I've Got A Golden Ticket

Actually, I don't have a golden ticket, but somebody sure does now.  A full box of 1956 (really 1957 I'd say) O-Pee-Chee (OPC) Golden Coin was recently "hammered" on eBay for $1,282, US. I've previously discussed the oddity of Topps marketing this set in Canada and this wondrous artifact does nothing to really address specifics, but it's pretty sweet to look at.

 The box has some slight wear but for something that's eligible for Social Security, it's looking good:

You can clearly see the OPC tagline on the box flap:

Inside, everything is bright and shiny:

The packs clearly show their Canadian origins:

The contents of a pack like this have been examined by me previously (I actually opened one!) so all matches up. Compare this with the indicia on the 1949 wrapper:



The bottom of the "1956" box shows that while the packs and gum were manufactured in Canada, Topps sent the displays north:

The bottom graphics compare favorably with another set, 1956's US Presidents,  althoughtha particular issue is all US of A:

I can't see that US Presidents were ever issued by OPC, which leads me to a theory.  I've often wondered why there is no reference to a 1952 (actually it would be 1953 to include Dwight  Eisenhower) Golden Coin set in any guide or article I've run across. My prior thoughts (see the links above or labels off to the right of this post) that there was one still stands and I suspect the "1956" OPC issue was merely a way for Topps to dump excess inventory.  We'll probably never know but I think that's what happened.

We Liked Ike, But When?!

Regular followers of this blog and those who have read my book know that Topps issued a set of 33 coins in 1948-49 depicting the Presidents of the United States (and one featuring the Capitol) and then repeated this in 1956-57, although the design changed and plastic was substituted for metal. I've always been bothered by there being no 1952-53 version of the set (Golden Coin), especially since Eisenhower was a newly minted Chief Executive at the time. I've just acquired the complete contents of a '56 pack that I think helps support the idea a set was issued following the 1952 election.

Here is the all encompassing 56 setup:

As always, the wrapper states it was distributed by O-Pee-Chee in Canada but manufactured by Topps Chewing Gum in Brooklyn.  This dichotomy will repeat, as we shall see.

The It Happened To A President inner wrapper is correct as it features the red and black version associated with the 1956 issue:

Our first anomaly shows up in the form of the inner tray and gum, the latter of which disintegrated completely about six seconds after I opened the mailing package:

Here is a closer look at the tray, which measures about 4" x 2 1/4", not counting the flip up edges; it's completely petrified at this point, you could kill somebody with it easily enough:

And therein lies the rub as the inner packaging from what I have read and researched is supposed to be a cardboard envelope that looks like this in 1956:

Compare that to the 1948-49 sleeve:

I have no doubt the plainer sleeve is the earliest of the bunch as the slogan and design clearly mark it as such. 1949 wrappers have the 1949 date prominently displayed on them so that's a no-brainer for dating purposes. Plus the '49 coins have the text back; in 1956 they used a shield with a large ordinal number within:

We also have this curiosity, from a couple of scans I picked up along the way:

Sooooooo....the question is when did Topps decide to push the 2 for 1 deal?  Was it after returns of the 1948-49 coins came in (and they did come in as Topps sold bulk overstock in Billboard Magazine in early 1950) or when a 1952 edition came out?  I have to think the yellow "eagle" pouch is from 1952 if the black, plain tray is from '56.  I'd love it if a scan or example of the "2 coins" made itself known.

There is yet another disconnect, namely this big Bazooka insert from the 1956 version:

That was clearly wrapped around the black tray from the look of things.  Bazooka Joe was a 1954 invention, so could not have come with an earlier Golden Coin set. But why is there a U.S. address for a Canadian product?!  I admit to being a bit baffled at it all.

On Golden Bond

You fearless webmaster managed to snag, amidst all the hoopla of the past two weeks, the partial remains of a 1956 O-Pee-Chee Golden Coin package of eBay the other day. Golden Coin has been blogged on here before but remains a slippery issue as there are questions as to the exact contents of the 1948-49 issue compared to 1956's, the correlation with various Meet The Presidents games, the oddity of a Canadian issue for a set of US Presidents, the lack of an identifiable 1952 issue and even the composition of the 1956 coins (as in chemical composition-metallic or plastic?) but my purchase answered none of these!  Rather I wanted to investigate the inner sleeve that held the coin and gum.

Redesigned from 1949, the inner sleeve is made of a thick cardboard with yellow and blue highlights:

 






Measuring exactly two inches by four, the sleeve advertises 33 coins, even though Grover Cleveland's kangaroo straight made it 34 in actuality.  The back shows the checklist and a glued down flap:

I even took a side view-it measures about 3/8" even though its distorted here:

The coins were numbered in 1956 but I can't find a Cleveland to see if he has 22 and 24. Here is our fifth President, James Monroe, to illustrate:

The number is clear, as is the shield--the 49's had a text back, as do all game pieces from Meet The Presidents no matter which year the latter were marketed:

The coins look metallic but are made of a hard plastic, unlike the brass ones from 1949.  Mine is warped a little and there is a seam on the rim.  If I get another I'll dissect it to see what's what. These are larger than the 49's, which were an inch in diameter.  These are 1 1/8".  The coins may have been in a cello wrapper as well; I am unsure about that at present.

Here is the wrapper that held the above:






As mentioned, it appears to be a Canadian issue:

The flipside held a It Happened To A President Comic, which have been looked at previously. These are red, the earlier version is not and is more of a brown/rust color. That though is fodder for another day.

ACC numbers are:

1948-49 Golden Coin PX14
1956 Golden Coin PX15
1948-49 It Happened To A President R711-5
1956 It Happened To A President (none)

I am very much interested in information on Golden Coin.  If you have something new or different, drop me a line.