Moltres · Fossil, what to know.
About the Moltres card
Moltres is card 27 of 62 in Fossil, released in October 1999, a Rare. It is a Basic Fire-type with 70 HP.
As a Basic Pokémon, Moltres needs no prior evolution to put into play, which made it a practical card in the era's decks.
Illustrated by Mitsuhiro Arita. Arita painted the Base Set Charizard and much of the early holo run, and his work has a painterly weight that set the visual tone of the Wizards era.
The Pokédex entry printed on Moltres reads: "Known as the legendary bird of fire. Every flap of its wings creates a dazzling flash of flames."
About Moltres in the Pokémon world
A Legendary Fire-Flying bird. The Fire of the three Legendary birds. Fossil holo Moltres completes the Legendary bird trio. Steady collector demand.
What is Moltres worth?
Moltres is a non-holo Rare. In Fossil, value concentrates in the holo rares, so a Moltres trades modestly, though a clean, well-centered 1st Edition copy in PSA 10 is scarcer than the print run suggests and carries a real premium. Check the live price above for the figure by grade.
Print variants and how to spot them
Fossil shipped in 1st Edition and Unlimited, with no Shadowless print. The Edition 1 stamp under the artwork separates the scarcer 1st Edition Moltres from the Unlimited copy.
Grading and condition
Moltres grades on centering and edges more than surface. The card was played and traded more freely than the holos, so a clean, well-centered Moltres is worth more than collectors assume.
If you are collecting Moltres
For Moltres, check centering by eye, edge whitening on all four sides, and surface under angled light. Non-holo Rares from this era are cheap enough that a PSA 10 submission on a clean Moltres can make sense.
Three prints, three markets.
Edition 1 stamp under the artwork. Trades above Unlimited in matching grade.
No stamp. The standard, more affordable print.
