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Does anyone have any info about this card? I acquired it last year and then just today wrote an extensive article on it, which you can read here. Any help is appreciated. Thanks.
I have serious doubts about your theory of this card being a special prize. I think it's much more likely this was an unstamped replacement card that later entered the hobby through the Pinnacle Brands bankruptcy auction, then was stamped by a seller who wanted to increase its value by deceiving buyers. While I can't be 100% positive of either theory, my evidence is the difference in fonts of the stamped serial numbers. Pinnacle was very consistent across all its 1996 brands in the font used for the numbers. Notice the "1" on your card has a bottom foot to it - the horizontal bar at the bottom of the number. Pinnacle's font didn't have a bottom bar, like the "1" on this card. The stamping on your card looks amateurish in comparison, and I can't imagine Pinnacle or its printer paying for different stamping dies/tools to make this one card.
Also, if Pinnacle did make a special 1/1 for the contest winner, I don't see any advantage to a card manufacturer not promoting the fact. Why go to the trouble to do something special and get no marketing value from it? I think the hobby would have known about this before if the card were legit.
When Pinnacle did introduce 1/1 cards to the hobby in 1997 New Pinnacle (print plates), they were very concerned with authenticity (having president sign backs of cards) and promoted them heavily. I do think it is interesting that this Big Bang contest probably laid the foundation for their 1997 promotion offering rewards for completing a full set of 1/1 printing plates for any one player.
