Maybe I need to clarify all the information to this point.
Alpha prototypes
- there are no yellow tracking dots since they were printed in b&w
- 2 variants, we can call them HQ and LQ: Many of the Pokemon playtest cards were likely printed in 2024 - #8 by pfm
- easily distinguished by the background
- there is one set of HQ, all other copies appear to be LQ
- LQ appear to be copies of HQ, as they pick up the same printing artifacts seen on the HQ version.
HQ: inconclusive.
LQ: likely a copy of HQ, when the copy was made is inconclusive.
Alpha prototypes
- Most carry a unique dot pattern (different from beta) Many of the Pokemon playtest cards were likely printed in 2024 - #18 by pfm
- Likely from a Konica Minolta (Japanese brand) or Epson printer Many of the Pokemon playtest cards were likely printed in 2024 - #421 by pfm
- Some copies have BOTH alpha dots and “xerox” dots that can be dated. The hypothesis is that some alpha cards were scanned/copied (picking up alpha dots) and reprinted in 2024: Many of the Pokemon playtest cards were likely printed in 2024 - #143 by pfm
- the alpha with inflated pop reports are more likely to have the double pattern (many trainers): https://www.cgccards.com/population-report/tcg/pokémon/2/test-prints-oddities-other/692/alpha-playtest-thick-lines/13952?populationID=1288703
- a small handful have noticeably higher quality backs such as the three starters and this gyarados: Many of the Pokemon playtest cards were likely printed in 2024 - #59 by pfm
High quality back: dated to 1996 for the three starters
Alpha pattern only: inconclusive.
Double dot pattern: all observed copies so far have 2024 dots
Beta playtest
- two variants, HQ and LQ: Many of the Pokemon playtest cards were likely printed in 2024 - #299 by pfm
- HQ has yet to be observed with any dots
- LQ has always been observed with 2024 dots
- there only only appears to be 1 HQ beta per Pokemon, implying the vast majority of betas have 2024 dots
- HQ betas have subtle traces of the alpha pattern on the back, suggesting that the HQ beta back was scanned/copied from a card that has the alpha print pattern - this implies the HQ betas were printed after the alphas and the authenticity is contingent on the authenticity of the alphas: Many of the Pokemon playtest cards were likely printed in 2024 - #745 by pfm
- it is unlikely that the LQ are simply scans/copies of HQ given that not a single print artifact or dirt spec has yet been observed to be transferred from HQ to LQ
HQ beta: inconclusive
LQ beta: all observed copies so far have 2024 dots
Delta prototypes and Alpha presentation
- I haven’t said too much about these yet but so far they all look similar to LQ beta and all observed copies so far have 2024 dots
Beta presentation
- No hi-res scan available yet, but I see no evidence of dots so far
- They match well with the corocoro images and the print quality suggests a different printer was used for these than anything mentioned so far
- inconclusive so far