Ekans is card #46/62 in the 1999 Pokemon Fossil set (Common), the third English Pokemon TCG expansion (Wizards of the Coast, October 1999). It was printed in 1st Edition and Unlimited, plus the scarce Australian 1999-2000 print. PSA has graded about 3,700 copies across its printings.
Print variants & how to tell them apart
1st Edition
The 'Edition 1' stamp — a black circle containing the number 1 — sits just left of the artwork, below the art box. The artwork and drop shadow are identical to Unlimited; the stamp is the only difference. The first, scarcest and most valuable English printing.
Unlimited
No 'Edition 1' stamp. Identical artwork and drop shadow to the 1st Edition card. By far the most common printing. Fossil never had a Shadowless print, so there is no copyright-line tell — only the missing stamp separates Unlimited from 1st Edition.
Shown: the Unlimited scan -- the Australian 1999-2000 print is identical except the (c)1999-2000 date and glossier stock. A true scan is coming.
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
Grader
Total
10
9
8
7
2–6
1
Auth
1st Edition
PSA
3,156
872
1,320
519
230
211
3
1
SGC
36
5
12
12
4
3
0
0
Unlimited
PSA
509
129
156
106
48
66
4
0
SGC
14
1
3
5
1
4
0
0
1999–2000 (Australian 3rd Print)
PSA
35
10
21
4
0
0
0
0
PSA & SGC graded population by printing & grade. PSA Unlimited includes copies graded before PSA flagged the 1st Edition variety; SGC does not separate the 1999-2000 print.
Card details
Type
Grass
Stage
Basic
HP
40
Weakness
Psychic ×2
Retreat
1
Artist
Kagemaru Himeno
Pokedex #
23
Attacks
Spit Poison[Grass]
Flip a coin. If heads, the Defending Pokémon is now Poisoned.
20Wrap[Grass Colorless]
Flip a coin. If heads, the Defending Pokémon is now Paralyzed.
Moves silently and stealthily. Eats the eggs of birds such as Pidgey and Spearow whole.
Market values are live TCGplayer prices for each printing. A dash means TCGplayer has no separate or active listing for that variant (e.g. 1999-2000). As an eBay Partner & affiliate we may earn from qualifying purchases.
Fossil cards come in two English printings: 1st Edition (with the Edition-1 stamp left of the art) and Unlimited (no stamp). Unlike Base Set there is no Shadowless print -- the art and drop shadow are identical, so the stamp is the only tell. The 47 non-holo cards also exist in a scarce Australian 1999-2000 'Red Logo' print (the copyright reads (c)1999-2000 and the stock is glossier).
Frequently asked questions
How many Ekans (Fossil #46/62) cards have been graded?
PSA has graded about 3,700 Ekans from the 1999 Pokemon Fossil set (3,156 1st Edition, 509 Unlimited, 35 1999–2000 (Australian 3rd Print)); SGC has graded about 50.
What is the difference between 1st Edition and Unlimited
1st Edition and Unlimited Ekans are identical except the stamp: 1st Edition carries a black 'Edition 1' stamp to the left of the art box, while Unlimited has none. Fossil has no Shadowless print, so the stamp is the only tell. As a non-holo card, Ekans also exists in the scarce Australian 1999-2000 'Red Logo' print (the copyright reads (c)1999-2000, on glossier stock).
How much is a Ekans worth?
The TCGplayer market price for Ekans is about $0.46 for Unlimited and about $2.1 for 1st Edition.
Sources: card data from the Pokemon TCG API (pokemontcg.io); graded population from PSA & SGC population reports; market prices from TCGplayer; variant scans from the Pokemon TCG API + PriceCharting; set & variant facts cross-checked against Bulbapedia. Compiled & maintained by T206Cards.com. Page last updated 2026-06-30.
