Magic: The Gathering was created by a mathematician named Richard Garfield in the early 1990s. Players typically compete with a deck of 60 cards, but that deck is made from a much larger catalog of approximately 20,000 unique cards.
Although hundreds of cards are created each year, many MTG cards are very rare. These cards tend to be among the game’s most powerful, but some are expensive simply because they’re hard to find. Magic: The Gathering’s popularity also boosts the price of rare cards. The game is played across the globe and available in more than 10 languages, so it’s no surprise that bidding wars for rare cards end with thousand-dollar price tags.
These are the most expensive MTG cards in the world.
- Arabian Nights – Juzam Djinn
- Arabian Nights – Library of Alexandria
- Arabian Nights – Bazaar of Baghdad
- Antiquities – Mishra’s Workshop
- Alpha – Ancestral Recall
- Alpha – Mox Emerald
- Alpha – Underground Sea
- Alpha – Mox Sapphire
- Alpha – Mox Ruby
- Alpha – Black Lotus
Type: Creature – Djinn
Edition: Arabian Nights
Interesting Fact: Djinn deals one damage at the beginning of your upkeep
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This card’s flavor reads “Expect my visit when the darkness comes. The night I think is best for hiding all.” The card was printed for Arabian Nights and has since become one of the most sought-after MTG cards of all time.
The iconic artwork was created by Mark Tedin and the Juzam’s name comes from the Arabic word for evil. Interestingly, this card’s flavor text was reportedly taken from an 11th-century poem written by Wallada bint al-Mustakfi of Andalusia.
As such a famous and rare card, players are willing to spend close to $2,000 to get their hands on a copy.
Did you know?
This card might not seem very powerful by current MTG standards, but it was one of the most powerful cards when Arabian Nights came out.
Type: Land
Edition: Arabian Nights
Interesting Fact: Library of Alexandria is considered one of the most powerful card-drawing cards in the game
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Another card from Arabian Nights, the Library of Alexandria is a highly powerful card-drawing card. All that power can win you the game, especially if it’s in your opening hand and you’re on the draw since it can be played immediately.
When Arabian Nights was released in 1993, the Library of Alexandria joined the ranks of Magic: The Gathering’s most powerful cards.
Like other powerful MTG cards, the Library of Alexandria is an expensive collector’s item. Although it’s hard to find in stock, MTG card sites regularly list it for more than $2,000.
Did you know?
The Library of Alexandria is an important part of Blue Vintage decks.
Type: Land
Edition: Arabian Nights
Interesting Fact: Bazaar of Baghdad is considered a cornerstone of the Vintage format
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When Arabian Nights was released on December 17, 1993, Magic: The Gathering fans were treated to 78 new cards developed by MTG creator Richard Garfield. The new set included the Bazaar of Baghdad, a land card with artwork by Christopher Moeller.
The Bazaar of Baghdad marks yet another card from Arabian Nights to become a rare and expensive collector’s item. The Bazaar of Baghdad is a little easier to find for sale than other rare MTG cards, but the card easily fetches thousands of dollars — with some sellers asking for more than $3,300 for the uncommon find.
Did you know?
When dealing with the Bazaar of Baghdad, no spells can be cast between discarding and drawing cards.
Type: Land
Edition: Antiquities
Interesting Fact: Mishra’s Workshop is currently banned in Legacy
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Mishra’s Workshop has flavor text that reads, “Though he eventually came to despise Tocasia, Mishra listened well to her lessons on clarity of purpose. Unlike his brother, he focused his mind on a single goal.” The card was released in 1994 with the Antiquities edition, a set of 85 cards. Of those 85, 28 were common, 37 were uncommon, and 20 were rare. Mishra’s Workshop fell under the rare category, instantly making it an expensive card.
Today, Mishra’s Workshop can be found with a price tag of about $4,300 — making it one of the most expensive MTG cards in the world.
Did you know?
Mishra’s Workshop was illustrated by Sam Burley.
Type: Instant
Edition: Alpha
Interesting Fact: Recall is banned in Commander and Legacy and restricted in Vintage
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Prices jump with Ancestral Recall from Alpha edition. The ultra-rare card easily sells for nearly $18,000, but some sellers go further and ask for closer to $50,000.
Ancestral Recall was released in August 1993 with the Alpha edition, the very first set of Magic: The Gathering cards. This groundbreaking release set the stage with 295 cards, including 116 rare cards. Among those rare cards was Ancestral Recall, an instant card that’s extremely powerful.
Although Ancestral Recall was classified as rare when it was released, time has made the card even rarer. Today, the card represents the start of Magic: The Gathering and sits near the top of most collectors’ wish lists.
Did you know?
As you might expect, Alpha’s set symbol was the letter A.
Type: Artifact
Edition: Alpha
Interesting Fact: This card is banned in Legacy and Commander and restricted in Vintage
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The Mox Emerald is another expensive MTG card that comes from the groundbreaking Alpha edition. The rare artifact card allows players to ramp out powerful spells and easily sells for nearly $20,000.
Like all other Mox cards from the Alpha edition, the Mox Emerald was illustrated by Dan Frazier. Interestingly, Dan’s artwork wasn’t influenced by a set storyline. Unlike later editions, Alpha didn’t have a set story. However, things like card names were eventually expanded upon in later editions to create a storyline.
Did you know?
Alpha had five varieties of Mox cards, including Mox Pearl, Mox Sapphire, Mox Jet, Mox Ruby, and Mox Emerald.
Type: Land – Island Swamp
Edition: Alpha
Interesting Fact: The Underground Sea is considered the most sought-after dual land in all of MTG
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The Underground Sea from Alpha is easily one of the rarest and most expensive Magic: The Gathering cards in the entire world. The ultra-rare card has an estimated value of about $24,000, mainly because it’s part of a list of cards that will never be reprinted.
Although $24,000 is enough to make the Underground Sea the fourth most expensive MTG card, some sellers have earned even more for the rare find. According to one report, a near-mint Underground Sea card sold for $36,100 on eBay.
Did you know?
The Underground Sea is known as an original “dual lands” card.
Type: Artifact
Edition: Alpha
Interesting Fact: The Alpha edition had a lot of misprints, but there aren’t reports of misprinted Mox Sapphires
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Number three is yet another card from the Alpha edition. This time it’s the Mox Sapphire, a member of the Mox family with artwork from Dan Frazier. Like other cards in this family, Mox Sapphire is super powerful and super expensive — selling for more than $25,000.
Interestingly, the Alpha edition of MTG had a lot of misprints. One of the most famous misprints is the incorrect spelling of artist Douglas Shuler’s name — which was misspelled as “Schuler.”
Dan Frazier was spared from any misspellings, though, as was the Mox Sapphire card.
Did you know?
Dan Fraizer is probably most famous for his work as an artist for Magic: The Gathering. These days, Dan offers custom card alterations where he repaints MTG cards mailed in by fans.
Type: Artifact
Edition: Alpha
Interesting Fact: Card illustrator Dan Fraizer was a public school art teacher for 20 years
photo source: cardkingdom.com
As the second most expensive Magic: The Gathering card on the market, it’s no surprise that the Mox Ruby is hard to find. The illusive card is worth nearly $30,000 and was classified as rare when originally released in the summer of 1993.
The Mox Ruby is another card illustrated by Dan Fraizer. According to his website, Dan was a public school art teacher for 20 years before transitioning to a full-time career as an illustrator. Before his professional work in the arts, Dan received his BFA at the University of Colorado.
Did you know?
Dan says he signs MTG cards, but he no longer does it for free. Fans have to pay $2.00 per card.
Type: Artifact
Edition: Alpha
Interesting Fact: This card will never be reprinted
photo source: cardkingdom.com
The Black Lotus is the most expensive MTG card.
With an estimated value of $149,999.99, the Black Lotus is by far the most expensive card from Magic: The Gathering. This incredibly powerful card was released alongside the first edition of MTG and categorized as rare. Today, rare is an understatement. Estimates vary, but some say as few as 5,000 Black Lotus cards exist today.
Like other expensive MTG cards, the Black Lotus is extremely powerful. Even if you somehow found one of these rare cards, you’d be restricted from using it in Commander, Legacy, and Vintage.
Did you know?
This card was illustrated by Christopher Rush.
