Real vs Fake: How to Authenticate Metal Pokémon Cards

Real vs Replica

2025-11-03 10:45

Metal Pokémon cards have gained a lot of attention among collectors — partly due to their striking look, and partly because of the confusion surrounding their authenticity. While The Pokémon Company has only released a few official metal cards, replicas and novelty versions are everywhere online. Here’s how to tell which ones are genuine and which are just shiny fakes.

A Look Back: The 1999 Burger King Gold Cards

In 1999, Burger King launched a special promotion with six gold-plated Pokémon cards included in the Kids’ Mighty Meal. Each came inside a Poké Ball and showcased one of these characters:

1. Charizard

2. Pikachu

3. Mewtwo

4. Jigglypuff

5. Poliwhirl

6. Togepi

Though made of real metal, these were collectible toys rather than playable cards. They were thicker, smaller, and featured short descriptions of each Pokémon. Today, most can still be found online for about $20, with Charizard being the priciest.

How to Identify Authentic Metal Pokémon Cards

1. Color

Authentic: Energy symbols are filled with colors.

Replica: Entirely gold-plated with no color fill.

2. Card Back

Authentic: Only the “Pokémon” logo is metallic gold, while the rest of the back has a matte surface similar to paper cards.

Replica: The entire back is gold or chrome.

3. Texture

Authentic: Features proper embossed textures that match the official card art — every line and detail aligns with the printed version.

Replica: Has a flat, metal-like surface; only the Pokémon character is painted or highlighted, while the rest of the design is missing texture.

Quick Metal Pokémon Cards Authentication Checklist

✅ Energy symbols show proper color fill

✅ Only the “Pokémon” logo on the back is metallic

✅ Embossed texture matches official artwork

❌ Fully gold or chrome backs

❌ Flat surface with painted details only

Get Your Pokémon Cards Professionally Authenticated

If you’ve come across a shiny metal Pokémon card and aren’t sure if it’s the real deal, don’t take chances—counterfeits are everywhere, and some are incredibly convincing. LegitApp combines AI image analysis with expert human review to give you a precise authentication result in minutes. Whether it’s a Burger King gold-plated edition, a custom fan-made card, or a limited release from The Pokémon Company, our authenticators can help you verify authenticity with confidence.

Use LegitApp today to get your Pokémon cards authenticated anytime, anywhere.