Card ValuePokémon card rarity symbols explained
Every card carries a tiny symbol at the bottom that tells you its rarity. Here are all the common symbols, from the classics to Scarlet & Violet, where to find them and why rarity alone does not tell you the price.
- Circle means common, diamond means uncommon, star means rare. Multiple, silver or gold stars mark the special rarities of newer sets.
- If the collector number is higher than the set size, for example 199/165, the card is a secret rare.
- Rarity is a hint, not a price. Demand, variant and condition decide what a card is worth.
Where to find the rarity symbol
On cards from recent years the symbol sits at the bottom left in the info line, right after the collector number. On many older cards it sits at the bottom right next to the number. The colour matters: black, silver and gold stars all mean different things.
Japanese cards use a letter code instead of a symbol. More on that below.
The classic symbols
These symbols have been around since the first sets and still cover most of every booster pack.
| Symbol | Rarity | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Common | Most cards in a pack. Usually worth cents on their own. | |
| Uncommon | A little scarcer than commons, usually priced just as low. | |
| Rare | The rare card of the pack. If the artwork is foil, it is a holo rare: same symbol, recognisable only by the foil. | |
| PROMO | Promo | Promo cards from collections, events or magazines. They carry the promo star instead of a rarity. |
New symbols since Scarlet & Violet
With the Scarlet & Violet series in 2023, the system for the higher rarities changed. These are the tiers since then:
| Symbol | Rarity | Typical cards |
|---|---|---|
| Double Rare | ex cards in the regular design | |
| Ultra Rare | Full art cards, such as full art ex cards and Supporters | |
| Illustration Rare (IR) | Mostly Basic Pokémon with artwork across the whole card | |
| Special Illustration Rare (SIR) | Elaborate illustrations of ex cards and Supporters, often the most wanted cards of a set | |
| Hyper Rare (HR) | Gold cards with a textured surface |
A few special cases on top:
- Shiny rarities: Special sets such as Paldean Fates have Shiny Rare and Shiny Ultra Rare cards. According to Bulbapedia their symbols are outlined gold stars, one for Shiny Rare and two for Shiny Ultra Rare.
- ACE SPEC Rare: These Trainer cards returned in 2024. They carry the words ACE SPEC and their own rarity symbol, and only one may be played per deck.
- Mega Hyper Rare: The Mega Evolution series added a further tier for fully gold cards in 2025. According to Bulbapedia its symbol is a gold star with a black border.
The tables show the symbols on a light background, the way they appear on a card. On a real card they are only a few millimetres tall, so a phone zoom helps.
Secret rares: the number gives them away
The most reliable sign of an especially rare card is not the symbol but the number. The second number is the count of regular cards in the set. If the first number is higher, the card sits beyond the regular list:
- 199/165 means card 199 in a set with 165 regular cards. A secret rare.
- 045/165 is a regular card of the set, and its symbol tells you the rarity.
In Scarlet & Violet era sets, Ultra Rares, Illustration Rares, Special Illustration Rares and Hyper Rares are usually numbered beyond the set size. Some sets also have their own numbering with a prefix, such as TG for the Trainer Gallery, GG for the Galarian Gallery or SV for the Shiny Vault of older sets. Those cards are scarcer than the regular set list as well.
Japanese cards: letters instead of symbols
Japanese cards print the rarity as a code, for example C, U, R, RR, AR, SR, SAR or UR. Roughly, RR matches Double Rare, AR matches Illustration Rare, SR matches Ultra Rare, SAR matches Special Illustration Rare and UR matches the gold Hyper Rare. Japanese cards are a market of their own: Cardmarket lists Japanese singles on separate product pages, and according to Cardmarket, Japanese sets typically do not have reverse holos.
Do not confuse it with the regulation mark
Next to the number, newer cards often show a single letter in a small box, such as G, H or I. That is not a rarity symbol but the regulation mark. It shows which tournament formats a card is legal in and says nothing about rarity or value.
Rarity is not the same as value
Rarity tells you how often a card shows up in packs. What it costs is decided by demand. Two examples show the difference:
- In the 151 set, Charizard ex as a Double Rare (006/165) had a Cardmarket trend price of €8.62, while the Special Illustration Rare (199/165) stood at €405.15 (Cardmarket data as of September 24, 2026, via TCGdex). Here the price follows the rarity.
- Within the same rarity, prices still spread widely. An Illustration Rare of a popular Pokémon can cost many times more than another Illustration Rare from the same set, even though both are printed equally often.
So the symbol is a good first filter when you go through a stack of cards. Check the actual value afterwards with the market price, the right variant and an honest look at the condition. The guide on Cardmarket prices shows which number to use.
Read the rarity with a scan
If the symbols are too small: Card Value reads the collector number and the card name when you scan and shows set, number, rarity and language right away, together with the Cardmarket price in euros. You see at a glance whether a card is one of the rare ones in its set.
Frequently asked questions
What does a gold star mean on a Pokémon card?
Since Scarlet & Violet, one gold star marks an Illustration Rare, a card with artwork across the whole card. Two gold stars mean Special Illustration Rare, three gold stars mean Hyper Rare.
What do two black stars mean?
Two black stars mark a Double Rare. These are usually ex cards in the regular card design.
Is every shiny card rare?
No. Reverse holos exist for common cards too. They carry the same symbol as the normal version, for example a circle. Cardmarket treats reverse holo as an attribute, not a rarity.
What are Pokémon card rarity symbols in order?
From common to rare: circle, diamond, star, two black stars (Double Rare), two silver stars (Ultra Rare), one gold star (Illustration Rare), two gold stars (Special Illustration Rare) and three gold stars (Hyper Rare).
Where is the rarity symbol on old cards?
On older cards the rarity symbol usually sits at the bottom right next to the collector number. On newer cards it sits at the bottom left in the info line.