Wizards Black Star Promos: How to Identify Cards From This Set

• This is a collection of promo cards released during the Wizards of the Coast licensing period, not a regular retail set
• Instead of a regular set symbol, promo cards carry a black star with the word 'PROMO' on it in that position — the most direct identifying feature of this set

This set stopped being issued once Wizards of the Coast lost the license, with 53 numbered promo cards released in total; the later Nintendo/Pokémon USA era continued the black-star-plus-'PROMO' design language, but with a different numbering system and copyright year. No verbatim source describing how to specifically distinguish them was found, so they are not listed under commonly_confused_with.

• Bottom-left or bottom-right corner: the set symbol and the collector number (e.g. 4/102) tell you the set; older cards have no symbol at all, which itself narrows them to Base Set.
• Left of the number: a 1st Edition stamp, if present, sits below the art on WOTC-era cards.
• Regulation mark (a letter in a box near the bottom, D through H so far) dates modern cards to a two-year window.
• Back of the card: the blue Poké Ball back has changed little since 1999; a washed-out, blurry or wrongly colored back is the first sign of a fake.

Lay the card flat on a dark surface in daylight, straight on, with the whole card in frame, then a close-up of the bottom edge where the set symbol, number and any edition stamp sit. Tilt holo cards under the light for a second shot to show the foil pattern. Photograph the back too. The app reads the card and set; the edition and rarity checks above tell you which version you have.