Spotting a 4th print Pokémon Base Set card takes careful looking because these cards come from a special run made just for the UK market back in the late 1990s. The Base Set was the first big Pokémon Trading Card Game release with 102 cards featuring favorites like Charizard, Blastoise, and Pikachu. Wizards of the Coast printed it multiple times to meet demand, creating different print runs numbered 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and so on up to at least the 10th. But the 4th print stands out as unique because it was produced exclusively for the United Kingdom after earlier prints sold out there. These cards fixed some printing issues from before and used a different foil pattern on certain holo cards, making them a collector’s gem if you know what to check.[2]
Start with the basics of any Base Set card before diving into 4th print specifics. Hold the card up to a bright light or use a magnifying glass to inspect the back. All genuine Base Set cards have a copyright line at the bottom that says “© 1995, 96, 97, 99 Wizards. Pokémon. © 96, 98 Nintendo, Creatures, GAMEFREAK. Pokédex art: Ken Sugimori.” Fake cards often mess this up with wrong years or blurry text. The drop shadow under the Pokémon logo on the back should be crisp and even, not smudged. 4th prints match this exactly since they came from the same production line, just later.[4]
Now, zero in on the print run indicator, the key giveaway for 4th prints. Flip the card over and look at the bottom left corner of the artwork area, right above the copyright line. You’ll see small black dots arranged in a line. Count them. One dot means 1st print, two dots mean 2nd print, three dots mean 3rd print, and four dots mean 4th print. These dots are tiny, about the size of a pinhead, spaced evenly. On a 4th print, they form a straight row of exactly four dots with no extras or misses. Use a 10x loupe magnifier for a close look because wear can make them hard to see on played cards. If the dots look printed in gray instead of solid black, that’s a red flag for fakes or odd variants, but true 4th prints have clean black dots.[1][2]
Check the card’s border and edges next. Base Set cards, including 4th prints, have a thin black border around the artwork. On higher prints like the 4th, this border is sharp and consistent without fading into the white edges. Early prints like 1st edition have “1st edition” stamped in a black circle near the bottom right, and shadowless versions lack drop shadows under the card text and energy symbols. 4th prints are unlimited, so no 1st edition stamp and they do have drop shadows, just like 2nd and 3rd prints. Run your finger along the edges; genuine cards have a slight bevel from the cutting process, smooth but not perfectly sharp like modern counterfeits.[4]
Holo cards tell a bigger story for 4th prints. Most Base Set holos use a “starlight” foil pattern that sparkles like tiny stars when tilted. But some unlimited holos from earlier runs accidentally got the “cosmos” foil pattern, which looks like a swirling galaxy with bigger, smoother bursts of color. The 4th print run fixed this mistake specifically for the UK market, so authentic 4th print holos—like Charizard #4 or Wartortle #42—should show the correct starlight pattern everywhere, no cosmos slips. Tilt the card under light at different angles. Starlight holos flash quick, pinpoint sparkles; cosmos ones have broader, wavy shines. This fix makes 4th prints more uniform and desirable.[2]
Examine the text and artwork details closely. Read every word on the front: the name, type, HP, attacks, weakness, resistance, retreat cost, and flavor text. Spelling must be perfect—no “Pokémon” with an accent missing or “Wartortle” misspelled. Grammar should flow right, like “Flip a coin. If heads, the Defending Pokémon is now Paralyzed” on Wartortle. Fakes often have blurry fonts or off-centered text. The energy symbols at the top right should align perfectly with the border, and attack names like “Bite” or “Hydro Pump” need bold, clear lettering. Artist credits at the bottom, such as “Ken Sugimori” for Charizard, match exactly in size and style.[4]
Look at the centering, a big deal for grading later. 4th print cards were cut to high standards late in production, so good examples have artwork centered within 60/40 margins top-to-bottom and side-to-side. Measure with a ruler or app: from edge to artwork border should be even-ish. Corners should be sharp, not dinged, and the surface glossy but not overly reflective like fakes. White borders stay pure white, no yellowing unless aged naturally.[5]
Weigh the card if you have a precise scale. Genuine Base Set cards, including 4th prints, weigh about 1.7 to 1.8 grams each. Fakes often feel lighter or heavier due to cheap stock. Thickness runs 0.3mm; too thick or thin screams counterfeit. Smell test: real old cards have a faint paper scent, not chemical or plastic whiff from modern prints.[4]
Compare to known examples online or in person. Sites tracking sales show 4th print Wartortle #42 selling around $19 ungraded recently, while Charizard #4 hits hundreds even raw. Pull up clear photos of confirmed 4th prints and match dot patterns, foil, and text pixel-by-pixel. Join collector forums where folks post macro shots of verified 4th prints to train your eye.[1][3]
Dive deeper into the back design. The Poké Ball in the bottom right has exact shading: light highlight at 1 o’clock, shadow curving right. The blue swirl inside spins clockwise smoothly. Text alignment is dead-on, with “Base Set” centered above the expansion symbol—a simple circle with “102” inside. No pixelation or halos around letters. Under UV light, genuine cards glow faintly blue-white; fakes don’t or glow wrong colors.[4]
For holos specifically, check the holo stamp. It’s a small gold square near the character’s bottom right with “Wizards of the Coast” microtext inside. On 4th prints, this stamp is crisp, not bleeding into the foil. Tilt to see if the character’s image shifts realistically—Pikachu’s cheeks should stay yellow without color shifts unless it’s that rare red-cheeks variant, which isn’t a 4th print thing.[2]
Surface scratches and wear patterns matter too. Played 4th prints show honest whitening on edges from sleeves and play, not uniform scratches from bad printing. No bubbles under the foil or print dots visible on the surface—thes
