How to Read a Pokémon Card's Set Number, Set Code and Symbols

Many popular cards have been printed dozens of times, often with the same name and sometimes with the same artwork. What makes each printing unique is a set of small identifiers printed near the bottom of the card. They're how card databases, price guides and our scanner tell one printing from another, and they're the first thing to check when you want to know what a card is worth.

The collector number

Most cards show a number like 25/102 or 199/165. The first number is the card's position in the set; the second is the set's printed total. A few rules make these numbers more useful:

• Number above the total (199/165) means a secret rare, outside the main set list. See rarity explained.
• Prefixes mark sub-sets with their own numbering, such as TG05/TG30 for Trainer Gallery or GG01/GG70 for Galarian Gallery cards.
• Promos use a promo code instead of a set fraction, such as SWSH050, or a Scarlet & Violet promo number with an SVP code.
• Some early cards have no number at all, such as certain early promos.

Where to find it, by era

Exact placement varies a little between sets, and some special cards differ, but this table will get you to the right corner on almost any English card.

The set symbol and the set code

The set symbol is a small icon unique to each expansion. It's how you tell which set an older card came from. Scarlet & Violet era cards also print a short set code — three letters such as PAL or MEW — next to the number, often followed by a language code such as EN. The set code is the easiest identifier to type into a search, and it's one of the details our scanner reads from your photo. You can browse every set with its symbol and code on the sets page.

The regulation mark

Since Sword & Shield, cards show a single letter in a small box — a regulation mark — near the bottom left. It tells players which cards are legal in the Standard tournament format. It's not part of the card's identity for collecting, and it doesn't affect value directly, but it helps narrow down roughly when a card was printed.

Example (Scarlet & Violet era, bottom left):

  [G]  MEW EN  199/165  ★★
   |    |   |    |   |   |
   |    |   |    |   |   rarity symbol
   |    |   |    |   set's printed total
   |    |   |    collector number (above total = secret rare)
   |    |   language code
   |    set code
   regulation mark

Reading tips

• Use your phone camera zoom or a magnifier — the print is tiny, especially on foil cards where glare hides it.
• Tilt foil cards away from direct light to cut the glare.
• Write the number exactly as printed, including leading zeros (025/198) and letter prefixes (TG05).
• If two cards share a name and number, the set symbol or set code decides which one you have.

Why it matters for value

The same character can appear as a common in one set, a holo rare in another and a secret rare in a third, with values that differ enormously. Pricing a card by its name alone is the most common mistake collectors make. Once you have the set and number, you can look up the exact card and its variants — see how to check a card's value for the full process — and record it accurately in a collection spreadsheet.