An incredibly rare Pokemon card has set a new record for the most expensive English card ever sold, with a pristine graded copy of the Gold Star Rayquaza selling for over $1 million. The stunning Pokemon card is one of the most highly sought-after in the game’s history.
The storied history of the monster-catching franchise’s TCG branch has produced a wealth of valuable and coveted cards. The first Charizard card, released in Pokemon‘s Base Set, stands as one of the most iconic cards from the Pokemon TCG, with high-quality copies of the card selling for thousands of dollars on the secondary market. Recent sets have similarly produced a multitude of valuable cards for fans to chase, with some, like the alternate art version of Umbreon ex from Evolving Skies and the Special Illustration Rare Pikachu ex from Ascended Heroes, fetching more than $1,000. Now, an extremely rare card has become the most expensive English Pokemon card ever.
Extremely Rare Rayquaza Card Sells at Auction
Fanatics Collect’s August Premier Auction officially saw a new record set for the most expensive English card in Pokemon history. One of the auctions included in the event featured a graded slab of the Gold Star Rayquaza card originally released in EX Deoxys. The incredibly rare Pokemon card sold for an eye-watering $1,020,000, more than $65,000 higher than the previous record holder. The card was given a Pristine 10 rating by prominent grading company CGC, making it the only copy of the card to ever receive a perfect score from the company.
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Image via The Pokemon Company -
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Image via The Pokemon Company
The astounding price tag for the Gold Star Rayquaza is owed to a number of factors increasing its value. Gold Star cards were incredibly difficult to pull after the Pokemon TCG first introduced the rarity in the EX Team Rocket Returns expansion, with the cards only appearing roughly once in every two booster boxes. CGC also confirmed that EX Deoxys was notorious for damage on its cards during production, with many suffering edge wear before even being inserted into booster packs. The company shared that only 12 other copies submitted had received the Gem Mint 10 rating, with the auctioned copy being the only to ever receive the black label Pristine 10.
The Gold Star Rayquaza breaks a record previously set by one of the most notable content creators in the Pokemon scene. The record was previously held by a PSA 10 1st Edition Charizard card from Pokemon TCG‘s Base Set pulled by Logan Paul and Ken Goldin in 2021, and later sold for $954,800 in early 2026. Logan Paul also holds the record for the most expensive Pokemon card in any language, with a PSA 10 copy of the Illustrator Pikachu promo card being sold for more than $16 million as the most expensive trading card ever sold.
Pokemon fans have even more exciting new cards to look forward to throughout the rest of 2026. September will see the launch of the highly-anticipated 30th Celebration expansion, honoring the 30th anniversary of the franchise with a new rarity and reprints of iconic Pokemon cards. The Pokemon TCG has also confirmed the final main set planned for 2026, with Delta Reign putting Mega Rayquaza ex in the spotlight when the set releases on November 6. The Pokemon TCG‘s recent boom shows no signs of slowing down, with plenty on the way from the beloved trading card game.