Prototype pin vs regular pin

[swim2sea]

OK, here is my dilemma. I think I have pin #9939 Disney Auctions - Alice in Wonderland 50th Ann. Series ( Cheshire Cat ) Silver Prototype which is a silver prototype of the regular Pin 6138: Disney Auctions - Alice in Wonderland 50th Ann. Series (Cheshire Cat). Back in my early days, someone told me all the back of this series HAD TO BE GOLD or they were fakes. Then I learned about Artist Proof and Prototypes. Do ALL prototype have to have P or PT or anything on the back? My pin is silver and while I kept it, I also got the regular pin (gold) because I wasn't sure my pin was "real" based on what someone told me on Dizpins. So now I have TWO pins.

Can someone help me authenticate my prototype pin so I know if I should keep it or trash it. I know absolutely nothing about them, don't collect them, don't want them, don't need them, know some people love them. Extent of knowledge.

Thanks for all the help you guys are going to give me.

Margaret

 

[mctoyboy42]

I think the Disney Auctions Preproductions & Prototypes were not marked on the back. I seem to remember them originally coming with a certificate or something like that =)
j

 

[Jabberwocky]

The DA prototypes aren't marked on the back (though usually DA artist proof pins - a separate category - are). They're just a different color metal on the back with the same backstamp as the regular release version.

And if you don't want it - let me know.

 

[swim2sea]

So how do I know if it's a prototype? It looks exactly like the regular pin but it's a silver finish on the back and sides. In shadow, it almost looks dark gray. I don't want to trade a bad pin. And JJ, I'm not keeping the pin if I know it's real.

Margaret

 

[Kmcwi]

I bought a number of prototype pins in the Disney auction days. In many cases there were only 4 pins of that prototype even made and so they were unique. The pins were identical to the final pin, except that the outlines were normally a different color, silver, black, etc. There was no special mark on the pin, and each pin came with authentication paperwork describing it as a prototype and listing the edition size. I can see your dilemma, given that any differences from the released pin is immediately deemed a counterfeit/scrapper. That is not always the case, as other threads have pointed out.

 

[Jabberwocky]

So how do I know if it's a prototype? It looks exactly like the regular pin but it's a silver finish on the back and sides. In shadow, it almost looks dark gray. I don't want to trade a bad pin. And JJ, I'm not keeping the pin if I know it's real.

Margaret

If you want to take pics of it and e-mail them to me, I can try to compare it to other prototype pins I have.

 

[swim2sea]

I'll take pics today and send them. I've gotten a lot of trade requests for it already and it's not even confirmed You should get them sometime today. Thanks so much.

Margaret

 

[dancecats]

Margaret, as JJ said, the Disney Auctions prototypes have the *exact* same backstamp as the version that was sold in the regular auction (the same is true for the DA PINS pins actually). The only thing that is different is the metal ... and the prototypes came with a certificate confirming their status as prototypes.

I have a few Disney Auctions Prototypes that I won directly from Disney Auctions so I know that they're legitimate and what they look like. I'm going to be at WDW for the PTN in December. If you want to bring your pin with you to the PTN, I could take a look at the pin and tell you what I think.