Grading
Overall 9.5 GEM MINT
Centering 9.5
Corners 9.5
Edges 10
Surface 10
Reference this fantastic alpha population report table from Joel Mick.
Rarity & Collectability
This Underground Sea is 1 of approximately 1,100 total printed in the original alpha set of Magic the Gathering in 1993 and is part of the reserved list so will never be reprinted. This card is not particularly hard to find in overall BGS Gem Mint or higher grade with 27 graded BGS 9.5 and 1 graded BGS 10.
This specific copy of alpha Underground Sea is a Quad++ and is tied for the #2 BGS graded Underground Sea in the world, only bested by the 1 BGS 10 card in existence. What is cool to think about is that because the Underground Sea is often the most valuable of the dual lands, this specific card very well may be one of the most valuable/sought after lands in all of Magic's long history.
Impressions & Artwork
One of the 10 original dual lands ("OG dual"), this one has to be one of my favorite because of the artwork from Rob Alexander. On his website, it shows the art for this card front and center, which goes to show how special it is given all the cards that he has illustrated. Tavis King also linked a video of the original art here, which I thought was really cool. It's hard not to respect the rich history of Magic.
The artwork depicts a view of a cove that opens up broadly into the setting sun. I must admit, it took me 27 years of playing with this card to realize that there was a small orange setting sun on the horizon. The colors are absolutely stunning, with ranges of pink, blue and purple. It really takes you to a faraway place of isolation and contemplation.
Usage & Gameplay
The land itself is very powerful and is a mainstay of EDH and vintage decks alike due having minimal downside of using them in a deck. This dual land counts as both islands and swamps (so is fetchable in your library), and also does not come into play tapped while offering the optionality of one black or blue mana. The original dual lands enabled incredible color combinations of vintage decks that could use up to four at a time. I remember running 5 color decks in 1995 when I was a teenager playing casually with my friends.
Nostalgia
My friend Sagar opened several copies of this card from revised booster packs. I will always remember being at his house, and him showing me a group of 4 unsleeved cards. This card always reminds me of him. So much envy!
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