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目次
はじめに｜実在するポケモンコインのプロトタイプ/Introduction | Actual Pokémon Coin Prototypes
A large number of Pokémon coins have been released throughout the history of the Pokémon Trading Card Game.
The coins we normally encounter are finished products that were officially approved and distributed to the public. Before those coins reached their final form, however, prototypes were created to test elements such as their designs, sizes, and molds.
Thanks to the cooperation of overseas collector N, I recently had the opportunity to photograph several coins believed to have been produced during the development process.
While investigating their provenance, I came across a 2023 Reddit post by a person who claimed to have worked for a company involved in manufacturing Pokémon coins for the North American market.
His posts provide fascinating information not only about the prototypes themselves, but also about how Pokémon coins were designed, reviewed, and ultimately approved for production.
In this article, I will introduce the actual coins in N's collection while exploring the little-known manufacturing process behind Pokémon coins.
The manufacturing information presented in this article is primarily based on statements made by an individual claiming to be a former employee of a company that manufactured Pokémon coins for the North American market. Details such as the factory name and employment records have not been independently verified, so such information is presented as testimony rather than independently established fact.
Redditに現れたポケモンコイン製造関係者/A Former Pokémon Coin Manufacturing Engineer Appears on Reddit
今回のコインについて調べるうえで重要な手掛かりとなったのが、2023年にRedditへ投稿された「My very unique Pokemon coin collection」という投稿です。
An important clue to the origins of these coins comes from a Reddit post published in 2023 titled "My very unique Pokemon coin collection."
The poster, using the username "Molten_Gopher," described himself as a former design/process engineer at a company that manufactured Pokémon coins for the North American distributor.
In the comments, he stated that he had worked there for a little less than three years.
Importantly, he did not claim to have been an employee of The Pokémon Company itself.
Rather, he described himself as an engineer working for an outside manufacturer that produced Pokémon coins for the North American market.
The photographs he posted showed a remarkable number of unusual Pokémon coins, including prototypes, rejected samples, and manufacturing rejects.
リザードン｜コインのサイズを決めるために作られた試作品/Charizard | Prototypes Made to Determine a New Coin Size
According to the Reddit poster, these coins were prototypes created to test different size options when Pokémon was considering increasing the size of its coins.
The poster explained that the coins were produced in progressively larger sizes and recalled that only five examples of each size were made.
In September 2023, a similar set of four Charizard prototypes appeared on eBay under the title "Pokemon TCG Coin Prototypes, Charizard, Gold Mirror Foil (Set of 4)."
The listing similarly described them as prototypes created during the process of increasing the size of Pokémon coins. It also stated that only five examples of each size were produced and that the largest coin measured approximately 2.75 inches in diameter, closely matching the information previously shared on Reddit.
Examining the actual coins in N's collection revealed another particularly interesting detail about their sizes.
Of the four prototypes, the approximately 42 mm coin is nearly identical in size to the X-Large-sized coins used today, while the approximately 51.5 mm coin closely matches the Jumbo-sized format.
Based on comparisons with these known sizes in photographs, the remaining two coins are estimated to measure approximately 59 mm and 70 mm. The largest coin also corresponds closely with the approximately 2.75-inch, or 69.9 mm, measurement stated in the eBay listing.
The four prototypes can therefore be summarized as follows:
画像/Image
サイズ/Size
備考/Notes
約42mm
後のエクストララージサイズとほぼ同じ Nearly identical to the later X-Large size
What makes these prototypes particularly interesting is what happened to Pokémon coin sizes afterward.
The approximately 51.5 mm Jumbo size was eventually adopted for commercially released Pokémon coins. Years later, coins measuring approximately 42 mm also appeared officially as the X-Large size.
In other words, of the four sizes reportedly explored during this prototype stage, at least two would later appear as official Pokémon coin sizes at different points in time.
There is currently no evidence establishing that these specific 42 mm and 51.5 mm prototypes directly determined the specifications of the later X-Large and Jumbo coins.
Nevertheless, it is remarkable that two sizes explored during this early prototype stage closely correspond to sizes that were eventually adopted for officially released Pokémon coins.
The approximately 59 mm and 70 mm prototypes are equally interesting, as they suggest that even larger formats were considered during the size-testing process but, at least so far, have not appeared as standard production sizes.
Together, these prototypes provide a rare glimpse into how the familiar dimensions of Pokémon coins may have been explored and evaluated before reaching commercially released products.
Another Reddit user asked the poster why the size of Pokémon coins had been changed.
The poster responded that he was not certain of the exact reason.
However, he recalled that Pokémon coins had previously needed to be enlarged because they had been considered a choking hazard. He therefore suggested that changing safety standards may have been one possible reason for the later size increase.
It is important to note that the poster himself presented this only as a possibility.
Therefore, it cannot be stated as fact that the move to the current Jumbo size was specifically made to prevent choking.
メガガブリアス｜1点物とされる特殊なプロトタイプ/Mega Garchomp | A Unique Prototype Described as One of a Kind
今回確認したコインの中でも、特に興味深いのがメガガブリアスです。
One of the most intriguing coins examined for this article is a Garchomp prototype.
The Reddit poster showed an unusual Garchomp coin with a blue-and-white marbled appearance and explained that it had been created as an attempt to demonstrate to Pokémon that coins did not have to be limited to solid colors.
He further stated that he had someone stamp his particular example, making it "the only one of its kind."
N's Garchomp coin also has a distinctive mark on its surface.
If this mark and other identifying characteristics correspond with those visible in previously published photographs, it raises the possibility that N's coin is not merely another example of the same prototype, but the very same individual coin that appeared in the Reddit post.
そして、このプロトタイプが製作された目的を考えるうえで非常に興味深いのが、2026年9月16日に発売される「ポケモンカードゲーム MEGA 30th CELEBRATION FUTURISTIC BOX」です。
Another particularly interesting point when considering the purpose of this prototype is the "Pokémon Card Game MEGA 30th CELEBRATION FUTURISTIC BOX," scheduled for release on September 16, 2026.
This product will include two Pokémon coins made with a marbled material similar to that used for the Mega Garchomp prototype.
The marbled prototype was reportedly created to demonstrate that Pokémon coins could be produced using something other than a single solid color. Years later, coins featuring a similar marbled characteristic would eventually be adopted for an officially released product.
Of course, no evidence has been found to establish a direct connection between this Garchomp prototype and the coins included in the "30th CELEBRATION FUTURISTIC BOX."
Nevertheless, it is fascinating to see a characteristic similar to the unusual marbled effect once explored in a prototype eventually appear in an officially released Pokémon product.
At first glance, the two coins appear almost identical.
According to the poster, however, the first prototype was rejected because the detail cuts were 0.01 inches too shallow.
That difference is approximately 0.254 mm and can be extremely difficult to distinguish with the naked eye.
The account provides a glimpse into the approval process: a prototype would be manufactured and submitted for review, and if it failed to meet the required specifications, it would be revised and another version produced.
The poster displayed two Lycanroc coins and explained that the coin on the left was a prototype rejected by Pokémon, while the coin on the right was the version that was eventually released.
According to him, the prototype was rejected because some of its lines were too thin.
This means that prototypes could exist that look almost identical to the finished product while differing only in extremely subtle details such as line thickness.
When a coin is discovered with minor design differences, it may therefore not necessarily be a manufacturing error or ordinary variation. In some cases, such differences could potentially represent an earlier prototype specification.
Regarding a large group of coins featuring unusual colors or foil patterns, he stated that, if he remembered correctly, they were "factory rejects" with either the wrong foil type or the wrong color.
He even claimed that he had literally retrieved some of them from the trash.
This suggests that the collection contained several different categories of coins: intentionally produced prototypes, prototypes rejected during the approval process, manufacturing rejects or discarded pieces, and normal production coins.
An unusual color or foil pattern alone therefore does not necessarily indicate that a coin is a prototype.
The poster also provided unusually detailed information about how the coins were designed.
According to him, Pokémon supplied the manufacturer with artwork showing exactly what it wanted.
The manufacturer would then essentially trace that artwork to create a 3D model.
The software used for the 3D modeling process was Autodesk Inventor.
The resulting model was exported as an STL file and transferred to CAD/CAM software used to produce the molds.
The poster could not remember the name of the CAD/CAM software, but said that it was proprietary software created by the company that manufactured their CNC mills.
Based on his account, the development process appears to have involved receiving artwork from Pokémon, creating a 3D model, exporting an STL file, preparing machining data using CAD/CAM software, CNC machining, mold production, prototype production, and finally review by Pokémon.
ポケモン側の品質チェックは非常に厳しかった/Pokémon's Quality Standards Were Extremely Strict
The poster described working with Pokémon as having both positive and negative aspects.
One of the most difficult aspects, according to him, was the extremely strict quality standard.
If he remembered correctly, the required tolerances were approximately ±0.003 inches, or about ±0.076 mm.
He also stated that submitted prototypes were literally placed under a microscope to check their measurements.
This account is consistent with his descriptions of the Kyogre prototype being rejected over a 0.01-inch difference in detail depth and the Lycanroc prototype being rejected because certain lines were too thin.
The Pokémon coins we casually handle today may therefore be the result of a surprisingly precise process of adjustment and inspection.
公式発表前のポケモン情報も工場へ届いていた/Artwork for Unannounced Pokémon Also Reached the Manufacturer
The poster also claimed that artwork for new Legendary Pokémon and starter Pokémon sometimes reached the manufacturer months before those Pokémon were officially announced.
As a specific example, he mentioned Zacian and Zamazenta.
According to his recollection, the two were referred to at the time as "Cyan" and "Magenta" rather than by their final names.
If accurate, this suggests that coin manufacturers could receive design information about new Pokémon well before their official public reveal.
Nさんのコインが現在まで残った経緯/How Did These Coins End Up in N's Collection?
Putting the available information together provides a possible picture of the provenance of N's coins.
In 2023, a person claiming to have worked for a manufacturer of Pokémon coins for the North American market posted his collection on Reddit.
The collection included Charizard size samples, rejected prototypes, the unusual Garchomp coin, factory rejects, and other coins associated with the manufacturing process.
Around September 2023, a set titled "Pokemon TCG Coin Prototypes, Charizard, Gold Mirror Foil (Set of 4)" appeared on eBay.
The stated purpose, dimensions, and production quantities in the eBay description closely match the information previously provided in the Reddit post.
These coins are believed to have subsequently entered N's collection.
At present, however, independent documentation has not been found confirming that the Reddit poster and the eBay seller were the same person, nor has every coin in N's collection been conclusively identified as the exact individual specimen shown in the Reddit photographs.
Their provenance should therefore be considered a reconstruction based on the available evidence rather than completely verified fact.
まとめ｜プロトタイプから見えてきたポケモンコインの製造過程/Conclusion | What These Prototypes Reveal About Pokémon Coin Manufacturing
The coins introduced here are more than simply rare Pokémon coins that were never commercially released.
Some were created to determine an appropriate new size.
Some were intended for production but rejected because of extremely small differences in their specifications.
Others were experiments intended to demonstrate new manufacturing possibilities.
Still others were manufacturing rejects that were never intended to leave the factory.
Although all of these coins may appear to fall under the broad category of "unusual Pokémon coins," their origins and purposes are very different.
Most importantly, their survival gives us a rare opportunity to glimpse a part of the process that cannot be seen by studying finished products alone: how a Pokémon coin progressed from artwork and prototype to the final coin released to the public.
I would like to express my sincere thanks to N for giving me the opportunity to examine and photograph these exceptionally rare coins.
Pokemon Coin Fan will continue to research and document the many varieties, histories, and mysteries surrounding Pokémon coins.
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