With demand spiralling Darrow took the decision to seek a backer for full production. As demand grew, Darrow had a friend – a jobbing printer – produce the first printed boards and production rose to six sets a day, selling for $2.50 each. This original version was for Darrow’s own amusement, but word soon got around and soon his friends and neighbours were clamouring for their own copies. The complete game weighs 51.21 carats and has a gemstone on each property.Īll of this is a far cry from the hand drawn oil-cloth prototype devised by Charles Darrow in 1933, with its hand-written cards. The dice, too, are gold, with 42 full cut diamonds to display the numbers. In addition to the standard six playing pieces, extra tokens – which include a cannon and a rocking horse – are also crafted in solid 18-carat gold. The houses and hotels, each with a ruby or sapphire on top the chimney, are made of solid 18-carat gold, and the play money is printed on metallic gold coloured paper. The set boasts 168 gemstones including diamonds, sapphires and rubies. The centre-piece at the Park Lane party will be a unique version of the game produced by jeweller Sidney Mobell, of San Francisco, valued at a staggering $2 million. The set also includes a ‘Top Hat’ dice cup, two card trays, a banker’s tray, wooden houses and hotels and is expected to retail at around £40. For the first time the classic board, money and cards have been redesigned and enhanced.
To mark the Diamond Anniversary of the game, UK maker’s Waddington are producing a limited 60th Anniversary edition, each numbered and dated for posterity.
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