How many cards were printed in Alpha MTG?

The Alpha set of Magic: The Gathering (MTG), which was the first print run of Limited Edition, contains a total of 295 black-bordered cards, including 116 rare cards, 95 uncommon cards, 74 common cards, and 10 basic land cards. These cards were initially printed and released on August 5, 1993, marking the beginning of the MTG franchise, with an estimated 2,000 booster boxes printed, although the exact number of individual cards printed is not publicly available, it’s known that between the five initial sets, approximately 429 million individual cards were printed.

Introduction to Alpha MTG

Overview of Alpha MTG

Alpha MTG is the first set of Magic: The Gathering, released in 1993. It contains 295 black-bordered cards, including rare, uncommon, common, and basic land cards. The set was printed in a limited quantity, making some of its cards highly valuable and sought after by collectors.

Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

1. How many cards were in the MTG Alpha set? The MTG Alpha set contains 295 black-bordered cards.
2. How many Alpha Black Lotuses were printed? The Alpha version of Black Lotus is the rarest and most sought-after, with an estimated 1,100 ever printed.
3. How many Magic cards have been printed in total? Between the five initial sets, approximately 429 million individual cards were printed.
4. How many cards were in Beta MTG? Limited Edition Beta, commonly known as Beta, contains 302 black-bordered cards.
5. Why is there no Volcanic Island in Alpha? The cards Circle of Protection: Black and Volcanic Island were omitted from the Alpha print run as the art was not completed in time.

Cards and Printing

6. How many Black Lotus exist? The Alpha version of Black Lotus is the rarest and most sought-after, with an estimated 1,100 ever printed, followed by the Beta version, with 3,300 ever printed.
7. How many Black Lotus Magic cards were printed? Only about 1,100 Black Lotus cards were ever printed in the Alpha set.
8. How many MTG Unlimited cards were printed? The print run of Unlimited is estimated to be 35 million.

History and Value

9. What is the oldest magic card? Limited Edition Alpha, commonly known as Alpha, is the first print run of Limited Edition, released on August 5, 1993.
10. Are the Power 9 banned? The MTG Power 9 is so strong that most of the cards are only legal in the ultra high powered Vintage format.
11. How rare is Alpha Black Lotus? The Alpha version of Black Lotus is the rarest and most sought-after, with an estimated 1,100 ever printed.

Collecting and Sales

12. How many Alpha booster boxes were printed? 29,000 Alpha Booster Boxes were printed, each containing 39 Alpha Packs and 1 Alpha Box Topper.
13. Why are MTG Alpha cards so expensive? The main reason is to retain the value of those cards on the secondary market, as they are rare and powerful.
14. How much is a full set of Alpha MTG? A full set of Alpha MTG can cost around $2.5 million, making it a highly valuable collection.
15. What cards are missing from Alpha MTG? The cards Circle of Protection: Black and Volcanic Island were omitted from the Alpha print run as the art was not completed in time.