20 Most Expensive Magic: The Gathering Cards Reserve List

A total of 572 Magic: The Gathering cards are on the Reserve List, a list created by Wizards of the Coast that prevents reprints of specific cards from 18 early sets. 

The creation of the Reserve List was viewed by most MTG collectors as a positive measure concept with its creation in 1996. The list was revised and a WotC made a new reprint policy in 2002. This left 572 Mythic Rare and Rare MTG cards on the Reserve List that will never get reprinted again unless the list is removed by Hasbro. 

Unlike early perceptions of the Reserve List, it seems most fans today would like to see the list dissolved. The exception, though, seems to be fans that hold these highly precious cards in their collections. Removing the Reserve List would allow WotC to reprint many of these cards in a variety of forms, reducing the cost of existing versions while allowing players to use those cards in different MTG formats without having to leverage a home or two in the process.

Not every card on the MTG Reserve List is broken, and most are considered poor at best compared to the power levels seen on cards over the last few years. Nonetheless, the list still exists and contains the most expensive Magic cards available via the secondary market. 

WotC created a work-around for the Reserve List issue in 2022 after finding cases of MTG Legends boxes in a warehouse that was about to close. Each case and booster pack were opened, and select Legends cards were added to Dominaria United collector booster packs.

Each card listed and the various prices of those cards on the MTG Reserve List are based on data from MTGStocks. Card prices are subject to change on a daily basis and updates to the list will take place on a monthly basis, or upon a spike and/or decline of a specific card. Each MTG Reserve List card worth money contains several versions, with Alpha and Beta versions worth the most, followed by Unlimited.

From Beta and Alpha to Legends and Unlimited, here are the top 20 most expensive MTG cards on the Reserve List.

The most Expensive MtG cards

Chaos Orb

• Alpha: $10,770
• Beta: $3,800
• Unlimited: $1,900
• Collector’s: $696
• International: $600
• Oversize: $51

Gauntlet of Might

• Alpha: $2,600
• Beta: $1,000
• Unlimited: $1100
• Collector’s: $275
• International: $225

Copy Artifact

• Alpha: $5,850
• Beta: $1,430
• Collector’s: $73
• International: $82
• Revised: $48
• Summer Magic: £7,022
• Unlimited: $223

Time Vault

• Alpha: $8,000
• Beta: $3,322
• Unlimited: $1,600
• Collector’s: $340
• International: $406

Wheel of Fortune

• Alpha: $6,600
• Beta: $3,000
• Judge Promos: $1,812
• Collector’s: $244
• International: $376
• Revised: $330
• Oversized: $312
• Unlimited: $859

Underground Sea

• Alpha: $17,000
• Beta: $6,000
• Unlimited: $1,747
• Collector’s: $450
• International: $447
• Revised: $850
• Summer Magic: £3,840

Volcanic Island

• Beta: $15,000
• Unlimited: $1517
• Collector’s: $456
• International: $570
• Revised: $800
• Revised (foreign black border) £679.80

Bayou

• Alpha: $5,500
• Beta: $1,900
• Collector’s: $420
• International: $322
• Revised: $400
• Unlimited: $900
• Summer Magic: £8,015

Time Walk

• Alpha: $17,000
• Beta: $9,500
• Unlimited: $5,029
• Collector’s: $597
• International: $984

Tundra

• Alpha: $8713
• Beta: $4,095
• Collector’s: $335
• International: $335
• Revised: $480
• Unlimited: $975

Mox Sapphire

• Alpha: $14,975
• Beta: $8,995
• Unlimited: $7,000
• Collector’s: $647
• International: $1,200

Mox Pearl

• Beta: $5,500
• Alpha: $8,900
• Collector’s: $652
• International: $699
• Unlimited: $5,280

Tropical Island

• Alpha: $12,240
• Collector’s: $500
• Beta: $4,250
• International: $412
• Revised: $550
• Unlimited: $925

Taiga

• Alpha: $3495
• Beta: $4,400
• Unlimited: $807
• Collector’s: $337
• International: $273
• Revised: $300
• Unlimited: $807

Mox Emerald

• Alpha: $20,000
• Beta: $9,850
• Unlimited: $9,500
• Collector’s: $670
• International: $665

Mox Ruby

• Alpha: $16,775
• Beta: $7,495
• Unlimited: $6,500
• Collector’s: $1,237
• International: $700

Timetwister

• Alpha: $9,900
• Beta: $15,300
• Unlimited: $8,000
• Collector’s: $1143
• International: $1,600

Ancestral Recall 

• Alpha: $19,000
• Collector’s: $736
• Unlimited: $6,000
• International: $665
• Unlimited: $6,000

Mox Jet

• Alpha: $12,000
• Beta: $10,000
• Unlimited: $8,000
• Collector’s: $676
• International: $682

Black Lotus

• Alpha: $600,000
• Beta: $44,540
• Unlimited: $30,000
• Collector’s: $4,849
• International: $3,210
• Oversize: $290

All images via WotC, Magic: The Gathering.

Update July 22 at 10:30am: Included information about Legends cards getting placed in Dominaria United booster packs.