Mox Diamond

Mox Diamond first appeared in Stronghold (STH), 2 March 1998. The original record is STH #138, at rare, illustrated by Dan Frazier. Original finish availability: nonfoil only.

Use the curated shortlist for meaningful edition differences, then the shared explorer for the wider catalogue. Editorial records reviewed 4 November 2026; current prices and legality can change.

Mox Diamond costs {0}, is an Artifact and has a colourless colour identity. It can produce one mana of any colour, but that flexibility does not add coloured mana symbols to its identity.

The discard is part of a replacement effect as the Diamond would enter. If you decline to discard a land, it goes to its owner’s graveyard without entering; you cannot tap it for mana first. That distinction matters when comparing it with Chrome Mox, which exiles a nonartifact, nonland card through imprint instead.

Stronghold introduced the rare #138 on 2 March 1998. This is the original paper Mox Diamond: Dan Frazier artwork, the older artifact frame and a nonfoil surface. A listing calling a Stronghold copy an original pack foil deserves scrutiny; the verified record is nonfoil-only.

From the Vault: Relics followed on 27 August 2010. Its mythic rare #10 replaces the illustration with Volkan Baǵa’s art and is foil-only. This is a later paper reprint in a special product, rather than a same-set foil of Stronghold #138.

Tempest Remastered (TPR) #228 arrived in 2015 for Magic Online and reuses Frazier’s illustration. It belongs in the digital catalogue, not a list of new paper copies available for a binder. The live explorer may expose digital records alongside paper ones.

Mox Diamond is on the Reserved List. The official reprint policy explains the historical premium exception and states that from 2011 reserved cards would no longer receive premium or non-premium tournament-legal printings. The 2010 foil and 2015 digital record therefore describe different situations.

The most useful comparison holds the card name constant and changes both the painting and frame. Stronghold #138 preserves Frazier’s original composition and the early artifact border. From the Vault #10 gives Baǵa’s interpretation a modern frame and a reflective surface.

Choosing the original illustration does not require pretending it has an original foil counterpart. Equally, the From the Vault version is a real alternate illustration, not simply the Stronghold scan with a simulated shine. Compare both images at full size before deciding which visual era belongs in your collection.

The Stronghold record is nonfoil-only. From the Vault: Relics #10 is foil-only, using that product’s premium foil presentation. It is not etched, surge or a retro-frame reissue of the Stronghold card.

For a foil purchase, inspect the actual surface, edges and flatness under ordinary light. A digital preview can identify Baǵa’s artwork but cannot show the condition or physical reflectivity of the copy being offered. Missing price fields are not evidence of a new finish or of zero cost.

First printing or an older-frame collection: Stronghold #138 is the clear reference point. Choose it for Frazier’s illustration and the 1998 release identity.

A deliberately reflective display: compare From the Vault: Relics #10. Its alternate painting is as important as its finish; consider whether both suit your collection.

A gameplay copy: compare condition and actual offers for the two paper records. They use the same current Oracle rules. Do not pay for a supposed Stronghold foil or buy a digital TPR entry expecting a physical card.

Start with STH #138 nonfoil if you are building a printing-history collection. It records Mox Diamond’s debut without a later product’s finish becoming part of the choice. Our next comparison is V10 #10: a genuine second artistic interpretation, rather than a cosmetic replacement for the original.

For a fast-mana display, put those two beside Grim Monolith’s original nonfoil and booster foil. The comparison shows why “old card with a foil version” does not imply the foil came from the original set.

Chrome Mox — Compare imprint with Diamond’s land commitment and separate foil history.

Mana Crypt — Compare a different zero-mana artifact’s book-promo and premium history.

Mana Vault — Explore another early fast-mana artifact and its Invention editions.

Grim Monolith — Compare an original-set booster foil with Diamond’s later product foil.

Browse the complete Card Guides directory. For deck work, the shared Build a Deck action passes the selected printing to Deck Studio, where current legality and role eligibility are checked independently of this editorial guide.

Reviewed 4 November 2026 against accessible catalogue records and indexed catalogue extracts, with official product or policy references where applicable. Existing ManaScout text was audited rather than treated as evidence. Direct Scryfall API access was unavailable during this editorial review; the shared live explorer continues to use its existing integration.

• Catalogue: Stronghold (STH) #138
• Catalogue: From the Vault: Relics (V10) #10
• Wizards: official Reserved List and reprint policy
• magery.com: mox diamond
• deckbuilder.co.uk: card profile name