搶先看 New 2012 Americana Heroes&Legends(Six Must-See Images)

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Panini America officials revealed today that they will go back to a more traditional pack configuration for 2012 Americana Heroes & Legends — the next installment of the company’s popular Americana line slated to release July 11.

The newest iteration of the product will focus on a diverse selection of American heroes — from the athletic arena to the battlefield to space and beyond — and will be distributed in 10-card packs, 18-pack boxes and 16-box cases. Each box will deliver three autograph or memorabilia cards, nine inserts and one parallel.


Among the most unique inclusions in the new release will be four cut-autograph cards featuring actual General stars from Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Army uniform, and actual pieces of gold, silver and bronze embedded into the USA Medals insert numbered to 1, 5 and 10, respectively.

Other highlights include:

• USA Signature Materials numbered to 99
• USA Medals Gold numbered to 1
• Summer or Winter Signature Materials numbered to 99
• Military Elite Signatures numbered to 99
  

Get your first extended look at 2012 Americana Heroes & Legends below and stay tuned to The Knight’s Lance for additional updates.

          

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The Panini America Quality Control Gallery: 2012 Americana Heroes & Legends (Part 1)



Perched quietly and patiently in the back there, perhaps disguised by the considerable buzz of recent Panini America sports releases such as 2012 Prime Hockey, 2012 Rookies & Stars Football and 2012-13 NBA Hoops Basketball, sits the upcoming 2012 Americana Heroes & Legends, an eclectic, history-soaked tribute to Olympians, astronauts, presidents, Medal of Honor recipients and so much more.

Late Friday afternoon, Ben Ecklar, Panini America’s Director of Product Development, hand-delivered a revealing sleeve of hits from the recently completed quality-control process for 2012 Americana Heroes & Legends, a stunning compilation of tributes to the likes of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team, past gold-medal-winners, American war heroes and the legendary Tuskegee Airmen.

We’ll have much more on this historic release in the coming days, including a gallery of Tuskegee Airmen cards and autographs and a look at the unique four cut-autograph cards featuring actual General stars from Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Army uniform.

But for now, enjoy the first part our extensive QC gallery:

                                                  

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The Panini America Quality Control Gallery: 2012 Americana Heroes & Legends (Part 2)


On Sunday we showcased just some of the many historic inclusions within Panini America’s upcoming release of 2012 Americana Heroes & Legends. Today, we’re back with a whole new batch of gems from a unique set that pays tribute to Olympians, war heroes, the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team, astronauts, presidents and American war heroes.

Highlighting today’s gallery are autograph cards from the likes of women’s soccer legends Hope Solo and Alex Morgan, Medal of Honor recipient James L. Stone and astronauts Sally Ride and Fred Gregory.


On Tuesday we’ll offer an incredible examination of some of the sets most poignant pieces — trading-card tributes to the heroic Tuskegee Airmen and four unique memorabilia cards featuring cut autographs from Dwight D. Eisenhower as well the four metal stars from his military uniform.

Stay tuned.

                                                  

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Long before Dwight D. Eisenhower was a five-star general in the U.S. Army or the 34th President of the United States, he was a four-star general. And all four of those stars — quite literally — are at the heart of four unique trading cards Panini America created for the upcoming 2012 Americana Heroes & Legends set.

The stars incorporated into the cards — which also include cut signatures from Eisenhower — were taken from Eisenhower’s Army uniform and were donated by Mamie Doud Eisenhower, the former First Lady, almost 40 years ago to a dinner in her late husband’s honor. Panini America acquired the precious metal mementos at auction as part of a framed display that also included a black-and-white photograph of the former president in his uniform and a letter written by Ethel M. Wetzel, Doud Eisenhower’s personal secretary, dated September 9, 1974.


Since the special cards are too thick to fit into packs of 2012 Americana Heroes & Legends, they were inserted via special redemption cards — the only redemptions in the product — that are ready to be fulfilled immediately.

Eisenhower, who died in 1969, served as President from 1953 to 1961, was a five-star general in the Army during World War II and the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe. Eisenhower is still widely considered one of the greatest U.S. presidents of all time.

We’ve provided a complete gallery of the four spectacular cards below, as well as the photograph and letter that accompanied the original framed piece purchased at auction.

Tomorrow on The Knight’s Lance, we’ll have a closer look at the legendary Tuskegee Airmen cards and autographs included in 2012 Americana Heroes & Legends.