Shellder is card #54/62 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 3,748 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
3,202
921
1,475
513
148
141
3
1
SGC
36
5
14
13
1
3
0
0
Unlimited
PSA
519
142
183
121
35
38
0
0
SGC
12
2
5
5
0
0
0
0
1999–2000 (Australian 3rd Print)
PSA
27
10
13
3
0
1
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
Water
Stage
Basic
HP
30
Weakness
Lightning ×2
Retreat
1
Artist
Mitsuhiro Arita
Pokedex #
90
Attacks
Supersonic[Water]
Flip a coin. If heads, the Defending Pokémon is now Confused.
Hide in Shell[Water]
Flip a coin. If heads, prevent all damage done to Shellder during your opponent's next turn. (Any other effects of attacks still happen.)
Its hard shell repels any kind of attack. It is vulnerable only when its shell is open.
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 Shellder (Fossil #54/62) cards have been graded?
PSA has graded about 3,748 Shellder from the 1999 Pokemon Fossil set (3,202 1st Edition, 519 Unlimited, 27 1999–2000 (Australian 3rd Print)); SGC has graded about 48.
What is the difference between 1st Edition and Unlimited
1st Edition and Unlimited Shellder 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, Shellder also exists in the scarce Australian 1999-2000 'Red Logo' print (the copyright reads (c)1999-2000, on glossier stock).
How much is a Shellder worth?
The TCGplayer market price for Shellder is about $0.5 for Unlimited and about $1.85 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 and variant facts from Bulbapedia. Compiled & maintained by T206Cards.com. Page last updated 2026-08-31.
