Set Description:
This set aims to include every ASM Pence price variant copy graded CGC 8.0 or better if such grade exists for each issue. .
Due to extreme scarcity, I chose the grade of CGC 8.0 as a realistic achievement, keeping in mind that many issues have yet to surface above this grade. As of December 23rd, 2023, the following census numbers demonstrate the task at hand.
The UK ASM run ended with issue #120. Later issues have a few scattered exceptions, but the "Run" itself is the focus.
Comparing the Pop report / Census, we can see the following comparisons.
Issues #1-120 total copies graded: Cent Copies 213,461 compared to 1,972 UK Pence Price Variants.
Issues #1-120 In Grades 8,0 or better: 76,242 US Cents Copies compared to 248 total UK Pence Price Variants.
Again, only 248 TOTAL UK Pence Copies exist in the grades of 8.0 or better. Not a single 9.8 exists.
The U.K. Price Variant covers are easily identified by the notation of Pence (9d, 10d, etc.) instead of Cents (12 cents, 15 cents etc.) on the cover.
Every key issue from the early 1960's birth of Marvel's historic superhero run boasts both standard "Cents" AND "Pence" "Price Variants".
Not every issue of Marvel's best-selling and most popular titles was made available to the UK, and as such, some were never produced with Pence variant pricing on the cover. This makes completing entire title runs impossible as many issues do not exist with Pence cover pricing,
As a result, issue gaps of such issues are inevitable, yet occasionally, an unknown issue previously thought to be non-existent surfaces to fill an empty issue slot. Please contact me if you have any copies for sale that I do not have. I would love to purchase them.
9d &10d copies on average, are roughly 100 times scarcer than 10,12 or 15-cent US Versions. Both were produced during the same initial press runs. As a result, the issues are identical in every aspect: Cover, Interior, Advertisements, and Indicia.
The price & month are the only identifiable differences, making the 9d,10d,12d UK Price Variant (as recognized by CGC) the only Price Variant to exist during Marvel's most significant and formative years of the early 1960's. The scarcity of these books often results in mid-grade copies representative of the "Highest graded copy."
It is possible that UK variants were produced BEFORE the US copies.
UK (Pence price variant) ink tones are typically darker and richer in color, a characteristic of pulp first or early press runs.
UK (Pence price Variant) copies seldom have Marvel chipping, a characteristic of a dull blade or latter press run.
Proximity may have also necessitated early press runs to meet the demand of mutual newsstand release dates. For this to occur during the pre-Federal Express days of the early 1960's, Marvel would have had to physically release the product to overseas couriers before US distributors to allow for transport time. Does one presume that US copies remained stacked in warehouses? Doubtful, but It seems logical that since Pence-priced covers represented a small fraction of the overall production run, they would be first in line on the printer, then printed, pulled, and shipped while the bulk of the print run slated for the US continued. This practice would reduce time lapse. This remains a subject for debate.
What is clear is that Pence price variants are Marvel's first price variants.
As of this writing, here is a list of ASM issues not produced with Pence-priced covers.
Issue Numbers 18-19, 21-27, 42,43, 55-70, 80,81, 85, 88-90, 92-93, 103, 108, 111-112, 114-118, and ironically, #'s 121 and up.
It's as though fate somehow deprived the Brits of having access to the most significant issues of the bronze age!
The death of Gwen Stacy and the subsequent death of the Green Goblin, along with the first-ever appearance of the Punisher, was unfortunately left out. Certainly noteworthy and not produced for the Brits, Wolverine's 1st appearance in Hulk 180 & 181, X-men #94, GS X-men #1 Ghost Rider #1, a pair of Luke's, Skywalker, and Cage as well as many other significant issues.
Here are but a few Bronze age Key's NOT produced with a Pence-priced variant cover:
ASM #121,122,129,
Hulk 181
GS X-men #1
X-men #94
Marvel Spotlight #5
Hero for Hire #1 etc.
Star Wars #1
Tomb of Dracula #1
WW By Night #1
To summarize, UK Pence-Price variants of many early to mid-1970s Bronze Age keys were not produced. Fortunately, Pence Priced Variants exist in ALL of the MEGA Keys from Marvel's historic early 1960s, including AMAZING FANTASY #15, FANTASTIC FOUR #1,4,5,45,48 And most issues in between, HULK #1, JIM #83, TOSS #39, and more, with each just as scarce or scarcer than that ASM issues above.
If anyone ever stumbles across one of these missing bronze age keys listed above, PLEASE let me know, as I would love to pick them up.
I will continue to chip away at ASM gaps and upgrade lower-graded copies, price permitting, to complete what does exist and, if really lucky, perhaps find a few unknown issues to the list.
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