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The ParkPennies coin and coin die numbering systems help identify elongated coins and elongated coin dies by number. Because of this numbering system, you can collect one "Gate", "Park", themed set, or entire resort independently by specific park / gate guide. You'll know the guide numbers used to identify the coins you already have. Also you'll know which coins you need to complete a set, what they look like, when they were onstage and their guide numbers for easy identification when searching or trading with fellow collectors for them. From here down are details only advanced collectors will care about. But, this is ParkPennies and this is what we do. :-)
ParkPennies Pressed Coin Numbering reveals the age of the die and coin, the earliest coin ever pressed on the die and the order of all the elongated coins that followed. The ParkPennies Coin Die Numbering system links all coins made from the same obverse die (have the exact same image). What's the oldest pressed coin? Just search / sort to find the lowest pressed coin number. What other coins have been pressed by this same die? Just search / sort by the coin die number to find other coins that share the same coin die image. Collecting all the coins issued at one park or a themed set, the ParkPennies pressed coin numbers are all you need. Enjoy.
The Pressed *Coin*
Numbering System
 How and why are PRESSED COIN GUIDE NUMBERS assigned? There have been more than 1,000 pressed coins issued just by the Disneyland Resort. Some are very difficult to differentiate. Here, in the ParkPennies guides, we have listed every pressed coin ever issued by the Disneyland Resort. Each listing features images, descriptions, and most importantly a unique ParkPennies guide number to identify the exact Disney pressed coin you have or are looking for. Using that guide number, you can easily identify the coins you own or are looking for while avoiding vague, generic or confusing descriptions when trading, buying or selling Disney pressed coins.
The ParkPennies PRESSED COIN guide numbering system, like the ParkPennies elongated COIN DIE guide numbering system, assigns identifying numbers chronologically by type / gate / park / location. They cover all pressed coins ever issued at or by the Disneyland Resort as well as coins from other Disneyland Resorts around the world. The numbering system is intended :-) to be intuitive. As an example, pressed coins have a two letter pressed coin number prefixes for coins from guest accessible "onstage" coin presses: "DL"= Disneyland Park or "CA"= Disney California Adventure or "DR"= Disneyland Resort Hotels & Downtown Disney. Other pressed coin prefixes are for coins that were not usually issued from machines "onstage" or accessible without special privileges such as: "CM"= Cast Member and Special Events or "DS"= Disneyland Shop coins made at the Disneyland Resort by Cast Members. "DN"=Disneyland Neverland prototype and pattern coins that were never onstage and are often very scarce. "DO"= Disneyland Off-site coins related to the Disneyland Resort, but, from machines placed off-property. "DW"= Disneyland Resort Wannabe tribute coins that are often fun to collect, but not believed to be officially licensed. Foreign or Overseas Disney Resorts have prefixes of "TDL"= Tokyo Disneyland Park. "TDR"= Tokyo Disney Resort. "TDS"= Tokyo DisneySea Park. "DLRP"= Disneyland Resort Paris. "HKDL"= Hong Kong Disneyland Resort. "SDL"= Shanghai Disneyland Resort. ParkPennies does not catalog "WDW"= Walt Disney World pressed coins. These coin numbers, unless otherwise stated, follow in a chronologically ordered sequence, by whole number, as issued. That is, after the two to four letter prefix is e.g. DL, CM, CA etc. is followed by a four digit number for instance "0001" which would be the chronologically first pressed coin from a gate / location / source, example DL0001, the first coin from the DisneyLand Park. Lastly, a single letter suffix such as "a" may follow the four digit number to acknowledge the first slight change in the original coin die's engraving, such as "DL0001a". The second change would be noted by the letter "b" etc. However, a significant change in an obverse coin die engraving or a change in the reverse die / "stampback" etc. would be acknowledged as a new pressed coin and accordingly assigned a new chronological coin guide number. (Coin type is assumed to be a US cent. However, a coin type e.g. penny, nickel, dime, quarter, token etc. suffix can be added.) The actual engraved coin dies used in the machines to press these coins have a similar elongated COIN DIE guide numbering system. TLDR: First letters=Location / Source. Next four numbers=Order of issue. Optional last letter e.g. a, b, = Slightly changed coin design.
Off-Denomination / Non-Native Coins / Tokens / Planchets: A suffix may also be added if there is a change from the original or "native" coin. That is, a DL0001 native penny die that pressed nickel variation would be a DL0001N, an exceptionally scarce and valuable Disney pressed coin. Coin type suffixes include "P" = Penny generic, "SP" Steel Penny, "N"= Nickel generic, "SN" = Silver Nickel, "D"= Dime generic, "SD" Silver Dime, "Q"= Quarter generic, "SQ" Silver Quarter, "CQ" Clad Quarter, "DC"= Dollar Coin generic, "T"= Token... and are used only when the coin type is not the original, "native" coin. "Non-native" or "off-denomination" elongated coins, often have "blank backs" as they may have been pressed before or after they were (if ever) paired with a reverse (reverse coin die). However, they are otherwise identical. Based on our findings over the years, we believe there are examples of "non-native" or "off-denomination" pressed coins for the majority (if not all) Disneyland Resort, Anaheim coin dies. Some examples from other Disney Resorts around the world are also known. The most common (and for some collectors the most desirable) "non-native" or "off-denomination" Disney elongated coin is a nickel variation of a native cent. The next most common we have seen is a dime variation of a cent, then quarter. Known examples of other "non-native" variations include foreign coins and "slugs" / planchets made of silver, brass, or copper in penny, nickel, dime, quarter sizes. The search for "off-denomination" Disney elongated coins can be frustrating; they can be very hard to find. Although a few onstage pressed coins were first introduced as pressed cents and later offered as pressed nickels, they are the exception. Back-stories we've heard about how / why "off-denomination" some coins have been made include: 1. Test coins pressed by the engraver to progressively inspect the quality of the die engraving as it takes shape. 2. During the time coin press machines were initially set up and the (shimmed) dies were being seated. 3. As test rolls / experiments to save an off-size die by fitting a smaller or larger coin to a die that was made too small or large for the intended coin. (Penny-size nickels) 4. For special projects such as framed anniversary sets or retiring Cast Members gifts. 5. Also we have heard few unconfirmed stories that have been shared with ParkPennies for decades suggesting that Cast Members, while repairing a machine onstage, offered to press a dime or nickel in a penny or quarter machine. Some folks have all the luck! :-) Related: More information about "off-denomination" pressed coins and How to Establish Disney Pressed Coin Provenance and Authenticity
NOTE: Multiple Location Pressed Coins: On occasion, an elongated coin die may press its first coin in say, Disneyland Park. Accordingly to identify the coin it would be given an appropriate "DL" guide number prefix. Possibly that same die, might be moved to Disney California Adventure at later time. If so, a coin pressed on that same die at that new location, would be given an appropriate "CA" guide number. A later reverse change would again result in a new coin and coin guide number. So, coins pressed on that single die could in theory have a few different guide numbers. However, the basic pressed coin die number would remain the same and will make it clear when / if one coin die is represented by more than one pressed coin because the all the coins pressed by that die will share the same pressed coin die number.
Side note: Would a coin pressed by the original "DL" machine located at the new "CA" location be identical to a coin from the original location? Maybe. However, additional die wear or die sinking could be evident in the later pressing. Also, if the obverse die is paired with a backstamp or reverse die, it is likely the stampbacks would have slightly different design engraving or etching. Using a Google site search of a coin die number, you may find additional similar coins that match your subject coin.
Courtesy Coin Identifications: Most coins that are submitted to us for a courtesy identification are unsurprisingly among the most difficult of all Disney elongated coins to attribute. Often they require comparison with known examples under strong magnification for a positive match, which is often difficult to arrange. However without it, we still can give our opinion of what a coin "appears to be" based the images provided to us. Of course an "Appears to be" isn't a positive identification nor can it later be stated as such. But, if all you need is just a free courtesy coin evaluation via email to help you with your own attribution of a coin, no problem. All we need are two 1200dpi or higher scans of the subject coin; one oriented horizontally and one oriented vertically. (Some multi-function printers can do that.) If a suitable scanner is not available, a few smartphone close-up / macro camera images may work. Email them to us and we'll reply with an coin listing link and guide number for the coin we feel you should carefully compare, under magnification if necessary, to the coin you have at hand. Chances are you'll have found a match. Happy collecting, Boomer.
The Pressed *Coin Die*
Numbering System
What is a PRESSED COIN DIE? Pressed coin dies or "plates" as Disney sometimes calls them are the heart of a pressed coin machine. At Disneyland, coin press dies are usually segmented, replaceable pieces of metal that are bolted to or sometimes part of the steel rollers between which your coin is squeezed. These tiny pieces of Disney themed art usually feature an image engraved in reverse. When your coin is pressed between the two dies / rollers, a raised, fantastic, image is formed as your coin is pressed into a made before your eyes priceless, collectable keepsake. :-) Next time you are at a DLR penny press, do look inside the window, you may be able to see your coin and these dies and rollers as your coin is being pressed between them.
How are PRESSED COIN DIE numbers assigned? The ParkPennies' machine coin die numbering system provides the advanced collector with an additional way to research / attribute a coin's provenance with just a Google site search of the coin die number. A collector can find the die's age, the first coin guide number pressed by the die, as well as the family or lineage of coins that have shared the same pressed coin die image over its often many years of service. Of course, some machine dies are replaced early if they become out of date, fail in operation, or the machine is updated with more current coin designs others may be onstage for decades. What becomes of obsolete / retired / canceled Disneyland pressed coin dies?
How to DECODE Pressed coin die guide numbers: Like the pressed coin guide numbers of the elongated coins they make, coin dies are assigned unique numbers that are chronologically based on the coin die's original coin type / gate / park / location. Example: "DLP0002.0.1" "DLP"=Disneyland Park, "0002"=The root number that identifies this coin die as the second onstage elongated coin die at The Disneyland Park, ".0"= The coin die engraved image has not been modified since it pressed its first coin, .1 The coin made with this die was matched with the die's first backstamp or reverse die (no stampback=.0). The current prefixes are: "DLP"= Disneyland Park, "DCA"= Disney California Adventure, "DRP"= Disneyland Resort Property, "CMP"= Cast Member and Special Event, "DSP"= Disneyland Shop, "DNP"= Disney Neverland Prototypes, "DOP"= Disneyland Off Property,"DWT"= Disney WannaBe Tributes and "DCT" = Don Cade Tributes.
What is Special About Disneyland Pressed Coin Machines? A special plus with most Disneyland Resort coin smashing machines is they make a "double" pressed coin. (Sometimes called "mules" by advanced numismatists or as the unfortunate name of "die marriages" by the US Mint.) Since 2004, most all new coin designs feature both an obverse (front) and reverse (back) coin die image. Because of the two pressed coin dies, DLR elongated coins often feature a "picture" on the front and an inscription on the back of your special memento. Very cool! It also means that a single obverse (front) coin die can produce several different pressed coins each with a unique guide number when paired with different backstamps, modified, or moved to a new park, etc. (Per the pressed coin guide numbering system.)
How can you tell how many different coins / guide numbered coins were made using a particular obverse die? The ParkPennies Pressed Coin Die Numbering System! :-) Happy collecting, Boomer.
PS I'm sorry. This section is way too big a mess. (Not that I have to mention that to you. :-) I do hope to re-write it soon. I fear I will probably only be making it a bigger mess :-). But, for now, I hope this information, the kind of details ParkPennies is all about, will be of help in building your collection. As always, we welcome your additions, suggestions, concerns, comments, cash shipments... :-) Just contact us.
Happy collecting, Boomer.
See also: What happened to the old Disneyland arcade penny press machines, marquees and pressed coin dies?
Related: List of Disneyland Resort Coin Dies Acknowledged as Canceled
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