Identifying what set a Magic the Gathering card comes from can be tricky, whether you have been playing Magic the Gathering for a number of years, or just started learning the game. Identifying some cards is quite easier, but with some of the older cards in particular, this can be tricky.

Identification

There are three different types of identification necessary to be able identify all MTG cards:

1. Cards with Set Markers

This group is applicable for the majority of Magic the Gathering cards in circulation today, it includes all Expansion Sets, and Core Sets from 6th Edition onwards.

If you look at the bar between the card art and the text box, on the right hand side, you will see a small set icon. Each set has its own unique shaped icon. There is a handy set reference on my website detailed in the reference box below; it details all the set icons and how you can recognise them.

The set icons can also come in varying colours; these colours represent the rarity of the card. A plain black icon represents a common card, a silver icon represents and uncommon card, a gold icon represents a rare card, and a purple is a mythic rare (or Timeshifted card for Timespiral cards only). This colour does not change the set the card originates from, simply its rarity within that MTG set.

2. Cards without Set Markers

There are a few older sets that were printed without a set icon. Those MTG sets are:

- Limited Edition Alpha - Limited Edition Beta - Unlimited - Revised Edition - Fourth Edition - Fifth Edition

Fourth and Fifth Edition cards can be easily identified. Both sets have the date they were printed in the bottom left hand corner of the card. 1995 for Fourth Edition, 1997 for Fifth Edition.

The next differentiator is the border colour of the card; Unlimited and Revised cards have white bordered cards, Alpha and Beta Edition cards have black bordered cards.

To be able to tell the difference between Limited Edition Alpha and Beta cards, you need to look at the shape of the card. Alpha cards have very rounded edges, which are different to all other Magic the Gathering cards. Comparing a suspected Alpha card to any other newer card will highlight the difference. If there is no difference, then you have a Beta Edition card.

To tell the difference between Unlimited and Revised cards you need to look closely at the print of the card. Unlimited cards tend to look slightly blurry, whereas Revised cards tend to look more "washed out" - this difference is due to the different print runs used for the two sets.

3. Promotional Textless Cards and Reward Cards

Textless cards and DCI reward cards are the final classification of card that we need to discuss.

Textless cards are promotional cards given out to Magic the Gathering players who have gone to a number of tournaments sanctioned by Wizards of the Coast. As the name suggests, they have no text block and an expanded art area that covers most of the card's surface. As such, these cards belong to no set at all and have no set marker. If you wish to play with these cards, they count as being from any set that already has a version of that card in it.

FNM and DCI foils are premium promotional versions of these cards; they have a DCI icon as a set marker in the normal set marker place. They can also be played as if they were in any set that has a version of that card, as per textless cards.

Summary

So now you know what set your MTG cards come from. This is essential for realising the true potential in your Magic the Gathering card collection, and especially so if you want to make some cash from any spare Magic the Gathering cards you may have.