Coin (TCG)
Coins (Japanese: ポケモンコイン Pokémon Coin), also officially recognized as metallic coins, are one of two types of randomizers that players can use during a Pokémon TCG match. They are obtainable via official Pokémon Trading Card Game merchandise as well as official tournaments and events.
Information
Design
The majority of coins released for the Pokémon Trading Card Game are made of plastic with a metallic Pokémon design on the front, which can be of anything from Pokémon, game characters, and TCG-specific symbols to designs commemorating specific events. Although the majority of coins are made with the current standard of a plastic backing, throughout the history of the Pokémon Trading Card Game, coins made of cardboard and coins made of metal have also been released. Coins come in an assortment of sizes, and the metallic designs on the front also feature a variety of different holofoil patterns and colors.
With the English Next Destinies expansion in February 2012, The Pokémon Company International began producing colored backs alternate to the standard black. Japan has remained with the standard black, only having ever deviated from the black back for one coin during the VS Era in 2001 and one coin for the Pokémon 25th Anniversary in 2021. Up until the release of the English Plasma Freeze expansion in May 2013, all standard coins were of the same size. However, in order to remove the not for children under 3 warning from their products, The Pokémon Company International began producing coins of a larger size. Japan, however, continued producing the coins at their standard size. The Pokémon Company International again increased to a jumbo size in June 2020 for the Battle Academy and now releases both the large size and jumbo size coins in tandem.
During Generation I and Generation II, Wizards of the Coast produced cardboard and metal coins for the English release of the TCG, while Japan produced coins out of plastic. From Generation III-onwards, the vast majority of coins in all territories are made out of plastic, with other materials only used for commemorative merchandise and events.
Japanese metallic coins have featured 6 different backing designs since their introduction in October 1996. The most frequent design started in the English EX Series and the Japanese ADV Era and features a Poké Ball design and the Pokémon logo. This design has continued to this day with only minor copyright changes. When Wizards of the Coast lost the license for the card game for EX Ruby & Sapphire onwards, coins released for English audiences were imported from Japan and distributed in English products. This remained true until August 2010 and the release of the Undaunted expansion. All coins for international audiences after this month are produced by The Pokémon Company International, however, leftover stock of the standard sized Japanese coins were still included in TCG merchandise up until April 2014, when the stock was exhausted. English coins started featuring the ™ trademark distinction on the back in August 2010, while Japanese coins maintained the ® (Registered) trademark symbol until Generation VIII in November 2019 when they also switched over to the™ trademark.
Japanese back designs
| Design | Description | Timeframe |
|---|---|---|
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任天堂/C/G/M | October 1996-July 1998 |
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任天堂/C/G | July 1998-July 1999 |
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Pokémon Card Game NEO | February 2000-July 2000 |
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Pokémon Card Game | April 2001-July 2022 |
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Poké Ball + ® Trademark | January 2003-May 2019 |
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Poké Ball + ™ Trademark | August 2019-Current |
English back designs
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Gameplay
Coin flips are an integral part of the design of a vast number of cards released in the TCG and are used in a variety of ways. The result of a coin flip can determine whether an effect of a card even happens: a heads after playing Pokémon Catcher or after using Neo Revelation Shining Gyarados's Outrage attack allows the effect to happen. Coin flips can result in an additional positive effect on a successful heads, or an additional negative effect on a tails. XY Spewpa's Stun Spore inflicts a Special Condition on the opponent's Active Pokémon on a success, while Platinum Vigoroth's Reckless Charge attack inflicts damage to itself on a failure. The occasional card will result in a positive effect for both a heads or a tails on a coin flip: Call of Legends Tangrowth's Plow Over attack will either Paralyze the opponent or send one of their attached Energy cards to the Lost Zone depending on the result of the flip. Cubone from Triumphant has the Bone Rush attack that calls for flipping a coin until the flip is a failure, doing damage dependent on the amount of heads achieved.
Much less frequently will cards manipulate coin flips in more significant ways. Legendary Treasures Victini has the Victory Star Ability that allows players to re-flip coins once per attack if they are unsatisfied with the result. Additionally, Shiftry in the Rising Rivals expansion has a Poké-Body that forces an opponent's coin flips to be treated as tails as long as Shiftry is in the Active Position. These effects are considered much more powerful than the more common coin flip based effects seen more often, and are printed very seldom.
In place of coins, players can choose to use the second type of approved randomizer: dice. When dice are used, it's generally considered for even numbers to mean "heads" and odd numbers to mean "tails".
Rules of play
Play! Pokémon details several rules on coins and coin flips during TCG matches:
- Any coin released with any Pokémon TCG product from EX Ruby & Sapphire on should be considered fair and impartial.
- When flipped, a coin should be held at shoulder height, and fully rotate at least three times before landing on the table.
- Coins should land as flat on the table as possible. If both players cannot agree on the result of the flip, a judge may be called to determine whether the result is conclusive or if the coin must be flipped again.
- Coin flips that land outside the playing area (off of the table or in another game's playing area) are considered invalid and must be flipped again.
- Once players have agreed on the result of a coin flip, it cannot be redone.
- Once a judge has ruled that a result is conclusive, it cannot be redone.
Coins made out of materials other than plastic or metal are typically not recognized as standard randomizers for TCG matches and must be approved by both players. Additionally, the head judge of the tournament has the right to disallow any randomizer if there is reason to believe that the randomizer is unsuitable.
Popularity
Coins have fallen out of favor among the Pokémon player base, who have gradually started to prefer the second officially recognized randomizer, dice, instead, for their utility and convenience, causing coins to be used progressively less as a tool for determining outcomes during a TCG match. With the frequency they are released, their occasional limited availability, and their exclusivity to certain countries such as Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, and South Korea, coins are quickly being treated more as a collectible.
List of coins
The following is a list of coins released throughout the history of the Pokémon Trading Card Game in chronological order split by Generation. For the coins listed by National Pokédex number, refer here: metallic coins, metal coins, and cardboard coins.
Generations I-IV
- Main article: Coin (TCG)/Generations I-IV
Generations V-VI
- Main article: Coin (TCG)/Generations V-VI
Generations VII-VIII
- Main article: Coin (TCG)/Generations VII-VIII
Generation IX
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Release date | January 20, 2023 | |
| Region | Japan | ||
| Release | ex Starter Set Sprigatito & Lucario ex | ||
| Description: Regular-sized, Green Speckle Holofoil, Black-backed Coin featuring Sprigatito released within the ex Starter Set Sprigatito & Lucario ex January 20, 2023 | |||
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Release date | January 20, 2023 | |
| Region | Japan | ||
| Release | ex Starter Set Fuecoco & Ampharos ex | ||
| Description: Regular-sized, Red Speckle Holofoil, Black-backed Coin featuring Fuecoco released within the ex Starter Set Fuecoco & Ampharos ex January 20, 2023 | |||
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Release date | January 20, 2023 | |
| Region | Japan | ||
| Release | ex Starter Set Quaxly & Mimikyu ex | ||
| Description: Regular-sized, Blue Speckle Holofoil, Black-backed Coin featuring Quaxly released within the ex Starter Set Quaxly & Mimikyu ex January 20, 2023 | |||
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Release date | January 20, 2023 | |
| Region | Japan | ||
| Release | Premium Trainer Box ex | ||
| Description: Regular-sized, Aqua Non Holofoil, Black-backed Coin featuring the Pokémon-ex symbol released within the Premium Trainer Box ex January 20, 2023 | |||
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Release date | January 20, 2023 | |
| Region | Japan | ||
| Release | Energy Card Set | ||
| Description: Regular-sized, Silver Brick Holofoil, Black-backed Coin featuring a Poké Ball design released within the Energy Card Set January 20, 2023 | |||
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Release date | January 20, 2023 | |
| Region | Japan | ||
| Release | First Entry Campaign | ||
| Description: Regular-sized, Silver Speckle Holofoil, Black-backed Coin featuring a Poké Ball design released as a prize during the First Entry Campaign. Between January 20 and March 31, 2023, participating Pokémon Card Gym venues held a stamp rally that incorporated Gym Battle, New Battle, Deck As Is Battle, and Extra Battle Day events. People that participated in any of these events for the first time during the campaign were given a stamp card and could then earn stamps by participating in more events. Those that earned at least one stamp were awarded this coin.[1] | |||
| File:FEC Gold fuecoco Coin.png | Release date | March 31, 2023 | |
| Region | North America | ||
| Release | First Entry CampaigF | ||
| Description: Jumbo-sized, Gold Mirror Holofoil, Black-backed Coin featuring a Fuecoco design released as an inclusion in the Scarlet and violet single pack blisters. On march 31, 2023, retail release. | |||
In the video games
Pokémon Card GB2: Here Comes Team GR!
- Main article: Event Coin
An Event Coin (Japanese: イベントコイン) is any of the collectible coins used in Trading Card Game duels in Pokémon Card GB2: Here Comes Team GR!.
e-Reader
Coins, specifically of the Chansey design, have been featured in two e-Reader applications, Coin Flipper 1 and Coin Flipper 2, both of which are, as their names suggest, coin tosses. This data is featured on the Chansey, and the application is similar to the Pokétch application Coin Toss.
Pokémon Trading Card Game Online
As the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online is based on the physical Pokémon Trading Card Game, the game utilizes coins in the same way. However, it also features commemorative coins that aren't physically available. For example, in the code card package received by participants of the 2014 World Championships, a commemorative coin was included. Each Theme Deck code card also includes the deck's coin, and older retired coins are being progressively made available by using the game's Prize Wheel.
List of exclusive coins awarded on TCGO
Image Name Description 
Grass Reward Coin Green Non Holofoil, Black-backed Coin featuring 
symbols. Awarded to the player when reaching Grass Energy Level 1
Fire Reward Coin Red Non Holofoil, Black-backed Coin featuring 
symbols. Awarded to the player when reaching Fire Energy Level 1
Water Reward Coin Blue Non Holofoil, Black-backed Coin featuring 
symbols. Awarded to the player when reaching Water Energy Level 1
Lightning Reward Coin Yellow Non Holofoil, Black-backed Coin featuring 
symbols. Awarded to the player when reaching Lightning Energy Level 1
Psychic Reward Coin Purple Non Holofoil, Black-backed Coin featuring 
symbols. Awarded to the player when reaching Psychic Energy Level 1
Fighting Reward Coin Brown Non Holofoil, Black-backed Coin featuring 
symbols. Awarded to the player when reaching Fighting Energy Level 1
Darkness Reward Coin Dark Blue Non Holofoil, Black-backed Coin featuring 
symbols. Awarded to the player when reaching Darkness Energy Level 1
Metal Reward Coin Silver Non Holofoil, Black-backed Coin featuring 
symbols. Awarded to the player when reaching Metal Energy Level 1
Dragon Reward Coin Green Non Holofoil, Black-backed Coin featuring 
symbols. Awarded to the player when reaching Dragon Energy Level 1
Fairy Reward Coin Gold Non Holofoil, Black-backed Coin featuring 
symbols. Awarded to the player when reaching Fairy Energy Level 1
Red Worlds 2013 Pikachu Coin Red Non Holofoil, Black-backed Coin featuring Pikachu. Code card package received by participants of the 2013 World Championships 
Blue Worlds 2014 Pikachu Coin Blue Non Holofoil, Black-backed Coin featuring Pikachu. Code card package received by participants of the 2014 World Championships 
Red Worlds 2014 Pikachu Coin Red Non Holofoil, Black-backed Coin featuring Pikachu. Code card package received by participants of the 2014 World Championships 
Red Worlds 2015 Pikachu Coin Red Non Holofoil, Black-backed Coin featuring Pikachu. Code card package received by participants of the 2015 World Championships 
Silver Worlds 2015 Pikachu Coin Silver Non Holofoil, Black-backed Coin featuring Pikachu. Code card package received by participants of the 2015 World Championships 
Blue Worlds 2016 Pikachu Coin Silver Non Holofoil, Black-backed Coin featuring Pikachu. Code card package received by participants of the 2016 World Championships. Stated as Blue in TCGO. 
Copper Worlds 2016 Pikachu Coin Copper Non Holofoil, Black-backed Coin featuring Pikachu. Code card package received by participants of the 2016 World Championships 
Gold Worlds 2017 Pikachu Coin Gold Non Holofoil, Black-backed Coin featuring Pikachu. Code card package received by participants of the 2017 World Championships 
Silver Worlds 2017 Pikachu Coin Silver Non Holofoil, Black-backed Coin featuring Pikachu. Code card package received by participants of the 2017 World Championships 
Gold Worlds 2018 Pikachu Coin Gold Non Holofoil, Black-backed Coin featuring Pikachu. Code card package received by participants of the 2018 World Championships 
Silver Worlds 2018 Pikachu Coin Silver Non Holofoil, Black-backed Coin featuring Pikachu. Code card package received by participants of the 2018 World Championships 
Gold Worlds 2019 Pikachu Coin Gold Non Holofoil, Black-backed Coin featuring Pikachu. Code card package received by participants of the 2019 World Championships 
Silver Worlds 2019 Pikachu Coin Silver Non Holofoil, Black-backed Coin featuring Pikachu. Code card package received by participants of the 2019 World Championships 
Bidoof Day Coin Brown Cracked Ice Holofoil, Black-backed Coin featuring Bidoof. Log-in bonus for all online players that logged in between July 1, 2021, at 12:01 a.m. PDT, and July 7, 2021, at 11:59 p.m. PDT to celebrate Bidoof Day on July 1, 2021.
References
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This article is part of both Project TCG and Project Merchandise, Bulbapedia projects that, together, aim to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon Trading Card Game merchandise. | 
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