Main Street USA Pressed Penny
Reverse Guide #DL0506r
The Disneyland Park Main Street USA
Elongated Nickels
As advanced collectors will remember, the Disneyland Main Street USA elongated coin has had a few changes over the years. When first introduced, the Main Street USA "pressed penny" was special not only because it was a nickel, but, it was also the first ever Disney elongated coin to have an image on both sides. The pressed coin souvenir was very popular, welcomed by park guests and souvenir collectors alike.
The original die with the original grip and original reverse is known by guide number DL0251. At the time, the coin was vended from a single die or single play penny press. Before long, the die's coin grip was enlarged to better grip the nickels being pressed, making the DL0251a. Heaven knows the designers of the penny press machine probably never envisioned that it would ever be so popular or that it would ever press nickels. Given the machines' design and that heavy use, the failure of the back die wasn't a surprise. When the back die was replaced, guests could press the original obverse die with enlarged grip and a new stampback, the DL0380. Replace the reverse one more time and we have the DL0408. Possibly acknowledging the high machine use, the single play mechanism was replaced by a stronger three play mechanism and corresponding larger, stronger die. The new die offered the same artwork with a poorly received, coarser, two dimensional "CNC" engraving, the DL0415. Although the new DL0415 was a stronger, larger die now in a stronger three play or three die penny press mechanism, the back die or in this case, the engraved back shaft, eventually wore out (sunk) and when replaced offered the DL0432, the DL0415 with only a slightly changed reverse.
Now, even I'm confused! Well, the short version:
As you can see by the images above or the larger images linked below, there were two primary coin engravings and several different stampbacks. All the backstamps, read Disneyland ® Resort. However, each reverse type is placed just a bit differently on the back of the coin and / or features slight font variations to confirm the die change.
I know a few readers will wonder why we even mention these very slight changes, much less assign a guide numbers for them.
However, many advanced collectors will remember, if not insist, that whenever a die is changed, back die (stampback) or obverse die, a new coin is formed. Accordingly, a new guide number is then assigned to describe the new coin. Indeed, this reference is really a listing of coin dies / die combinations as represented by the coins they have pressed. As you can see, we do our darnedest to list them all. After all, if we didn't, it just wouldn't be ParkPennies.com.
Readers of this reference guide are of course free to ignore details or changes that are, in their personal opinion, just too small. ParkPennies.com is here to share them with you and give you the option to decide for yourself what you wish to collect from the many different Disneyland coins issued. (It may drive you crazy trying to forget about a variation. But, you are free to try along with us. ) We trust that the number of coins offering only small differences will remain few and far between. As you can see, they can be very hard to find and attribute.
We hope that the ParkPennies.com detail images above and these even more extreme close up images of the DL0380 / DL0408 Elongated Coin, the DL0415 / DL0432 Elongated Coin, and the guide excepts below will help you attribute your DL0251 / DL0251a / DL0380 / DL0408 /DL0415 / DL0432 Disneyland elongated coin souvenirs.
DL0251-251a REVERSE For comparison and identification of the DL0380 / DL0408 reverse, here is a scan of the DL0251 and DL0251a reverse.
(Horizontal elongated nickel image) DISNEYLAND ® PARK. Dot matrix style lettering. First reverse at any Disney Park. This is the very first "stampback" or reverse ever at any Disney park. First issued on the DL0251 and later on the DL0251a. This "dot matrix", very early style reverse reads "Disneyland ® Park". On November 12th, 2006, this die set was taken off-stage and returned November 15th 2006 as DL0380 with a new backstamp or reverse of DISNEYLAND ® RESORT. Zoom or Compare in Window # 123
DL0251-251a REVERSE For comparison and identification of the DL0380 / DL0408 reverse, here is a scan of the DL0251 and DL0251a reverse.
(Horizontal elongated nickel image) DISNEYLAND ® PARK. Dot matrix style lettering. First reverse at any Disney Park. This is the very first "stampback" or reverse ever at any Disney park. First issued on the DL0251 and later on the DL0251a. This "dot matrix", very early style reverse reads "Disneyland ® Park". On November 12th, 2006, this die set was taken off-stage and returned November 15th 2006 as DL0380 with a new backstamp or reverse of DISNEYLAND ® RESORT. Zoom or Compare in Window # 123
DL0380-408 REVERSE Comparison (Horizontal reverse image comparison) DISNEYLAND ® RESORT. Detail view of the DL0380 and DL0408, Nifty Nineties elongated nickel reverses or stampbacks. Although there are small differences in the "texture" and sharpness of the lettering, the most apparent difference is the placement of the reverse. The newer Main Street USA coins have sharper, deeper coin reverse engravings. Zoom or Compare in Window # 123
DL0380 REVERSE (Horizontal elongated nickel image) DISNEYLAND ® RESORT. Detail view of the DL0380, Nifty Nineties elongated nickel reverse. On-stage at The Main Street Penny Arcade on 11/15/06. (This reverse design was replaced by a very similar one on 5/28/07, please see the DL0380R vs. DL0408R comparison.) This coin is a part of the "Lands Set" and is from a single play machine. For a similar coin with DISNEYLAND ® PARK reverse please refer to DL0251 and DL0251a. Zoom or Compare in Window # 123
DL0408 REVERSE (Horizontal elongated nickel image) DISNEYLAND ® RESORT. Detail view of the DL0408, Nifty Nineties elongated nickel reverse. First on-stage at The Main Street Penny Arcade on 05/28/07. (This reverse design replaced a very similar one one. Please see the DL0380R vs. DL0408R comparison.) This coin is a part of the "Lands Set" and is from a single play machine. For similar coins with DISNEYLAND ® PARK reverse please refer to DL0251 and DL0251a. Zoom or Compare in Window # 123
DL0251 vs. DL0251a/380/408 Comparison between DL0251 small gripper and the DL0251a / DL0380 / DL0408 large gripper coins. Zoom or Compare in Window # 123
DL0415 REVERSE (Horizontal reverse image) DISNEYLAND ® RESORT. Detail view of the DL0415, Nifty Nineties elongated nickel reverse. First on-stage at The Main Street Penny Arcade on 09/06/07. This coin is a part of the "Lands Set" and is from a three play coin press machine, modified to use just one of the three dies at the time of this coin's introduction. See also the very similar DL0432, the same coin die with a slightly different stampback placed closer to the center of the coin, for comparison. Zoom or Compare in Window # 123
DL0432 REVERSE (Horizontal reverse image) DISNEYLAND ® RESORT. Detail view of the DL0432, Nifty Nineties elongated nickel reverse. Shown here for comparison with the DL0415 backstamp or reverse. First on-stage at The Main Street Penny Arcade around 09/20/08. This coin is a part of the "Lands Set" and is from a three play coin press machine, modified to use just one of the three dies at the time of this coin's introduction. The DL0415 and DL0432 are differentiated by the slight difference in their reverse lettering and placement. Zoom or Compare in Window # 123
DL0415-432 REVERSE Comparison (Horizontal reverse image comparison) DISNEYLAND ® RESORT. Detail view of the DL0415 and DL0432, Nifty Nineties elongated nickel reverses or stampbacks. Although there are small differences in the "texture" and sharpness of the lettering, the most apparent difference is the placement of the reverse. The newer DL0432 coin has an improved reverse placement nearer the center of the elongated coin reverse. Zoom or Compare in Window # 123
) We trust that the number of coins offering only small differences will remain few and far between. As you can see, they can be very hard to find and attribute. 
