Name/Title
Folding SetEntry/Object ID
BG-2024.0329Description
Although it deviates from the Popper style in several details, this green board came with an AP Games branded instruction booklet -- as have two others seen at online auctions. The green bakelite handle and its fitting plate match the standard Popper boards, as do the boldly dotted points, but where one would expect to find the usual deco-style locks, this set has a simple pinhole clasp of an ornate style that suggests an earlier vintage. But of course it’s the checker tray design that’s most interesting, as this model suggests a mid-point experiment between the original patent design and the final design. It’s not surprising that the result failed to satisfy: the checkers had to be especially thin (.25″) to fit in the shallow tray, and the dice compartment could only accommodate one of the smaller .75″ doubling cubes that were often included in the less expensive sets of the time. A final notable detail is the lack of cork bumpers affixed to the rails, as well as the absence of any "patent stamp" on the set -- if it were an early design, one might expect Popper to mark it as he did his other sets in the mid-late 1930's. It is difficult to date this set, as the many details point in conflicting directions.Made/Created
Date made
circa 1935 - 1942Time Period
Modern BackgammonOther Names and Numbers
Other Numbers
Number Type
SequenceOther Number
1937_07_10Dimensions
Dimension Description
Checker diameter: 1.50" (.25" thick)
Cube size: .75"Materials
Material
BakeliteMaterial Notes
Surface: cork
Pieces, cube: bakelite
Handle: bakelite
Case: faux alligator wrapColors
Color Notes
Green & White points, cork field
Green & Yellow checkers
