POTF alt back coins

[Mattias_Rendahl]

I didn't want to start a discussion in the classifieds, so I thought I'd start a thread about it here instead.

They never made it to production so they were never on any cardback. Their numbers are very limited they are actually a great deal rarer than say the Sail Skiff(or any production coin). As far as their story goes there is no definitive answer to your question, unfortunately. There are a string of theories though. These coin are just like their production counterparts except they have the POTF logo rather than the Star War logo. The POTF Coins had three different logos on the back. The Star Wars Logo seems to coincide with the most common production coins. The POTF Logo with one bars coincides with the most difficult to find production coins. The POTF Logo with two bars(like the logo on the alt backs) is more of a wildcard it appeared on both common and semi-rare coins. Some people think they were a production mistake. Some think they were the early stages of a promotion that fizzled. Whatever the case maybe some effort was put into these, as they required a new text master /etching plate, a run through a pantograph machine, new dies, and of course pressing the coins themselves. So, the point is, it is unlikely they were done without purpose. But, to answer your question, I don’t know, it's a mystery.

Interesting. I always thought this was just the result of two different companies making the coins. One made the earlier ones and one the later, or they just recieved different foundations at different times. But I never thought the POTF logo variants were that much rarer than the SW logo ones, I've got quite many coins with the POTF logo, and they've been bought as 'normal' production coins. And if I would have guessed, I'd say the SW logo ones were the early ones (before the POTF logo was finished) and not the other way around. But coins aren't my main interest and my knowledge is limited, I'd love to learn more though

Mattias

 

[Pharmdeon]

I always wondered/thought that the alt back coins were going to be produced in a gold color (i.e. the R2, Awing, warok) as a special give away/promo to go along with the album ... does any body know???

Deon

 

[MarkSalotti]

Interesting. I always thought this was just the result of two different companies making the coins. One made the earlier ones and one the later, or they just recieved different foundations at different times. But I never thought the POTF logo variants were that much rarer than the SW logo ones, I've got quite many coins with the POTF logo, and they've been bought as 'normal' production coins. And if I would have guessed, I'd say the SW logo ones were the early ones (before the POTF logo was finished) and not the other way around. But coins aren't my main interest and my knowledge is limited, I'd love to learn more though

Mattias, the variation relates specifically to the coins that Chad has listed for sale; those eight, plus a ninth, Yoda, are the only nine that exist with both Star Wars and POTF logos.

I've always believed they were first-shots for the unproduced "gold-colored coin" promotion.

-M

 

[JohnA]

Mark's theory always made the most sense to me with the final coin behind the 63rd which also has the same back as the alt backs. So, the gold R2 would be part of the set, being the only one other than the 63rd in both silver and gold. The gold test A-wings are thought to also be part of the color testing for these.

John

 

[michael_mensinger]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font>
I didn't want to start a discussion in the classifieds, so I thought I'd start a thread about it here instead.


[/QUOTE]

THANK YOU, MATTIAS!!!

This is a perfect example of how things should progress when the potential for discussion arises as the result of a classified section post. Mattias gets an A+...head of the class!!

- Mike

 

[CloudCity_Gangzr]

Interesting. I always thought this was just the result of two different companies making the coins.

Each coin was exclusive to its mint.

I think Mark's theory is reasonable and fallible at the same time. While the 93-back overlay presents a compelling argument for the promotion theory, it seems like the Gold R2 ALT Back should be in 63rd/A-Wing gold rather than Droids gold. There is a niche for a coin to be a Droids color test. There are color test coins in bronze and 63rd gold but, nothing in Droids gold. Does anyone know what shade of gold, the Gold Warok coin is? But, I agree will Deon & John it’s a good theory, I’m just not quite sold on it.

Chad

 

[MarkSalotti]

Does anyone know what shade of gold, the Gold Warok coin is?

It's Droids-gold.

-M

 

[MarkSalotti]

There is a niche for a coin to be a Droids color test.

I think the timeframe may be wrong for this, Chad. If it was the standard SW-logo backed Artoo coin, then for sure, that R2-D2 coin would be a colour-test for the Droids coins (like I think the Warok was) or even an "alternate" Droids R2-D2 coin (like a gold version of the POTF coin was used on some carded C-3PO figures) but the POTF-logo backed coins were later as the modified etching plates suggest; wouldn't the Droids test-anodising have been done by then?

-M

 

[Mattias_Rendahl]

Mattias gets an A+...head of the class!!

Ha ha. Thanks

Mattias, the variation relates specifically to the coins that Chad has listed for sale; those eight, plus a ninth, Yoda, are the only nine that exist with both Star Wars and POTF logos.

I've always believed they were first-shots for the unproduced "gold-colored coin" promotion.

Thanks for the info guys. I mostly thought it was strange because I have 2 coins like the ones Chad is selling in my "last 17" set, and I've bought them as regular coins and never really paid any attention to them. But I guess many of them have leaked out to the market as normal coins since it's such a small variation?

Mattias

 

[CloudCity_Gangzr]

POTF-logo backed coins were later as the modified etching plates suggest; wouldn't the Droids test-anodising have been done by then?

-M

I wasn’t aware that an accurate time line had been established. Were dated etching plates found for the same coin that indicate the SW logo plate predates the POTF plate? It seems like its always been assumed that SW logo came first but I never knew that to be a fact.

I mostly thought it was strange because I have 2 coins like the ones Chad is selling in my "last 17" set, and I've bought them as regular coins and never really paid any attention to them. But I guess many of them have leaked out to the market as normal coins since it's such a small variation?

Mattias

Brians Toys put a bunch of these on the market several years ago unknowingly. They were sold at the price of the standard back.

-Chad

 

[Pharmdeon]

That's how I ended up with my jawa alt back ...

 

[James_Gallo]

Does anyone know what shade of gold, the Gold Warok coin is?

It's Droids-gold.

-M

Yes it is, yes it is :-D

JG

 

[MarkSalotti]

I wasn’t aware that an accurate time line had been established. Were dated etching plates found for the same coin that indicate the SW logo plate predates the POTF plate? It seems like its always been assumed that SW logo came first but I never knew that to be a fact.

The Warok etching plate has a POTF-logo (cut from the Lumat etching plate) "glued" over the top of the SW-logo. I think I've see this for at least two of the others, so that would strongly suggest the SW-logo came first.

-M

 

[Pharmdeon]

The Warok etching plate has a POTF-logo (cut from the Lumat etching plate) "glued" over the top of the SW-logo. I think I've see this for at least two of the others, so that would strongly suggest the SW-logo came first.

-M

Mark,
Thanks for that info. I have seen pics of the "broken" lumat plate (At least I thought it was broken when I saw the pics) and was curious as to how it "broke" so perfectly. Do you happen to have pics of the Warok plate that has the POTF symbol glued? Also, can you recall which other plates you have seen that were "glued"?

Thanks
Deon

 

[MarkSalotti]

Do you happen to have pics of the Warok plate that has the POTF symbol glued? Also, can you recall which other plates you have seen that were "glued"?

Deon, pics of the Warok EM...

..surely this establishes that the SW logo was first? Also that the alternate-back was created for a purpose?

Hmm, perhaps it was Amanaman? I can't remember the others, but I seem to recall at least a couple in addition to Warok, in a group pic of the original find...it's possible I just noticed the raised logos in the group pic but couldn't make out which coins they were!?

-M

 

[Pharmdeon]

Do you happen to have pics of the Warok plate that has the POTF symbol glued? Also, can you recall which other plates you have seen that were "glued"?

Deon, pics of the Warok EM...

..surely this establishes that the SW logo was first? Also that the alternate-back was created for a purpose?

Hmm, perhaps it was Amanaman? I can't remember the others, but I seem to recall at least a couple in addition to Warok, in a group pic of the original find...it's possible I just noticed the raised logos in the group pic but couldn't make out which coins they were!?

-M

Very cool pics, I expected the top of the plate ... not the actuall cut out of the top of the plate. I would suspect that there was an alternate purpose to put that amount of work into cutting the plates. and no, it is not the ev plates

 

[CloudCity_Gangzr]

Very interesting pics indeed. I guess they ran the Warok plate through the reducing machine twice to create the die. So Deon, your EV9D9 plate has the POTF logo but it's one piece?

 

[Pharmdeon]

Very interesting pics indeed. I guess they ran the Warok plate through the reducing machine twice to create the die. So Deon, your EV9D9 plate has the POTF logo but it's one piece?

No it is star wars only, I was talking to Mark and he was thinking the EV was one of the "glue" EMs.

Deon

 

[Mattias_Rendahl]

I've really enjoyed this thread. Big thanks to the coin master from down under

Mattias