Old border Foil Timeline
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
Urza's Legacy, Urza's Destiny, Mercadian Masques
Nemesis, Prophecy, Invasion
Planeshift, Apocalypse, Odyssey
Torment, Judgment, Onslaught
Legions, Scourge
MTG Old Border Foils Guide
Old Border Foils were the first regular foil Magic cards ever released by Wizards of the Coast. Printed between Urza's Legacy (1999) and Scourge (2003), they are widely regarded as some of the most beautiful and collectible premium cards in Magic: The Gathering.
Thanks to their unique foiling process, limited print runs, and exceptional artwork, Old Border Foils remain among the most sought-after collectibles in the MTG hobby today.
Unlike modern foil cards, the entire card surface was not covered with a reflective layer. Instead, only the artwork, card frame, and selected design elements received a metallic foil treatment. This created a far stronger contrast between the matte background and the reflective details, giving Old Border Foils their distinctive appearance and timeless aesthetic.
This guide explores the history, printing process, rarity, grading, common defects, and collecting strategies for Old Border Foils, making it a valuable resource for both experienced collectors and newcomers alike.
The Unique Foiling Process
Beneath the printed artwork lies a metallic foil layer. Depending on the area of the card, additional print layers either reveal or mask this foil to varying degrees, creating the distinctive contrast between reflective and matte surfaces that defines Old Border Foils.
Different parts of the card expose the metallic layer to different extents. While the card frame, mana symbols, and selected design elements display the foil effect prominently, the artwork and especially the text box remain largely matte. This selective application creates the iconic visual contrast that makes Old Border Foils instantly recognizable.
The combination of the classic Old Border design and this carefully controlled foiling process gives these cards their timeless appearance. Unlike modern foil cards, which often feature a reflective finish across the entire surface, Old Border Foils achieve a far more balanced and elegant look through the deliberate interplay of matte and metallic elements.
During the early years of foil production, Wizards of the Coast experimented extensively with different printing techniques. As a result, many unique production errors occurred, making Old Border Foil Misprints one of the most fascinating collecting areas in Magic: The Gathering.
FOIL STAR:
The distinctive Foil Star located inside the text box is one of the defining features of every genuine Old Border Foil.
CARD FRAME:
The card frame receives only minimal masking during printing, allowing the metallic foil layer to shine through and produce the characteristic rainbow effect.
TEXT BOX:
The metallic foil layer beneath the text box is almost completely masked by additional print layers, giving this area its characteristic matte appearance.
Old Border Foil Misprints Guide
Because Old Border Foils were the very first regular foil cards produced for Magic: The Gathering, Wizards of the Coast experimented extensively with new printing techniques during their early production. As a result, these cards exhibit a variety of unique production anomalies that are rarely seen on modern foil cards.
This guide begins with the most common Old Border Foil characteristics before exploring the rarer and more unusual factory errors. If you're interested in Magic misprints in general, be sure to visit our comprehensive MTG Misprints Guide.
Foil Cut Lines
Foil Cut Lines are not traditional misprints but rather a distinctive characteristic of the original Old Border foil manufacturing process. They occur where two foil sheets were joined together during production and appear as fine horizontal or vertical lines whose visibility changes depending on the viewing angle and lighting.
Foil Cut Lines are unique to early Old Border Foils and are no longer found on modern Magic cards produced with today's manufacturing methods
CUT LINE:
The characteristic Foil Cut Line appears where two foil sheets were joined during the manufacturing process.
Square Artifact
Some Odyssey foil cards display a small square-shaped artifact in addition to the Foil Cut Line. Based on current knowledge, this appears to be a side effect of the original foil production process.
Although Wizards of the Coast has never officially explained its origin, collectors generally believe it is related either to the junction between two foil sheets or to the foil masking process used during manufacturing.
SQUARE ARITFACT:
Found on some Odyssey foil cards. Its exact cause remains unknown, but it is believed to be related to the original foil production process.
Misaligned Foil Star
On part of the first Nemesis foil print run, the large Foil Star is slightly shifted to the right, causing it to overlap the artist's name.
This is not considered a misprint, but rather a recognized print variation from the first production run. Nemesis was also the final booster set to feature the original large Foil Star before it was replaced with the smaller design beginning with Prophecy.
Although it has no significant impact on value, the misplaced Foil Star remains an interesting identifying feature of early Old Border Foils.
MISALIGNED FOIL STAR:
Found on part of the first Nemesis foil print run. A recognized print variation rather than a factory misprint.
CHINESE FRAME ERROR:
Incorrectly printed red card frame.
Chinese Text Errors are among the rarest production errors found on Chinese-language Old Border Magic cards. These cards may feature incorrect rules text, translation mistakes, misplaced layout elements, or other printing anomalies introduced during the prepress process.
Some of the best-known examples include cards with red text boxes, incorrect frame colors, or multiple versions featuring different printed flavor text. Because of their rarity and unique production history, these errors are highly sought after by specialized misprint collectors.
Chinese Text Errors
CHINESE TEXT ERROR:
The same card printed with different flavor text.
Textless Foils are among the rarest known variants of early Old Border Foils. Contrary to popular belief, they do not exist exclusively as Non-Factory Cuts (NFCs).
While most known examples originate from uncut print sheets, documented Factory Cut Textless Foils also exist. These cards were trimmed at the factory like regular cards, demonstrating that at least some entered the normal production process.
One of the most fascinating discoveries comes from surviving foil print sheets. They reveal that textless cards appear exclusively along the outer edges of the sheet, while the remaining positions contain fully printed foil cards. Their exact purpose has never been officially documented.
Based on their location, many collectors believe these cards were intended for production testing, calibration, or quality control—similar to today's Filler Cards - rather than for commercial release.
The existence of Factory Cut examples suggests that at least a small number of these cards accidentally entered circulation. As a result, Textless Foils are not only exceptionally rare collectibles but also provide valuable insight into the manufacturing process of early Old Border Foils.
Some surviving foil sheets also contain completely black cards displaying nothing but the characteristic Foil Star. These unusual pieces are commonly referred to as Foil Shells and are believed to represent an intermediate production stage during foil manufacturing.
Although their exact function remains undocumented, they were clearly never intended for public release and offer another fascinating glimpse into the production history of early Magic foils.
MTG Textless Foils
FOIL PRINT SHEETS, TEXTLESS FOILS & FOIL SHELLS:
These surviving foil print sheets show two Textless Foils positioned along the outer edge of the sheet. They also contain two Foil Shells, representing an early stage of the foil production process.
The image on the right shows a Factory Cut Textless Gaea's Cradle, one of the rarest known Old Border Foil production variants.