ALAKAZAM’S ARCHIVES The "d" Edition Anomaly – The Jungle Butterfree Error

ALAKAZAM’S ARCHIVES The "d" Edition Anomaly – The Jungle Butterfree Error

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Alakazam’s Archives

The "d" Edition Anomaly – The Jungle Butterfree Error

Welcome back to Alakazam’s Archives, your premier hub for deep-cut Pokémon TCG lore, manufacturing mishaps, and vintage card history! Today, we are grabbing our loupes and heading back to 1999 to examine a bizarre stamp misprint from the historic Jungle expansion: the "d" Edition Butterfree (#33/64).

If you look closely at the prestigious 1st Edition stamp on certain copies of this card, you might notice that the "1" has mysteriously transformed into a lowercase "d".

A close-up of the Jungle Butterfree featuring the famous d Edition error stamp.

A macro view of the misprinted 1st Edition stamp where a printing hickey formed a lowercase "d".

The "d" Edition Stamp: An accidental ink block turns a "1" into a "d".
The famous 'd' Edition Butterfree error, AI generated
The famous 'd' Edition Butterfree error. Source: PSA

What Is the "d" Edition Error and How Did It Happen?

When Wizards of the Coast (WotC) printed the 1st Edition run of the Jungle set, the iconic "1st Edition" badge was stamped onto the cards. So, how did a standard "1" become a "d"?

  • The Printer's Hickey: In professional printing terminology, this specific misprint is known as a "hickey"—which is caused by a piece of dust or debris sticking to the printing blanket.
  • Blocked Ink Transfer: This speck of dust physically prevents the black ink from properly transferring to the card stock beneath it.
  • The Ink Splot: This phenomenon creates an error in which an ink splot is accidentally placed over the 1st Edition symbol. Because of where the un-inked spot occurred, it accidentally reshaped the digit to look exactly like a lowercase "d".

Because this error was caused by a physical obstruction on the press, it was repeated consistently on the uncut sheets as they passed through the machine!

A standard 1st Edition stamp for comparison, AI generated A standard 1st Edition stamp for comparison. Source: TCGplayer

 


Slabbed & Certified: Major grading companies fully recognize this vintage printing error.

The Collector's Angle: Rarity, Recognition, and Value

Since there are seven Butterfrees on a standard Jungle Uncommon sheet, and the error was located on one of those seven specific positions, it is estimated that roughly 14.3% (or 1 in 7) of all English 1st Edition Jungle Butterfrees carry this stamp error.

Here is how the "d" Edition Butterfree performs in the modern vintage market:

  • Market Value: While played raw copies can be found trading for roughly $20 to $40, pristine high-grade copies command significant premiums. A perfect PSA 10 graded copy has been recorded fetching upward of $1,100 at auction.
  • Official Recognition: Major third-party grading companies like PSA officially recognize this specific misprint, distinctly labeling it as a "d" Edition Error on their encapsulation labels.

Keep Your Eyes Peeled, Trainers!

Next time you are flipping through a stack of vintage 1st Edition Jungle cards, take a very close look at those black stamps. If that Butterfree has a "d" instead of a "1", you've snagged a very cool piece of printing press history—happy hunting!

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