It’s been an exciting few months for the CGC Trading Cards grading team! In addition to certifying a Pristine 10 Base Set 1st Edition Charizard, the graders received a submission that included five Black Lotus cards from different early Magic: The Gathering sets.
The Magic cards came from a submitter in Texas, the same one who sent in the Charizard for certification. The submission included two Black Lotus cards from the 1993 Limited Edition (Alpha) set graded CGC 8.5 and CGC 9, a Black Lotus from the 1993 Limited Edition (Beta) set graded CGC 9.5 and two Black Lotus cards from the 1993 Unlimited Edition set, each graded CGC 9.5.
Black Lotus is one of the most celebrated Magic: The Gathering cards in existence and has the honor of being the most expensive Magic card. It is one of the Power 9 — a set of nine early MGC cards that gave players such an advantage in play that they were later banned from all formats. Out of those nine cards, Black Lotus is the most sought-after by collectors for its beauty and rarity.
Several Black Lotus cards graded by CGC Trading Cards have come to auction in recent years. Notable results include a Black Lotus Alpha Edition graded CGC 4.5 that realized $52,800 in a Heritage Auctions sale in March 2022, and a Black Lotus Beta Edition graded CGC 7.5 that realized $39,600 in the same sale.
These five Black Lotus cards came to CGC Trading Cards’ grading room just a few months after the team graded a Beta Black Lotus a Pristine 10 — the highest graded Black Lotus in the CGC Trading Cards Population Report. You can read more about it by clicking here.
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