gists
Miscut or off-centered?
Are cards with copyright text cut off considered off-centered or miscut by CGC?
We will sometimes see users asking if a card would qualify as miscut or off-centered.
The CGC guide has this definition:
Minor Miscuts are those showing at least half of one alignment dot in a corner or a card missing some of the design but not yet showing another card.
Pokemon cards have printed the copyright text in different locations over the years. Some years the copyright text was printed within the main body of the card, most years the text was printed below the card or on the border.
This has lead to some confusion. Does the copyright text count as “a card missing some of the design but not yet showing another card”?
I think this is best shown with these two example cards. I think most collectors would agree this card is off-centered, but not enough so to be considered miscut as it has no alignment dots and no elements missing or from another card.
If that card was from a set where the copyright text was printed at the bottom instead of within the card art it surely would be more significantly off-centered than this Charizard for example.
To me personally this makes sense, if CGC included the copyright text as an “element” missing then we would have hundreds of cards that suddenly would qualify as a minor miscut even if they’re less significantly miscut than other cards they have graded from previous eras.
To help with this I’ve compiled the list below of cards that are missing a portion of the copyright text but not a portion of the body of the card.
These cards were all classified as off-centered and not a minor miscut. To qualify for CGC’s minor miscut qualification you will need a portion of the body of the card missing, not just the copyright text at the bottom.