Wacca, Wacca, Wacca, Wacca, DUH, Duh, duhhhhhh. PAC-MAN is back with a new shaped stacker bullion coin

The videogame invasion of the coin industry continues with the latest classic arcade game release from US mega-dealer, APMEX. PAC-MAN has already put in an appearance in both the bullion and proof coin markets, when APMEX issued a 40th anniversary piece last December, but todays release is a little more unusual than that one. It isn’t only a rare shaped bullion coin, but it’s also a stackable one.

Instead of just taking the ultra-iconic design of PAC-MAN for its style, they’ve actually gone a step further in making it in ‘pixellated’ form. The shape we see as a modified circle on the arcade screen is actually made up of pixels, in this case a grid of 13 by 12 of them, which can look coarse when viewed closely enough. APMEX have cleverly replicated this on the design, forming the shape on a grid 13 squares high by 12 wide. The rim edge is low on the reverse face and high on the obverse, and done in such a way that the coins stack together. It’s hardly the most ambitious ofstackable elements, but it does tie in with the simplistic subject matter, and so does the job as intended.

There are three versions in the range this time, all weighing in at a troy ounce. The silver bullion coin comes encapsulated (or in themed tubes of 20) and have a total mintage of 25,000 pieces. The gold bullion coin does come packaged in a custom tin with a Certificate of Authenticity, and is capped at 500 pieces. The sole proof coin is a silver one that’s been coloured on the reverse face to mimic our little yellow hero. That also has custom packaging, and some 2,000 will be produced. All should be available to pre-order shortly. A quirky release for sure, but an appealing one we think, given the popularity of the gaming market today.

PACMAN

Pac-Man is a maze arcade game developed and released by Namco in 1980. The original Japanese title of Puck Man was changed to Pac-Man for international releases as a preventative measure against defacement of the arcade machines by changing the P to an F. Outside Japan, the game was published by Midway Games as part of its licensing agreement with Namco America. The player controls Pac-Man, who must eat all the dots inside an enclosed maze while avoiding four colored ghosts. Eating large flashing dots called “energizers” causes the ghosts to turn blue, allowing Pac-Man to eat them for bonus points.

The development of the game began in early 1979, directed by Toru Iwatani with a nine-man team. Iwatani wanted to create a game that could appeal to women as well as men, because most video games of the time had themes of war or sports. Although the inspiration for the Pac-Man character was, reportedly, the image of a pizza with a slice removed, Iwatani has said he also rounded out the Japanese character for mouth, kuchi. The in-game characters were made to be cute and colorful to appeal to younger players. The original Japanese title of Puckman was derived from the titular character’s hockey-puck shape. (Source: Wikipedia)