I just picked up a Star Trek 50th Anniversary ERC1 relic card and when I opened the card the base part of the card is upside down. I checked the auction site and I haven't been able to find any with the base part upside down like this one. All of the ones on the auction site have the base portion of the card right side up so that the "Star Trek" caption is on top above the relic piece and is right side up. This one has the "Star Trek" caption underneath the relic piece and is upside down.

Would this be considered a variant or an error ?

Such a good question because card collectors often disagree on the terminology.

It can be both, depending on your point of view. I prefer to think of it this way, all errors are variants, but all variants are not errors.

To be an error card, there must also be a correct or corrected version. An uncorrected error card is, in fact, the same as all the others made. So you only earn a premium when the error has been corrected. Then it becomes a matter of which card is harder to find, the error or the corrected version. Whichever one is thought to be more limited gets the premium added. Sometimes that means the corrected card is worth more than the error card.

Since you indicate that all ERC1 you have seen have the writing right side up and yours is upside down, that's an error. It could be the only one or there could be more mistakes.

I would not call it a variant because it clearly was never intended to be made that way. Variant cards, whether its an autograph inscription or a different color swatch, are usually created on purpose. Its a way of adding value without really making another card. Again, which color, colors or material gets the highest premium depends on which one is rarer. Autograph inscriptions always get a premium above the straight signature.

Now it gets tricky with your error card because of the type of error. Some collectors would simply say that the card is damaged and wouldn't want it at all. A collector of error cards might be willing to pay a good premium, especially if it is only this card. Usually production errors involve at least a group, but QC might find them before insertion, so you will have to see if more turn up.

All things being equal, I would call it an error card first and damaged second. I would not say variant at all if its a production mistake that got away, which is probably the case. You can keep it as something unique, or sell it to an error collector who may pay more than the normal card, but it could not be sold as a mint card because it was not made correctly. That's MHO, hope it makes sense.

I would have said error as i assume it was not intended to be made that way. A variant would be an intentional alternate to the standard one.

It is likely that other cards from the same set also existed with an upside back as the entire sheet would "wrong". As it is a premium card were others printed with it or not only time will tell. If it was amongst a batch of base cards and spotted during production it may have been purposely retained with the base cards destroyed who knows. It will be interesting to see if any other cards turn up.

regards

John