Slowpoke is card #55/62 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 5,052 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
4,207
1,014
1,825
801
276
255
35
1
SGC
46
9
19
11
3
4
0
0
Unlimited
PSA
820
197
276
178
76
89
4
0
SGC
17
0
4
5
4
4
0
0
1999–2000 (Australian 3rd Print)
PSA
25
9
16
0
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
Psychic
Stage
Basic
HP
50
Weakness
Psychic ×2
Retreat
1
Artist
Miki Tanaka
Pokedex #
79
Attacks
Spacing Out[Colorless]
Flip a coin. If heads, remove a damage counter from Slowpoke. This attack can't be used if Slowpoke has no damage counters on it.
Scavenge[Psychic Psychic]
Discard 1 Psychic Energy card attached to Slowpoke in order to use this attack. Put a Trainer card from your discard pile into your hand.
Incredibly slow and dopey. It takes 5 seconds for it to feel pain when under attack.
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.
Documented misprint: the illustrator credit reads 'Illus. Miki Takano' instead of the correct 'Miki Tanaka' -- on every Fossil print (corrected on the 2016 Generations reprint).
About the print variants
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 Slowpoke (Fossil #55/62) cards have been graded?
PSA has graded about 5,052 Slowpoke from the 1999 Pokemon Fossil set (4,207 1st Edition, 820 Unlimited, 25 1999–2000 (Australian 3rd Print)); SGC has graded about 63.
What is the difference between 1st Edition and Unlimited
1st Edition and Unlimited Slowpoke 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, Slowpoke also exists in the scarce Australian 1999-2000 'Red Logo' print (the copyright reads (c)1999-2000, on glossier stock).
How much is a Slowpoke worth?
The TCGplayer market price for Slowpoke is about $0.87 for Unlimited and about $7.02 for 1st Edition.
Does Slowpoke have a known error or variation?
Documented misprint: the illustrator credit reads 'Illus. Miki Takano' instead of the correct 'Miki Tanaka' -- on every Fossil print (corrected on the 2016 Generations reprint).
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.
