Alex's Fossil Aerodactyl and Mysterious Fossil collection

[mysteriousfossil]

Hi, I’m Alex. I’m a UK-based digital marketer by day and a Pokémon Palaeontologist by night! Thank you for taking an interest in my collection.

My mission is to collect all Editions, Languages and Variants of

• Fossil Aerodactyl 1/62 (Holo)
• Fossil Aerodactyl 16/62 (Non-Holo)
• Mysterious Fossil 62/62

…in the highest grades possible.

Scope and Progress

The current scope of my collection goal is 52 Cards.

There are 7 language variants of the Fossil set. Each has a 1st Edition and Unlimited release, and English has a third Australian print run for the non-holo cards (distinguished by the 1999–2000 copyright).

There are a further 4 Prerelease cards, taking the total to 48 core variants in general circulation.

I’m including the additional 3 errors currently recognised by PSA in my goal.

And the grail — the WotC Aerodactyl Cosmos Holo. Arguably the most elusive Fossil-era variant, rarely seen and seldom offered publicly.

Set List and Progress

English Set List

View English entry here.

#	English	My Grade	Comments
1/62	1st Ed Aerodactyl Holo Prerelease	PSA 9	Seeking PSA 10
1/62	1st Ed Aerodactyl Holo Prerelease Cosmos	CGC 10 Pristine	I intend to cross-grade to PSA
1/62	Aerodactyl Holo 1st Ed	PSA 9	Seeking PSA 10 (However, price has exploded!)
1/62	Aerodactyl Holo Unlimited	PSA 10	Complete
16/62	Aerodactyl 1st Ed	PSA 10	Complete
16/62	Aerodactyl Unlimited	PSA 10	Complete
16/62	Aerodactyl 3rd Print 1999-2000 Copyright	PSA 10	Complete
62/62	Mysterious Fossil 1st Ed	PSA 10	Complete
62/62	Mysterious Fossil Unlimited	PSA 10	Complete
62/62	Mysterious Fossil 3rd Print 1999-2000 Copyright	PSA 10	Complete Incorrect Unlimited Label, to be amended

Dutch Set List

#	Dutch	My Grade	Comments
1/62	Aerodactyl Holo 1st Ed	PSA 9	Currently Highest Grade
1/62	Aerodactyl Holo Unlimited	n/a	Seeking Any Raw Condition!
16/62	Aerodactyl 1st Ed	PSA 10	Complete
16/62	Aerodactyl Unlimited	n/a	Seeking Any Raw Condition!
62/62	Mysterious Fossil (Mysterieus Fossiel) 1st Ed	TBC	Submitted to PSA, but seeking PSA 10 in the meantime
62/62	Mysterious Fossil (Mysterieus Fossiel) Unlimited	n/a	@frisianlunatic is very lucky and has the only graded example… so I’m currently Seeking Any Raw Condition!

French Set List

View French entry here

#	French	My Grade	Comments
1/62	Aerodactyl (Ptera) Holo 1st Ed	n/a	Seeking PSA 9
1/62	Aerodactyl (Ptera) Holo Unlimited	n/a	Seeking PSA 9
16/62	Aerodactyl (Ptera) 1st Ed	PSA 9	Currently Highest Grade
16/62	Aerodactyl (Ptera) Unlimited	Raw	Submitted to PSA, but seeking PSA 10 in the meantime
62/62	Mysterious Fossil (Mysterieux Fossile) 1st Ed	PSA 10	Complete
62/62	Mysterious Fossil (Mysterieux Fossile) Unlimited	PSA 9	Currently Highest Grade

German Set List

#	German	My Grade	Comments
1/62	Unlimited Aerodactyl Holo Prerelease	PSA 7	Seeking PSA 9
1/62	Aerodactyl Holo 1st Ed	n/a	Seeking PSA 9
1/62	Aerodactyl Holo Unlimited	n/a	Seeking PSA 9
16/62	Aerodactyl 1st Ed	PSA 9	Seeking PSA 10
16/62	Aerodactyl Unlimited	n/a	Seeking PSA 10
62/62	Mysterious Fossil (Geheimnis-Fossil) 1st Ed	PSA 10	Complete
62/62	Mysterious Fossil (Geheimnis-Fossil) Unlimited	PSA 7	Currently Highest Grade Another submitted to PSA

Italian Set List

#	Italian	My Grade	Comments
1/62	Unlimited Aerodactyl Holo Prerelease	PSA 9	Currently Highest Grade
1/62	Aerodactyl Holo 1st Ed	n/a	Seeking PSA 9
1/62	Aerodactyl Holo Unlimited	Raw	Submitted to PSA, but seeking PSA 9 in the meantime
16/62	Aerodactyl 1st Ed	n/a	Seeking PSA 9
16/62	Aerodactyl Unlimited	PSA 8	Currently Highest Grade I also have a PCA 9.5 that I intend to cross-grade to PSA
62/62	Mysterious Fossil (Fossile Misterioso) 1st Ed	PSA 7	Seeking PSA 9
62/62	Mysterious Fossil (Fossile Misterioso) Unlimited	PSA 6	Seeking PSA 9 Another submitted to PSA

Portuguese Set List

View Portuguese entry here

#	Portuguese	My Grade	Comments
1/62	Aerodactyl Holo 1st Ed	PSA 8	Currently Highest Grade
1/62	Aerodactyl Holo Unlimited	n/a	Seeking Any Raw Condition!
16/62	Aerodactyl 1st Ed	n/a	Seeking PSA 8
16/62	Aerodactyl Unlimited	PSA 5	Currently Highest Grade Seeking Mint Condition Raw!
62/62	Mysterious Fossil (Fóssil Misterioso) 1st Ed	PSA 9	Currently Highest Grade
62/62	Mysterious Fossil (Fóssil Misterioso) Unlimited	PSA 9	Currently Highest Grade

Spanish Set List

#	Spanish	My Grade	Comments
1/62	Aerodactyl Holo 1st Ed	n/a	Seeking PSA 9
1/62	Aerodactyl Holo Unlimited	n/a	Seeking PSA 7
16/62	Aerodactyl 1st Ed	n/a	Seeking PSA 9
16/62	Aerodactyl Unlimited	n/a	Seeking Any Raw Condition!
62/62	Mysterious Fossil (Fósil Misterioso) 1st Ed	PSA 7	Currently Highest Grade Another submitted to PSA
62/62	Mysterious Fossil (Fósil Misterioso) Unlimited	PSA 7	Currently Highest Grade Another submitted to PSA

PSA-Recognised Errors

View PSA-Recognised Errors entry here

#	Card	Error	My Grade	Comments
1/62	Aerodactyl Holo 1st Ed	Incomplete Holo	PSA 7	Seeking PSA 9
1/62	Aerodactyl Holo Unlimited	Inverted Back	PSA 7	Currently Highest Grade
1/62	Aerodactyl Holo Unlimited	Incomplete Holo	CGC 6.5	Seeking any PSA graded example

The Grail - WoTC Unlimited Aerodactyl Cosmos

Watch this space

Side Missions

Japanese

For completeness, I have acquired Aerodactyl and Mysterious Fossil from the Japanese Mystery of the Fossils set.

Japanese Mystery of the Fossils

Card	My Grade	Comments
Aerodactyl	PSA 1 0	Complete
Mysterious Fossil	PSA 1 0	Complete

Errors

I’m also interested in errors and miscuts. Whilst only the three PSA-recognised errors with distinct labels are part of my collection goal, I actively look for examples that complement the collection — particularly repeated production errors and cards with recognised PSA qualifiers (MC, OC, PD etc).

My Error List

#	Card	Error	My Grade	Comments
1/62	1st Ed Aerodactyl Holo Prerelease	Holo Bleed	PSA 7	Error Not Recognised on Label
1/62	Aerodactyl Holo 1st Ed	Incomplete Holo	PSA 8	Error Not Recognised on Label / Seeking PSA 9
1/62	Aerodactyl Holo 1st Ed	Incomplete Holo	PSA 7	Seeking PSA 9
1/62	Aerodactyl Holo 1st Ed	Incomplete Holo	CGC 8.5	Error Not Recognised on Label / Seeking PSA 9
1/62	Aerodactyl Holo 1st Ed	Incomplete Holo	Raw	Seeking PSA 9
1/62	Aerodactyl Holo Unlimited	Inverted Back	PSA 7	Currently Highest Grade
1/62	Aerodactyl Holo Unlimited	Incomplete Holo	CGC 6.5	Error Not Recognised on Label / Seeking Any PSA Grade
142	Japanese Mystery of the Fossils Aerodactyl	Holo Bleed	Raw	Submitted to PSA

Let me know what you think

I’m looking forward to sharing my journey ongoing and will be posting detailed photos, anecdotes and updates as the collection grows. For now, here’s a quick overview photo.

[Parallax]

Amazing collection so far!

So when did you realise that Bellsprout was your favourite Pokemon?

[mysteriousfossil]

Thank you. Ha, Bellsprout will always have a palce in my heart!

[Parrotdox]

A wonderful collection and goals! I love the commitment to the Mysterious Fossil and not just Aerodactyl. Looking forward to seeing your future updates!

[wisewailmer]

Nice, do you collect the other fossil pokemon and trainer cards too?

[mysteriousfossil]

I have my full childhood collection - the full set in raw played condition. I set out last year to collect all Fossil 1st Ed in PSA 10 and quickly realised it just wasn’t affordable, so I have a few (I got a Kabuto 1st Ed PSA 10 just in time), but the focus, at least for now, is Aerodactyl and Mysterious Fossil. I’d be open to collecting the other ancient Pokemon in time. I also have a handful of Portuguese graded fossil from a few packs I opened.

[frisianlunatic]

Good luck hunting digging for fossils! I tried buying another unlimited fossil NL pack but the owner didnt want to sell

[MarkySharky]

Amazing collection and formatted post! Can I ask how you made the post this way with the arrows creating drop down tables etc. I’m such a noob!

Also I see there are comments rather than replies? How does this work?

I really like the focus of your collection and the progress! Amazing!

[mysteriousfossil]

Thank you, much appreciated. I’ll drop you a DM seperately, but essentially I created this as a collection and used the standard formatting options (buttons at the top) when creating the post, then copied into Word as I found this easier to repeat it out across all the tabs and tables (plus save and check), then copied back into the WYSIWYG editor.

[Porygon95]

Awesome collection! Can’t beat the OG fossil pokemon!

[mysteriousfossil]

Japanese

I didn’t explicitly set out to collect the Japanese variants in my original mission, but the opportunity presented itself to acquire these. The Aerodactyl is mislabelled 1996 instead of the correct 1997. I think it’s a nice quirk and I’ll keep it, although the holder was slightly damaged when it was shipped to me. Do you know if PSA will force correct the label if I had it reholdered?

Mysterious Fossil and Aerodactyl

Aerodactyl with a holo bleed

I also purchased a raw Aerodactyl with a holo bleed, which is more striking that the photo shows. I noticed the graded Aerodactyl above also has a light bleed, which I’m finding is not too uncommon amongst the Mystery of the Fossils holos. In either case, I’m happy to have the cards that preceded the set I’m seeking.

[mysteriousfossil]

PRERELEASE

There are four variants of the Aerodactyl PRERELEASE:

• First Edition English, Brown Stamp with Galaxy Holofoil (American) - 1999 Copyright
• First Edition English, Gold Stamp with Cosmos Holofoil (Europe) - 1999 Copyright
• Unlimited Edition Italian, Gold Stamp with Cosmos Holofoil - 1999-2000 Copyright
• Unlimited Edition German, Gold Stamp with Cosmos Holofoil - 1999-2000 Copyright

Don’t you just love how the Cosmos Holofoil pops!

Currently seeking the PRERELEASE (Galaxy Holofoil) in a PSA 10 and the German Prerelease in a PSA 9.

Some closer shots:

English Galaxy

English Cosmos

Italian

German

And if you like your errors, here’s a light holobleed too

[mysteriousfossil]

PSA-Recognised Errors

Though I am interested in collecting miscuts and print errors, my collection goal scope only includes the three English Fossil Aerodactyl errors for which PSA has assigned a specific label:

• Aerodactyl First Edition Incomplete Holo
• Aerodactyl Unlimited Incomplete Holo
• Aerodactyl Unlimited Inverted Back

I have all three of these errors, though only two are graded with PSA (my Unlimited Incomplete Holo is graded with CGC).

Aerodactyl Unlimited Inverted Back

This is by far my favourite error and it occurs when a sheet is incorrectly fed inverted when the second side is printed. I have the highest PSA graded example of the Inverted Back Aerodactyl. Incidentally, it’s the highest PSA-graded example of all the Fossil Inverted Back cards.

The PSA Pop reports list just 5 examples of an inverted back Fossil card (3x Aerodactyl, 1x Haunter and 1x Hitmonlee). So even if there was only 1 inverted sheet, there are clearly more examples to be discovered. Of the 5, only 3 have qualifiers, but I guess this could be down to how PSA has graded them since I can’t see how the front and back would ever align if one side was inverted - but prove me wrong, I’d love to see some more examples!

I acquired this copy on eBay from a seller in Australia in November 2025.

Aerodactyl First Edition Incomplete Holo

Incomplete Holos, also known as Mirror Errors, refer to cards with a missing or diminished holo pattern. There’s some contention about this error. PSA stopped grading them, and I’ve found some references online suggesting this is because the pattern could be altered out of the factory. Whether or not this is true, I understand from trusted sources, and plenty of examples online, that this is a true error, and I’ve heard frist-hand from several collectors who claim to have pulled a copy themselves.

My PSA-graded copy of the First Edition (PSA 7) was acquired via a Facebook group in February 2026.

And if you look at it side-by-side against the Inverted Back Aerodactyl, you’ll see there is no holo pattern visible.

My PSA 7 example is the lowest grade of the Incomplete Holo Aerodactyls graded by PSA, so I’d be open to acquiring a higher PSA grade should one become available. I am in touch with the owner of the only PSA 9, but it’s his grail - never selling! I also have a CGC 8.5 and a PSA 8 where the error is not acknowledged on the label.

Aerodactyl Unlimited Incomplete Holo

I have a CGC graded copy (6.5). However, I’m seeking a PSA-graded copy. Given there’s only a pop of 4, this may be a long-shot. Nevertheless, I’m keeping an eye open and would be grateful if you could too!

Other Errors

Should PSA ever acknowledge any new errors in a distinct label then they’ll enter the scope of my collecting goal. I am still keen to collect the wide range of errors, miscuts, print defects etc, but I shall detail these in a future entry.

[mysteriousfossil]

English Fossil

Though PSA recognises 14 different English variants in their labels, in this entry I will outline the 8 official Aerodactyl and Mysterious Fossil variants that can be pulled from First Edition, Unlimited Edition and Australian ‘Red Logo’ 3rd Print packs.

You can find out more about the two additional English Prerelease variants and three recognised errors in my earlier posts. Watch this space for an update on the WoTC Aerodactyl Unlimited Cosmos test print.

• Aerodactyl Holo 1st Ed (1/62)
• Aerodactyl 1st Ed (16/62)
• Mysterious Fossil 1st Ed (62/62)
• Aerodactyl Holo Unlimited (1/62)
• Aerodactyl Unlimited (16/62)
• Mysterious Fossil Unlimited (62/62)
• Aerodactyl Australian 3rd Print (16/62) 1999-2000 Copyright
• Mysterious Fossil Australian 3rd Print (62/62) 1999-2000 Copyright

I have a graded copy of each of the above, although some are currently with a friend in the US waiting for his next trip to the UK, hence the gaps in my photos.

First Edition

I should have bought the PSA 10 last year when I had the chance - prices have rocketed, so I’m currently settling for a PSA 9. In my opinion, this is one of the most iconic Fossil-era cards. I have both the non-holo Aerodactyl and Mysterious Fossil in PSA 10, although these are currently with my friend in the US.

Unlimited Edition

I have all three cards graded PSA 10, though the holo is in an old label which needs updating. The Mysterious Fossil is currently with my friend in the US.

Australian ‘Red Logo’ 3rd Print (1999-2000 Copyright)

The 3rd Print edition was released in Australia and is often referred to as ‘Red Logo’ due to the packs featuring a red Pokémon logo, rather than the usual yellow logo. The non-holo cards are distinguished by the 1999-2000 Copyright notice and are significantly harder to find than their First Edition and Unlimited counterparts.

The Aerodactyl took me a while to track down. With a PSA 10 pop of just 2, it was listed by a US seller on eBay and I bought it in February 2026 after a year of searching.

The Mysterious Fossil was also hard to find, again with a PSA 10 population of just 2 at the time. However, I managed to find a copy in April 2025 mislabelled as ‘Unlimited’, so I need to get it reholdered with a new label, bringing the pop to 3. Typically, it is also currently with my friend in the US.

So let’s hope my friend visits the UK soon!

[mysteriousfossil]

Portuguese Fossil

These are the six Portuguese Fossil Aerodactyl and Mysterious Fossil cards:

• Aerodactyl Holo 1st Ed (1/62)
• Aerodactyl Holo Unlimited (1/62)
• Aerodactyl 1st Ed (16/62)
• Aerodactyl Unlimited (16/62)
• Mysterious Fossil (Fóssil Misterioso) 1st Ed (62/62)
• Mysterious Fossil (Fóssil Misterioso) Unlimited (62/62)

Portuguese Fossil cards don’t surface often. According to PSA population reports, Portuguese is the lowest-population Fossil language variant, and Portuguese Unlimited has the second-lowest PSA population of all Fossil releases, behind only Unlimited Dutch.

I’m not sure whether that reflects distribution, popularity, or simply fewer cards being submitted for grading, but Portuguese has been one of the more challenging language variants to acquire.

First Edition

I have the highest PSA-graded Aerodactyl Holo (PSA 8) and Mysterious Fossil (PSA 9). I’ve not seen the non-holo Aerodactyl surface in a year of searching. There is one PSA-graded copy out there somewhere, and I’ll keep hoping to pick up a raw copy one day.

Unlimited Edition

There are currently no PSA-graded examples of the Unlimited Aerodactyl Holo, and I’ve never come across a raw copy, though there is one listed in the CGC population report. The search continues.

I did manage to find one raw copy of the Unlimited non-holo Aerodactyl. I submitted it for grading and it returned a PSA 5, currently the only PSA-graded example. I’m keeping an eye out for another.

Likewise, I found a raw copy of Unlimited Mysterious Fossil which graded PSA 5. I subsequently acquired a booster pack and pulled a Mint Mysterious Fossil Unlimited, which returned a PSA 9. I therefore currently have both PSA-graded examples.

I also graded others from the pack and, at one point, was responsible for around a quarter of all PSA-graded Unlimited Portuguese Fossil cards. A few more have been graded over the past few months, but it remains a very low-population.

[mysteriousfossil]

French Fossil

These are the six French Fossil Aerodactyl and Mysterious Fossil cards:

• Aerodactyl (Ptera) Holo 1st Ed (1/62)
• Aerodactyl (Ptera) Holo Unlimited (1/62)
• Aerodactyl (Ptera) 1st Ed (16/62)
• Aerodactyl (Ptera) Unlimited (16/62)
• Mysterious Fossil (Mystérieux Fossile) 1st Ed (62/62)
• Mysterious Fossil (Mystérieux Fossile) Unlimited (62/62)

French Fossil cards are relatively easy to obtain in both First Edition and Unlimited, appearing regularly on eBay and CardMarket. Finding them in mint condition is more difficult, and high-graded examples quite challenging.

French Fossil is also notable for renaming Aerodactyl as Ptera, the only Fossil language release to rename Aerodactyl.

First Edition

Whilst I’m still looking for a Mint Ptera Holo, I do have the highest PSA-graded copies of both the non-holo Ptera (PSA 9) and Mysterious Fossil (PSA 10). I bought these in April and May 2025 respectively, but had to wait a few months to receive them because the sellers would not ship to the UK. Instead, I enlisted the family of a friend in Paris to receive the cards and bring them over on their next visit.

Unlimited Edition

I’m also still searching for a Mint Unlimited Ptera Holo, but I did manage to buy the non-holo Ptera and Mysterious Fossil raw on CardMarket. The Aerodactyl will be submitted for grading soon.

The Unlimited Mysterious Fossil is actually the second copy I’ve submitted to PSA. The first came back a PSA 5, and this second one a PSA 9. I currently own both examples in the population of 2.