1996 WDW Resort and Sorcerer Quarters: A Brief Commentary 6/12/05.
UPDATED 6/13/08


References:
James Mayfield 1996 listings
Japanese Tourist list
WDW Machine list December 1997 (TEC info cover sheet version of list)

I. THE DATED RESORT QUARTERS

   First of all the 1996 quarters placed in the resorts are already well documented. The Mayfield listing on these appears complete, except for a variation on the Simba quarter resulting from a significant die break. Apparently the “filled 25" Simba die was the first one but it developed a die crack at upper left and it was replaced with a die that is an “open 25.” Actually, the open 25 is partially filled. But the outline of the 25 is clear. EXAMPLES OF THE COIN WITH THE DIE CRACK ARE KNOWN, AND IT IS QUITE VISIBLE, APPROXIMATELY 6 mm LONG FROM LEFT COIN EDGE TO TOP OF 1 IN 1996.

   According to the Mayfield listing and the WDW listing, the dated coins were at the following locations:

Minnie: All Star Music (THIS WOULD BE MINNIE WITH BUTTONS, VERIFIED BY THELMA)
Minnie: Contemporary
Goofy: Polynesian (THIS WOULD BE GOOFY WITH FILLED 25, VERIFIED BY THELMA)
Goofy: Contemporary
Ariel: Caribbean, Old Port Royale
Dopey: Dixie Landings
Lumiere: Ft. Wilderness, Pioneer Hall
Donald: Grand Floridian
Quasimodo: Port Orleans
Pocahontas: Wilderness Lodge
Tinkerbelle: Yacht/Beach Club
Simba: All Star Sports
Genie: Boardwalk
Mickey Sorcerer w/date: Contemporary

I THINK WE CAN NOW SAFELY PERMANENTLY DESIGNATE HOMES FOR THESE COINS. HOORAY!

II. THE UNDATED MICKEY SORCERER QUARTERS

   These were scattered around the parks and were not at the resorts. The Japanese tourist list shows one quarter at Disney Traders, EPCOT and one at Mickeys of Hollywood, MGM. The WDW list of December 1997 and the Mayfield list of 9/28/98 show NINE quarters at the following locations:

EPCOT, Disney Traders
MGM, Mickey’s of Hollywood
MK, Disneyana Collectibles
MK, Emporium
MK, Fantasy Faire
MK, Frontierland
MK, Mickey’s Gift Station
MK, Star Traders
MK, Tomorrowland Light & Power

   ORIGINALLY I HAD ALSO INCLUDED THE MAIN STREET RR STATION AS BEING ON THE WDW AND MAYFIELD LISTS, BUT IT TURNS OUT THAT WAS A DIFFERENT SORCERER’S APPRENTICE COIN----NOT THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY VERSION. HOWEVER, ANOTHER SUPPLIER OF COINS TO ME CONTINUES TO ASSERT THAT HE PERSONALLY ROLLED 25TH ANNIVERSARY MICKEY SORCERER COINS AT THE MAIN STREET RR STATION. I CANNOT VERIFY THIS YET ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.

   So, far we have identified 10 different dies on these, but have no good evidence linking any particular die to any particular park location. The die varieties can be explained and differentiated based upon the following charts. The first contains numerous points of difference among the 10 coins. The numbering system is strictly tentative but was begun by Thelma Cofrancesco in several emails over several months. Thus, the “T” numbering is based upon her 9 different scans with an additional die I had, which fits between T2 and T3....thus, T2.5 is used just for current consistency. Where mentioned, the “OS” or “FS” numbers are for my reference as that’s the way I had numbered the coins in my first attempt at listing them a number of months back. I NOW HAVE ALL 10 COINS IN MY COLLECTION, SO I AM MORE SURE THAN EVER OF (AT LEAST) 10 DIFFERENT. I WOULD LOVE TO SEE SCANS OF ANY DIES SUSPECTED TO BE DIFFERENT FROM THESE.

   Gripper measurements, expressed in millimeters, are made across the bottom of the gripper, from the outermost end points of the gripper. This is important to note when trying to tell the differences. In NO case is the gripper length the only differing point of comment on these 10 coins. These are indeed all different dies.

   In addition to the long-noticed filled and unfilled 25 and stars, the points of reference used on all coins were: gripper length, as measured above, location of the star at 5 o’clock, relationship between first star at left and the rope, whether Mickey’s mouth is open and a description of Mickey’s tongue. Chart One sets up these various points of reference. In doing the exercise of identifying the coins in my collection and those loaned to me to look at, I became well convinced that merely using the open/closed relationship just is not sufficient to put the design differences on these coins into words. There are too many subtleties. Chart Two will, I think, make it easier to do coin comparison and identification. At least, I hope so. The one caveat for all using this as a guide is that it is certainly possible that there are more variations out there. It is certainly possible that dies were replaced in some of the 9 documented machines, or that there were additional machines with different dies in cast-onlyareas, or the like. It is also possible that grippers were reworked on some dies at some point. In any of such cases one or more of the listings here will need revision. Hopefully not! So, here goes. Happy collecting to all!!!!

CLASSIFICATION BY MULTIPLE POINTS OF REFERENCE (Chart 1) A. OPEN STARS T1 (OS2) Partially filled 25, 9mm gripper over 4 knots with additional ½ knot at each end, Five o’clock star UNDER 5, First left star touches rope, Mouth is open, Tongue is clear and incused T2 (OS1) Partially filled 25, 9mm gripper with slight left bulge on gripper over 4 knots with additional ½ knot at each end, Five o’clock star OVER 5, First left star touches rope, Mouth is open, Tongue is slight and incused at BOTTOM of mouth T2.5 (OS3) Partially filled 25, 10 mm gripper, thin over 6 ½ knots, Five o’clock star OVER 5, First left star does not touch rope, Mouth is nearly closed, Tongue is clear raised and centered T3 (OS4) Partially filled 25, 9 mm gripper, over 4 knots with additional ½ knot at each end, Five o’clock star OVER 5, First left star touches rope, Mouth is nearly closed, No tongue T4 Filled 25, 9 ½ mm gripper, over 4 knots with additional ½ knot at each end, Five o’clock star OVER 5, First left star touches rope, Mouth is open, Tongue is slight and appears to hang from top T5 Filled 25, 9 mm gripper over 4 knots and all of 5th knot at right and ½ knot at left, Five o’clock star OVER 5, First left star touches rope, Mouth is open, Tongue is clear and raised at bottom of mouth B. FILLED STARS T6 Slightly filled 25, 10 ½ mm gripper over 6 knots, Five o’clock star OVER 5, First star left does not touch rope, Mouth is nearly closed, Tongue is a slight, thin, line T7 (FS9) Partially filled 25, 9 ½ mm gripper over 4 knots and additional ½ knot at each end, Five o’clock star is OVER 5, First left star does not touch rope, Mouth is open, No tongue T8 Filled 25 and serif of 2 makes closed or nearly closed loop, 10 mm gripper nearly complete over 6 knots, Five o’clock star OVER 5, First left star touches rope, Mouth is open, Tongue is slight, and incuse at bottom of mouth T9 (FS6) Filled 25 with serif of 2 not closing loop, 9 mm gripper over 4 knots and additional ½ knot at each end, Five o’clock star OVER 5, First left star barely touches rope, Mouth is nearly closed, No tongue

CLASSIFICATION BY ELIMINATION (Chart 2) Does the coin have: OPEN STARS? If so, Go to #2 FILLED STARS? If so, go to #3 Coin Has OPEN stars: If star at 5 o’clock has a point UNDER 5 of 25, it is T1 If gripper is 10 mm long, it is T2.5 If gripper is 9 ½ mm long it is T4 If gripper is 9 mm long and is not T1, it is T2, T3, or T5: If gripper has slight bulge at left and mouth is open with vague tongue at bottom, it is T2 If mouth is nearly closed with no tongue it is T3 If mouth is open with clear, raised tongue at bottom of mouth, it is T5 Coin has FILLED stars: If gripper is 10 ½ mm it is T6 If gripper is 10 mm it is T8 If gripper is 9 mm and mouth is nearly closed, with no tongue, it is T9 If gripper is 9 ½ mm and mouth is open with no tongue, it is T7