Magazine · Magic
Most expensive MTG card: Black Lotus and every verified record
An Alpha Black Lotus sold for $3 million, and every verified Magic sale above $500,000 is the same card. The records with grade and date, The One Ring, and why Black Lotus stays on top.
The most expensive MTG card is a Black Lotus from Alpha, Magic's first print run in 1993. A copy graded CGC Pristine 10 changed hands for $3 million in April 2024, as the grading company CGC announced. The highest price at a public auction came in September 2026, when an Alpha Lotus in PSA 10 sold at Goldin for $2,208,200. All five verified sales above $500,000 are the same card.
Key facts
- Record: $3 million for an Alpha Black Lotus in CGC Pristine 10, April 2024.
- Top auction: $2,208,200, Alpha Black Lotus PSA 10, Goldin, September 19, 2026.
- Five of five verified sales above $500,000 are Black Lotus.
- The One Ring: one-of-one from 2023, reported at $2 million in a private sale.
- First print run: Alpha came out in 1993 as Magic's very first printing.
- No reprints: Black Lotus is on Wizards of the Coast's Reserved List.
The most expensive Magic cards ever sold
This list only includes verified sales: with an auction house or an announcement by the grading company, a price including buyer's premium and a date. Asking prices and estimates stay out.
| Rank | Card | Grade | Price | Sold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Black Lotus, Alpha 1993 | CGC Pristine 10 | $3,000,000 | private sale, CGC announcement, April 2024 |
| 2 | Black Lotus, Alpha 1993 | PSA 10 | $2,208,200 | Goldin, September 19, 2026 |
| 3 | Black Lotus, Beta artist proof 1993, signed | CGC 8.5 | $615,000 | Heritage, March 24, 2023 |
| 4 | Black Lotus, Alpha 1993, signed sleeve | PSA 10 | $540,000 | PWCC, March 16, 2023 |
| 5 | Black Lotus, Alpha 1993, signed | PSA 10 | $511,100 | PWCC via eBay, January 27, 2021 |
The five most expensive verified sales, all Black Lotus, in US dollars
No. 1: Alpha Black Lotus in CGC Pristine 10
The record belongs to an Alpha Black Lotus graded CGC Pristine 10. According to CGC's announcement of April 29, 2024, it is the only copy with that grade in the company's population report. The seller was Adam Cai of Pristine Collectibles, the price $3 million, and the buyer stayed anonymous. StarCityGames confirmed the amount directly with the seller.
No. 2: the highest public auction for a Magic card
On September 19, 2026, the Summer Goldin 100 closed with an Alpha Lotus in PSA 10 at $2,208,200, StarCityGames reports. It is one of three known PSA 10 copies. Sold in the open, with every bid visible, it is the highest price any Magic card has reached at auction.
No. 3 to 5: an artist proof and signed Lotuses
Third place goes to a special version: a Beta artist proof with a blank back, sent to illustrator Christopher Rush before printing and signed by him. Heritage Auctions sold it on March 24, 2023, for $615,000. Places four and five are two Alpha Lotuses in PSA 10 signed by Christopher Rush, both sold through PWCC: $540,000 in March 2023 and $511,100 in January 2021. Rush, who painted Black Lotus, died in 2016, which makes his signature scarce as well.
A special case: The One Ring at $2 million
The most famous Magic card of recent years is not a Black Lotus but The One Ring from The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth in 2023. Wizards hid exactly one copy numbered 001/001 in Collector Boosters, the first serialized one-of-one card in Magic. Finder Brook Trafton passed it to musician Post Malone in summer 2023. The $2 million price came from a representative of Trafton speaking to Polygon; buyer and platform never confirmed it, which is why the card appears here rather than in the table.
How a record price comes together
A record price is rarely a single bid. Major auction houses add a buyer's premium on top of the hammer price; at PWCC it was 20 percent for the March 2023 sale. Every price in this article includes it, as the houses report them. Many auctions end with extended bidding: a late bid adds time until nobody raises again. And some records happen without an auction at all, in a private sale. Then it matters who confirms the price: a grading company that graded the card itself, or buyer and seller together. A figure named by only one side is a report, not yet proof.
Check an expensive card before you buy
The higher the price, the more proof matters. Every slab from PSA, Beckett and CGC carries a certification number you can look up in the grader's database, and the PSA app reads the label with your phone camera. If card, grade and number match the record, the slab is what it claims to be. For raw cards, a loupe, raking light and a trained eye on print pattern and edges do the work, and our card database shows how every English Pokémon card should look, with its number, rarity and illustrator.
Why Black Lotus is the most expensive MTG card
- First printing. Alpha was Magic's first print run in 1993. The copies left in top condition can be counted on one hand.
- No reprints. Black Lotus is on the Reserved List of cards Wizards of the Coast does not reprint, so supply never grows.
- Game history. The card adds three mana for a single turn and has been seen as the strongest card in the game since 1993. It is the emblem of the Power Nine, the nine most powerful cards of the first printing.
- Grade. Millions separate CGC Pristine 10 and PSA 10 from a Lotus in a middling grade. For old cards, the grade is most of the price.
Upcoming Magic sets
Magic now releases several sets a year, including Universes Beyond with worlds like The Lord of the Rings. Next up is Star Trek on November 13, 2026, covered in our MTG Star Trek preview. More previews and record sales for every card game are in our magazine.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most expensive MTG card?
An Alpha Black Lotus (1993) graded CGC Pristine 10, sold privately for $3 million in April 2024. The highest public auction was an Alpha Lotus in PSA 10 at $2,208,200 at Goldin on September 19, 2026.
How much did The One Ring sell for?
The one-of-one 001/001 from the 2023 Lord of the Rings set went to Post Malone in summer 2023. A representative of the finder named $2 million; buyer and platform did not confirm it.
Why is Black Lotus so expensive?
It comes from Magic's first printing in 1993, sits on the Reserved List and will never be reprinted, and is seen as the strongest card in the game. Only a handful of copies exist in top grades.
Will Black Lotus be reprinted?
No. Black Lotus is on the Reserved List, and Wizards of the Coast does not reprint those cards.