Determining if a card is from the "faded" print run of Spanish Main (Limited)

This article is about two different print runs of the first (Limited) expansion of Wizkids' Pirates of the Spanish Main constructible ship game.

Most Pirates CSG players don't care about the differences between these two printings, or even between Limited and Unlimited expansions, as the card stats are exactly the same. There are a few collectors who are interested in having complete collections so may want both print runs of Limited, as well as a set of Unlimited. As far as I have been able to tell, even with the hot Pirates CSG market right now (2021-2023), there is no difference in prices between the two runs of Limited, or even between Limited and Unlimited.

The first print run of the Limited Spanish Main expansion was "lighter" or more "faded" than later runs. Both have the exact same numbering scheme and artwork, but the saturation of the color on the cards is different. Because of normal variations in the printing process, even within the same print run, it can be difficult to tell if a card is faded or not, unless you have another card to compare it against. I have a large quantity of "normal" SM, and a good quantity (50+ cards) of "faded" SM, which has allowed me to do some comparisons. The following are my discoveries in comparing all of my SM cards, to determine whether a card is from the faded run or a later printing. 

Unfortunately, we don't have good hard data about the print run sizes, and know very little about the cause/reasons behind the faded run. If anyone reading this has more specific anecdotal detail about what changed between the runs, or why, please let me know.

How to tell if a card is from the "faded" print run:

1. The first/easiest thing to check is the color of the background box of the point cost of the card. The faded print is more obviously grey, compared to the darker box for the second limited print run. However, sometimes there are variations in the color of the second print run, so you may have to look at other characteristics of the card.

   
   Faded on the left, normal on the right

2. The second thing to check is the texture of the surface of the card itself. Hold the card at an angle against a strong light, so you can easily see the texture of the card. Hold a "normal" reference card (e.g., one from SM-UL) next to it. The normal card is shiny and smooth. The faded prints are *usually* bumpy or slightly rough. However, I have some examples of faded cards that are fairly smooth, so this may not be sufficient to definitively tell. 

   
   Faded on the left, normal on the right

3. Check the overall color saturation of the card. Place the card alongside a group of other normal cards. The parchment background is usually lighter than the other cards - but this is the most subjective indicator, as there is a variation to the deepness of the color even in the second print run

   
   Faded above, normal below

4. Treasure cards (coin-only cards and UTs) don't have point costs, so you have to look at the black/grey background of the coins themselves. It's very obvious when you hold a faded coin card next to a normal coin card. 

   
   3rd and 4th cards from the top are faded

5. Sometimes it's just hard to tell between several cards, even if you have multiple copies of the same ship. Some faded cards are shiny. Some limited cards have lighter color variations. If a card has had long exposure to the sun, it may be faded from UV exposure and may not be from the faded print run. You may need to use multiple methods to determine if a card is faded, and even then it may still be a guess. 

   
   Is the middle card faded? The points background is definitely more grey, but the texture of the card when held up to the light is more or less shiny. The overall color saturation is lower than the card on the right, but about the same as the card on the left.

6. Transparency - Ben (AX7FanBen) pointed out during a pack opening that the "faded" cards are often more translucent to light than the regular print run. If you hold up the cards to a light source, you can sometimes see the difference between the two. Unfortunately this is not 100% reliable, as some "regular" cards also show evidence of translucency.

Do you have any more information about the faded vs normal print runs, or notice any other indicators? Email me at matt@gladius-games.com and let me know!