Pin Backs, Backstamps & Backing Cards
It may be the pin that we're collecting and the front of the pin that attracts us, but it's the back of the pin and the card it comes on that provide information and help us decide how authentic it is. A London 2012 pin has a range of tell-tale signs that help identify it as genuine.
The Pin Back
The pins issued by LOCOG have 2 key features which identify them as official pins. These are the distinctive pattern on the back and the backstamp or information panel.
The repeating pattern is called 'The Beiwen Pattern' (pronounced 'Bay-won') and appears as an asymmetric triangular shape which seems to have at least two varieties. There is no significance to the direction of the pattern and both are genuine.
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Pattern 1 Short left side and long right side |
Pattern 2 Long left side and short right side |
The pattern on the back of each pin is engraved so you can feel the ridges. All of the commemorative pins issued to date (June 2009) and some of the partner pins have this pattern.
The backstamp is also engraved and takes the form of a rectangular border with rounded corners with either 2 or 4 lines of information.
Pins 1 - 5 have two lines of information
- A number in the form '2012-n' where n is the pin number
- (R)(C) LOCOG 2008, where the Registered and Copyright symbols indicate that the image on the pin is owned by LOCOG.
- The '2012-n' number
- '<= nnnnn', where nnnnn is the edition size, so <=10000 indicates this pin is from a limited edition size of 10,000
- TM (C) LOCOG 2008, indicating that the logo on the pin is a trademark and copyright of LOCOG
- 'Honav' indicating the manufacturer.
Note that pin 11 actually has the third line as (R)(C) LOCOG 2008, not TM
This information is correct at June 2009 but may become out of date as more pins are released.
Some potentially unofficial (fake) pins may have these markings in some form or another, so their presence does not, in itself, prove the pin is genuine. Look at the quality of the engraving, does the pattern look correct, is all the information there?
In August 2010, a new form of pin back appeared. Rather than being engraved, the pin back has been printed. The Beiwen pattern and the information box are still there, but the whole back is printed with black ink rather than being engraved. This back has been used on printed rather than enamelled pins.
The Backing Card
Version 1 Cards
The first pins to be released (up to pin 0019) were on cards which measure 50mm x 89mm. The cards are either plain white or use one of the 4 London 2012 colours - pink, orange, green and blue.
Each card has the Games logo and Paralympic Games logo with the former sticking above the top of the card to form an irregular edge (easily bent in storage). At the bottom of card is a block of text explaining that the Games will be issuing 2,012 pins covering everything "from culture to sport, from the environment to education".
On the reverse of the card is the standard packaging elements we would expect - a barcode, address details, 'manufactured under licence' wording, 'beware of the sharp point' warning. To support the London 2012 green credentials, the packaging states that the backing card is made from 35% recycled materials.
However the interesting items are
a) a holographic sticker with a number printed on it. This identifies that the pin is a genuine piece of London 2012 merchandise. Every souvenir that comes out of the Games shoud have this sticker, be it pins, stamps, coins etc. Even the passes for the Visa Party last August had stickers on them.
b) a printed number - this indicates the specific pin number within the limited edition, presumably it is easier and therefore cheaper to print the number on the packaging rather than engrave it on the pin. These numbers only appear on early 2012 pins and are printed on the card irrespective of whether the pin is from a limited edition or not. It was thought that this printed number would enhance 'collectibility'. Presumably production costs prevented this number being printed on later backing cards.
Version 2 Cards
The pins issued on 27 July 2009 come on a different type of card. The overall look is similar, but the later cards are 50mm x 119mm and the 2012 logos are printed within the area of the card rather than sticking proud of the top. The details on the reverse are the same as the originals with a slightly different layout. The holgraphic sticker is on the front of the card rather than the back. Also, even though all the pins issued on 27 July are limited editions, none of the backing cards has a number printed on them.
Version 3 Cards
The pins issued in August 2010 have come on a third type of card. These cards are the same size as the version 2 cards, but are now coloured and branded to match the new type of packaging that has been available since April 2010 with items such as magnets and keyrings. The new cards present a more cohesive impression of London 2012 merchandise.
On these cards, the hologram has moved back onto the reverse of the card, and the Paralympic Games logo printed on the front now has 'Paralympic Games' printed underneath it. The front of the card contains the same text relating to issuing 2,012 pins, but now the tagline 'Wear your pin with pride' has been added.
On the reverse of the card, the size of the bar code has been reduced to make way for a larger 'Recycling' panel and the web address for the online shop has been provided. Finally there is a sentence which informs us that the purchase of the pin supports the Games.
The front and back of the 3 versions of backing cards