In this Tundra, notice how the blue mana symbol becomes checkered as only the blue ink is present, compared to the rest of the card: This is because only the black pattern is used there. Notice how the rosette pattern changes in the “0” casting cost and becomes “checkered”. However, the early mana symbols and fonts were monochrome: As we saw above, the rosette pattern is created by mixing different colours. The green one has a very specific colouring and an “L” pattern inside it made by the magenta dots:Īnother spot, true for old cards is the mana symbols and fonts. At the back of the card, there are five orbs representing the five colours of Magic. There is a spot that usually is different in fakes: The “green dot”. Despite changes in how the front is printed, the backs have stayed the same all these years. Throughout Magic’s history, there are some parts of the cards that stayed the same. The mixing of those layers creates a “rosette”. Each layer has a specific angle in which it is applied and has a dotted pattern. But then, why the rosette pattern is important? More on this below.įirst, here is an example of how a “rosette” pattern is created:Ĭards are printed using layers of different ink colours. As such, the fact that a card has a different rosette pattern than another of the same set, is not necessarily an indicator that it is fake – it can simply be from another batch. However because of that, even every batch of cards produced differs from each other. It is almost impossible to replicate the exact thing.

If you have a magnifying glass or a jeweler’s loupe you can see a more detailed picture:Īs you can see, this pattern is unique for each set. If you inspect the cards closely, you will notice a printing pattern. To understand this test, one needs to understand the printing process of Magic cards. Other unique characteristics of cards, depending on the expansion and batch.įrom here on, things get more technical.The green orb in the card’s back should have an “L” pattern with 4 red dots.The text, lines and black elements of the expansion symbol should be flat, without a rosette pattern.The cards should have a rosette pattern.

Each set has different expected exact numbers, usually to 0.03 grams, so if you happen to know the target number, this test becomes more accurate. Keep in mind, foil cards weigh more, around 1.9-2 grams. The new “proxies” circulating the market usually weigh more, around 2 grams. Most Magic cards weigh around 1.7-1.8 grams. If you happen to have a precision scale, you can weigh the cards. Numbers are different for each expansion. Required: Jeweler’s scale (0.01 gram precision).Įxpected result: Normal card weight 1.7-1.8 gramms. His presentation on fakes during the Europe East conference, 2018 received the highest rankings across all (!) categories rated. One of the longest standing community member and an avid legacy player, Edward has largely helped shape Athens’ player base and has been invaluable in kickstarting the Greek judge conferences, back in 2015.Įdward has been tracking and reporting on counterfeit cards for years and in the Europe East community he is considered the expert on the topic.

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