Plenty of collectors still know Ancient Mew from their childhood. That glossy card with strange characters nobody could read remains one of the most mysterious Pokémon cards ever made. What a lot of people do not know: there are six official versions of this card. They look alike, but they differ in foil, copyright year, packaging and even through a well-known printing error.
Below you will find an easy, clear explanation of all the variants.
Why Ancient Mew is so unique
Ancient Mew was made for the Pokémon film that came out in Japan at the same time as the Lugia film. The card is very different from almost every other Pokémon card, because both the front and the back are shiny. That makes the card look great, but it also makes it extra prone to scratches.
That is why high grades (such as PSA 10) are rare, and it is exactly those perfect copies that become worth a lot of money.
The 6 Ancient Mew versions (in order of release)
1. Ancient Mew 1 — original glitter foil (Japan)
This is the very first version. The card came in a small pamphlet and had a glittery foil pattern.
The best-known variant of it is the “Nintedo” misprint, where the N is missing from the copyright.
This is the most sought-after and most valuable version of the original release.
2. Ancient Mew 2 — original cosmos foil (Japan)
This card came out at the same time as the glitter variant, but has a cosmos foil (round, bubble-like shine).
Otherwise it is almost the same. The difference is mainly in the pattern on the front.
3. Ancient Mew 1 corrected — error fixed (Japan)
When the error in the first glitter version was spotted, the copyright line was adjusted.
These cards are exactly the same as the original glitter version, except that “Nintedo” has been replaced by “Nintendo”.
Because the misprint is rarer, this corrected version is less valuable.
4. International release — the version most people had
This is the version a lot of children outside Japan got with the film Pokémon 2000.
The card looks a great deal like the Japanese version, but it has:
- copyright year 2000
- cosmos foil
Single copies in nice condition do not cost that much, but a PSA 10 is expensive, because double foil scratches quickly.
5. Japanese reissue 2019 — the return of glitter foil
In 2019 a remake of the original Pokémon film came out.
Japan then got another Ancient Mew release, again with glitter foil, just like in 1999.
The only clear difference: the copyright year is 2019.
6. Korean release 2020 — the late regional release
Because the film came out later in Korea, a version of its own appeared there in 2020.
The card itself is almost identical to the Japanese 2019 card, but:
- the copyright year is 2020
- the card came in cellophane, not in a pamphlet
Other fun facts
Double foil:
Ancient Mew is one of the two Pokémon cards with a shiny back.
The misprint is king:
The “Nintedo” variant is by far the most sought-after version.
Condition is hugely important:
Because of the double foil these cards damage quickly, which makes perfect copies worth a lot more.
Tips for collectors
If you are buying Ancient Mew cards or want to organise your own collection, look out for:
- the copyright year (1999, 2000, 2019 or 2020)
- the foil pattern (glitter or cosmos)
- whether the card is the well-known Nintedo misprint
- the condition, especially at the edges and the back
- whether the card came in a pamphlet or in cellophane
Packaging can say a lot about where the card came from.
Short overview — all 6 versions in a row
- Ancient Mew 1 — original glitter foil (Japan), including the “Nintedo” misprint
- Ancient Mew 2 — original cosmos foil (Japan)
- Ancient Mew 1 corrected — glitter foil, error fixed
- International release — cosmos foil, copyright 2000
- Japanese reissue 2019 — glitter foil, copyright 2019
- Korean release 2020 — glitter foil, copyright 2020, cellophane
