An exceptionally rare Pokémon card featuring Pikachu, known as the Pikachu Illustrator card, has sold for £3.7 million at auction. The card is considered one of the most coveted collectibles in the Pokémon community, with only 39 copies confirmed to exist worldwide.

The card was originally distributed in 1998 as a prize in an illustration contest organized by CoroCoro Comics. The artwork was created by Atsuko Nishida, the original designer of Pikachu. This particular card was graded a 9 by Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA), a widely recognized card grading service.

The sale took place at Heritage Auctions in Texas, United States, where the card fetched £2.9 million before additional fees were applied, bringing the total transaction value to £3.7 million. This transaction adds another milestone to the growing market for rare trading cards, particularly within the Pokémon franchise.

Notably, the only known Pikachu Illustrator card graded a perfect PSA 10 is owned by YouTuber and professional wrestler Logan Paul. He sold his card in February for an unprecedented £12.3 million, having initially acquired it for £3.86 million in 2021. The wide gap between these prices highlights the significant impact that grading and provenance can have on collectible values in this market.