarities in newer sets. Then check the card number. If the first number is bigger than the second, such as 224/198, it is a secret rare, the rarest kind of card in a set.

The symbol is only the first clue, though. Two cards with the same symbol can be worth wildly different amounts because of the foil pattern, an edition stamp, the set it came from and its condition. Below is every rarity symbol explained, followed by a quick way to check any card in about a minute.

Where to find the rarity symbol

Every standard Pokémon card has a small rarity symbol in the bottom left or bottom right corner, right next to the collector number. The collector number is written as two numbers with a slash, for example 58/102. The first is the card's number in the set, and the second is the number of cards the set officially lists.

On some full art and secret rare cards the symbol is printed in silver foil on a light background and is hard to see. Tilt the card under a light and it will show up. A few cards have no symbol at all, including basic energy cards and cards from some special sets. For those, look the card up in the official Pokémon TCG card database by name and number.

The classic rarity symbols

These symbols have been used since the English Pokémon TCG launched in 1999.

Circle: Common. The lowest rarity. Packs contain several, so they are easy to find. Commons come either with no foil at all or as a reverse holo.

Diamond: Uncommon. A step up from common, and still plentiful in every pack. Like commons, they often exist in a plain version and a reverse holo version.

Star: Rare. A single black star means the card is at least a rare. On cards printed before the Scarlet & Violet era in 2023, a single star covered several rarities, which is why the foil pattern matters, as explained below. Older cards with a white star can be ultra rares or one of the special mechanic rarities of their era.

Star with the word PROMO: Promo. Promo cards do not come from normal booster packs. They are given away at events, packed into special boxes and collections, or handed out at tournaments. How rare a promo is depends entirely on how many were given out, which ranges from huge print runs to a few thousand copies.

The newer star symbols from Scarlet & Violet onward

Starting with the Scarlet & Violet series in 2023, The Pokémon Company added more star symbols to make the higher rarities easier to read. CGC, one of the major grading companies, lists the new symbols as follows.

Two black stars: Double Rare. Typically the Pokémon ex cards in a set.

Two silver stars: Ultra Rare. These are the full art cards. Some guides call the stars white rather than silver. It is the same symbol.

One gold star: Illustration Rare. Alternate art cards with artwork that spreads across the whole card, usually of regular Pokémon.

Two gold stars: Special Illustration Rare. Alternate full art cards, usually of Pokémon ex, and among the most sought after cards in modern sets.

Three gold stars: Hyper Rare. The gold cards, with a gold border and background.

The list keeps growing. CGC notes that the Mega Evolution expansion introduced Mega Hyper Rare cards with their own rarity symbol, and that Ascended Heroes, released in January 2026, added Mega Attack cards marked with two pastel stars, one pink and one green. A couple of shorter lived symbols are also worth knowing. A rainbow letter A marks an Amazing Rare from the Sword & Shield era, and outlined gold stars mark the Shiny Rare and Shiny Ultra Rare cards from Paldean Fates.

Secret rares and the card number

The card number is the second thing to check, and it is the easiest way to spot a secret rare. If the first number is higher than the second, the card sits outside the set's official count. CGC's example is a Snorlax numbered 224/198. That is why they are called secret rares, and they are usually the hardest cards to pull in a set.

Over the years, secret rares have included rainbow rares, gold rares, illustration rares and special illustration rares. For most secret rares there is a lower rarity card of the same Pokémon in the same set, with different artwork.

Holo vs reverse holo

Foil is not the same thing as rare, and this is where many people get confused.

A holo has the shiny foil only inside the art box around the Pokémon. On older cards, a holo was a step above a regular rare with the same single star symbol, and holos are much harder to pull than the regular version.

A reverse holo has foil across the whole card except the art box. Most commons, uncommons and rares have a reverse holo version, so a reverse holo is not rare in itself. It is usually worth a little more than the plain version of the same card and a lot less than a true holo.

Full art cards have the artwork covering the entire card instead of sitting in a box, and are fully foil. They have appeared since the Black & White era and are usually ultra rare or higher.

Other markings that make a card valuable

1st Edition stamp. Early sets from the Wizards of the Coast era, starting in 1999, were first printed with a small 1st Edition stamp on the left side below the artwork. These first print cards are worth more than the unlimited versions that followed.

Shadowless. The earliest Base Set print run was missing the drop shadow along the right side of the art box. These shadowless cards carry a premium over the later unlimited print with the shadow.

Tournament and event stamps. Promo cards given out at official events often carry a stamp showing the event and year, and some are worth a lot.

Error cards. Miscuts, misprints and wrong text can make an ordinary card more valuable to collectors of errors.

Special card types. Over the years the game has had many short lived card types, such as Shining Pokémon, Gold Star Pokémon, Crystal Pokémon, LV.X, LEGEND, Prism Star and Radiant Pokémon. Many were printed for only one or two sets, which makes them worth checking.

Rare does not always mean valuable

Rarity tells you how scarce a card is within its own set, not what it is worth. Age, popularity and demand matter just as much. An old common of a popular Pokémon can sell for more than a brand new ultra rare of one nobody collects. Sets also differ. Some special sets contain no commons at all, so their rares are far less scarce than the symbol suggests.

Condition is the other big factor. Whitening on the edges, scratches on the foil and soft corners pull prices down hard, especially on holos, where scratches show easily.

How to check any card in a minute

Run through the same steps every time. Find the rarity symbol and read it. Check the card number for a secret rare. Look at where the foil sits to tell a holo from a reverse holo. Check for a 1st Edition stamp, a missing shadow on vintage cards, or an event stamp. Look over the edges, corners and surface for wear. Then look up recent sold prices for that exact version of the card, because the plain, reverse holo and holo versions of the same card sell for very different amounts.

That last step is where Cards AI helps. It identifies the exact card and version from a photo and shows its value from recent sold listings, along with a Cards AI Grade across centering, corners, edges and surface (AI estimate only), so you can sort a binder into worth a closer look and fine as bulk quickly.

If you think you have something special, a local card shop can take a look in person, and it is worth checking for fakes before you get excited, since valuable Pokémon cards are the most counterfeited. Our guide to the best apps to spot fake Pokémon cards covers the checks. For price ranges by era and rarity, see our Pokémon card price list.

Frequently asked questions

What do the symbols on Pokémon cards mean? They show rarity. A circle is common, a diamond is uncommon, and a star is rare. In sets from 2023 onward, two black stars mean double rare, two silver stars ultra rare, one gold star illustration rare, two gold stars special illustration rare and three gold stars hyper rare. A star with PROMO means a promo card.

How do I know if my Pokémon card is a secret rare? Look at the card number. If the first number is higher than the second, such as 224/198, it is a secret rare.

Is a holo Pokémon card rare? A true holo, with foil only in the art box, is rarer than the regular version. A reverse holo, with foil everywhere except the art box, exists for most cards and is not rare in itself.

What is the rarest Pokémon card symbol? In modern sets the highest printed rarities are the gold star rarities, such as special illustration rare and hyper rare, along with newer additions like Mega Hyper Rare. Actual scarcity varies by set, so the symbol is a guide rather than a guarantee.

Does a rare symbol mean my card is worth money? Not always. Rarity is set by set, and value also depends on the Pokémon, the set's age, demand and condition. Check recent sold prices for the exact version of your card.