Buccaneer

Treasure Game

MANUFACTURED BY JOHN WADDINGTON LTD. OF LEEDS, ENGLAND.

The Buccaneer Treasure game was first produced in 1938. Over the years there were several different editions. I believe the last major change was around 1978 although the game remained on sale throughout the 1980's. The various editions introduced changes in the materials used, eg metal, wood, plastic, and changes in the presentation and/or packaging format.

Earlier editions have 6 ships, later ones have 4 ships. The board represents the sea with home ports. A tray placed in the middle of the board represents a treasure island, and holds diamonds, rubies, pearls, bars of gold, and barrels of rum. Opponents ships can be attacked and treasure or crew captured.

What follows is an attempt to illustrate the various editions, and to describe the key differences between them.

N.B. The dates given are the result of personal research and may be wrong.

Buccaneer editions

	1938-39	The board takes the form of a very large rolled up scroll of thick cloth-backed paper. Two press-studs are located in the middle which hold the cardboard treasure island in place. The scroll is stored in a cardbaord tube with the playing pieces contained in a separate box. Both are covered in red paper with a pasted on label. The second picture shows an Australian edition of this period where the scroll and playing pieces are contained together in a long box covered in black paper. I wonder if there are any English versions similar to this? The packaging and presentation of these early sets are of a remarkably high quality. The 6 heavy, hard plastic ships have removable colour coordinated wooden masts and large paper sails. The gold bars are metal, the barrels wooden, and the gem stones are set into metal mounts - 6 of each. Wonderful stuff!
	1958	In this edition the board is slightly smaller than the earlier scroll, and is hard backed with a black paper covering. A square cut out from the middle takes a plastic treasure island tray. The artwork on the box lid is wonderful and is often matched by an illustrated inner liner. The 6 ships are vinyl plastic and have no masts or sails. The gold bars are also vinyl plastic, and the gem stones are unmounted. The barrels are still wooden.
	1961-65	This version is similar to the last except that the board and box of playing pieces are separate. The board is similar to the previous version, hard backed, with black paper covering now with a pasted on label matching the one on the box.
	1967	Similar to the last but with board and playing pieces in one large box. The board is no longer hard backed, and the reverse is printed with quite an attractive checker board graphic of a pirate. N.B. I am not sure of the order in which this and the smaller boxed version came since I have also seen the blue boxed 1958 edition containing a flimsy board similar to this one.
	1971-74	The box shrinks to the more conventional board game box size of this period, and contains both playing pieces and board. There are 4 ships with detachable coloured plastic masts and plain white flimsy sails. The barrels are plastic, and the treasure is reduced to 5 of each type.
	1976-84	The board is in four interlocking sections. There is a change to the artwork on the box lid. Players now have individual red plastic, card covered "treasure chests". Another change to the lid graphic in 1980's, and the sails and masts are moulded together into single white stiff plastic pieces.