When it was announced that a new book on Power of the Force Coins was coming out during Celebration VI, I knew I had to get a copy.
One thing that I was really impressed about with this book was the size. As of late, most collecting books go for the big coffee table hardcover style. While nice, those books take up a lot of space and make shipping expensive for overseas collectors wanting one. The coining the galaxy book takes a completely different approach, in that the book is small, but yet the information/pictures are still presented large enough that you aren’t trying to decipher postage stamp sized information. This makes shipping anywhere in the world affordable and makes it easy to carry around with you to conventions and such.
The book does a great job in giving some of the background information on the coins including, why Kenner was looking at adding such a premium to the Vintage Star Wars line and some of the various future concepts they were toying with. It also covers the production process and shows some examples of the artwork, sculpts, hard copies, soft copies (rubbers), etc that are used at the various stages in making a coin. I think this information is invaluable for someone getting into coins. The book also shows the the actual dies and backup hobbs that are used to punch the final coin into the coin blanks. It really give s a nice overview in how these coins were created.
Certainly, one of the major aspects of this book, is the fact that it introduces a new category system. The original system that collector Gus Lopez created, has served collectors well for many years. However, since the time of that writing some coins have switched a bit in scarcity and that guide lumped all prototype coins into the same category. His original systems was used with the numbers I-VI. To avoid confusion, the new system uses the letters A-H, with the last 3 letters, designated for prototype coins. Even though they are all certainly not common, there are some that are easier to find than others and that last letter are basically for prototype coins that are one of a kind. I’d like to see this new system posted online at some point as I think that is the only way for it to take off and replace the old one. I can even see some sellers users both during the interim of the switch. The book does a great job in laying out each individual coin and shows the category number in a small circle right next to it, so there is no confusion as to which category a coin should go in.
Overall, I think this book is a must have for anyone with even a small interest in the coin line. Even if you don’t collect the coins, it is a nice document of what Kenner did/had planned at the very end of the Star Wars toy line. At $20, the book is also very affordable especially when you consider that every page is in full color with a nice glossy finish.
The official website for the book is coiningagalaxy.com, but orders are not being taken there at this time. Right now James Gallo is taking orders directly:
Ok folks
Here is an update for unsigned copies only.
They are available now at the following cost per single book
Domestic US $27 shipped via priority mail
Overseas $39 shipped via priority mail flat rate mailer.
Please send payments to me at [email protected] and state in the title you are buying a book. The price would not change for US shipping it would be $20 each additional book, outside the US please contact me if you want more then 1 book.
There will be a limited signed and number book available at the end of the month.
Questions just LMK.
James Gallo
Get your copy before they are gone. I hope to have the coins on my site reorganized in the new categories some time soon and will post an update once I do.
Here’s a few pictures of the sample pages that have been posted online.
