| Biker Scout Coin Softcopy | |
| This is a softcopy of the POTF Biker Scout coin. It was made by pouring an RTV
(room temperature vulcanizing) rubber compound--the kind that is normally used for making prototype molds--over the surface of a negative
hardcopy, such as that seen here. While "softcopy" is not a
term used by the people who made these prototypes, who typically refer to them simply as "rubbers," it has become standard terminology
among collectors. It's a convenient term since it signifies the principle difference between these pieces and hardcopies. Whereas the coin
hardcopies are hard and rigid, the softcopies are light and very flexible. In fact, the softcopies were made specifically to be flexible.
Each was placed into a bowl-shaped template, so that its surface was distorted into a concave shape. Then a second hardcopy was made from
it. Since this "stage 2" hardcopy was made by applying epoxy over the concave surface of the distorted softcopy, it ended up having a
convex surface, meaning its center was slightly higher than its perimeter. It was this convex hardcopy that was used to cut the
final production die, which was done using a pantograph device.
Since a die used to produce coins requires a convex surface in order to stamp out the coins correctly, these "stage 2" hardcopies were
necessary for use as tooling masters. And they could not have been made without the intermediate softcopy. The hardcopy from which this
piece was made does exist.
Nearly all of the hardcopies and softcopies featured on the Archive are the results of two very significant prototype finds. The first, made in 1997 by Chris Fawcett, yielded the first softcopies known to the collecting community. Although collectors were for some time confused about their role in the coin production process, things were cleared up substantially in 1999, when a collector unearthed another stash of pre-tooling coin prototypes. Included in the find were over 100 pieces. Some were softcopies just like those turned up by Fawcett, but the bulk of the find consisted of negative coin hardcopies. Virtually all of these items--both hardcopies and softcopies-- are one-of-a-kind pieces. Fortunately, along with these fabulous prototypes came considerable information regarding how the coins were made, including details that made the softcopies' purpose apparent for the first time. A third, smaller softcopy find by The Earth, consisting of ten coin softcopies amongst additional 3 3/4"figure and Micro Collection prototypes, surfaced in 2004. Some of these ten softcopies, like this Biker Scout, were crucial in furthering coin pre-production runs assembled from the previous finds.
The image shown above provides a closer look at the detailed area on the softcopy's front surface. Sadly, the "Stage 2" Biker Scout coin hardcopy, etching masters, and production dies have yet to surface and quite possibly never will, however my optimism remains intact. I am actively seeking these pieces to complete my pre-production coin run which currently includes the following pre-production stages: plaster sculpting, "stage 1" hardcopy, and softcopy. The Archive has very fortunate to have gathered a wealth of information regarding the development and production of the POTF coins. To learn more about coin hardcopies and softcopies, as well as how the coin line in general was created, please check out the Special Feature article entitled A Coin is Born. |
 | |
| Description by: | Ron Salvatore, Michael G. Mensinger |
| Photo: | Michael G. Mensinger |
| From the collection of: | Michael G. Mensinger |
| Country: | United States |
| Film: | Power of the Force |
| Licensee: | Kenner |
| Year: | 1985 |
| Category: | Prototypes / Coin |
