Boron Bonanza

Above: Front and back of an unopened Boron Bonanza game piece.

BORON BONANZA was a promotional game issued by Standard Oil of Ohio at its Sohio and Boron gas stations in 1969. This was a collect-and-win game with instant winners. The game consisted of a rectangular paper game piece given to customers each time they visited a participating Sohio or Boron gas station. The objective was to collect game pieces and try to assemble certain combinations in order to win cash prizes.

The Boron Bonanza game pieces are 4" x 2.25" and have perforated tabs which, when removed, allows the quad-fold game piece to be unfolded. There are two different games played with Boron Bonanza, and each game piece contains two sections - one for each game. Some game pieces are instant winners.

Cash prizes ranged from $1 to $5,000 with seventeen (!) different cash amounts available to win, the most of any oil company promotion.

The game was produced by Curtin Promotions, Inc. in New York. It was released at Sohio and Boron gas stations in Pennsylvania, Ohio and surrounding states but the indication is that less than half of the gas stations in that region participated.

Game One - The 'Collection Game'

Printed inside each Boron Bonanza game piece is a section for the 'Collection Game.' This section contains one or more letters of the word 'BONANZA' which apply to one of three cash prize amounts. The objective was to collect all the letters in the word BONANZA for a specific cash amount, in which case you won that amount - either $1,000, $2,500 or $5,000. Some game pieces are INSTANT WINNERS in which case the player won $1,000, $2,500 or $5,000 without having to collect any other game pieces.

Above: This is the inside of a common, unfolded paper game piece containing letters 'N' and 'A' for the $1,000 'Collection Game' and
the top half of the $1.00 prize for the 'Match Halves Game.' The unfolded game pieces are 3.25" tall by 9" long.

Above: This is the outside of a common, unfolded game piece.

Above: Common game piece containing letters 'O,' 'A' and 'N' for the $2,500 'Collection Game' and the bottom half
of the $300.00 prize for the 'Match Halves Game.'

Above: Common game piece containing letters 'N,' 'A' and 'Z' for the $5,000 'Collection Game' and the bottom half
of the $50.00 prize for the 'Match Halves Game.'

At least 34 different letter combinations were printed on game pieces in the 'Collection Game' section. Below is a list of observed letter combinations. In the $1,000 game, the key letter is 'A' in the #4 spot. In the $2,500 game, the key letter is 'N' in the #3 spot. In the $5,000 game, the key letter is 'O' in the #2 spot.

Observed printed letter combinations in the 'Collection Game' section on game pieces:

Prize Amount	Letter Combination
$1,000	. . N . . . A
$1,000	. . N . . Z A
$1,000	. O N . . . A
$1,000	. . N . N Z .
$1,000	. O N . . Z .
$1,000	. . . . . Z A
$1,000	. O . . . . A
$1,000	. . . . . . A
$1,000	B O . . . Z .
$1,000	. . . . . Z .

Prize Amount	Letter Combination
$2,500	B . . A . Z .
$2,500	. O . A N . .
$2,500	B . . . N . A
$2,500	B . . A N . .
$2,500	. . . A N . A
$2,500	. . . . A . .
$2,500	. . . . A . A
$2,500	B . . . . . A
$2,500	B . . . . . .

Prize Amount	Letter Combination
$5,000	. . N . N . .
$5,000	. . . . N . .
$5,000	B . N . . . A
$5,000	. . N . N Z .
$5,000	. . N . . . A
$5,000	. . . . . Z .
$5,000	B . N A . . .
$5,000	. . . . . . A
$5,000	. . N A . Z .
$5,000	. . . . N Z .
$5,000	B . . . . . A
$5,000	B . . . . . .

Game Two - The 'Match Halves Game'

Inside each Boron Bonanza game piece is a printed section for the 'Match Halves Game.' This section shows one-half of a cash amount. The objective was to collect game pieces and try to assemble both halves of the same amount, in which case the player won that amount. Some game pieces are INSTANT WINNERS - they show a completed bill with the cash amount won.

Fourteen different cash prizes were available in the 'Match Halves Game' section. The common halves are listed in the table below.

Prize Amount	Common Half
$1	Top Half
$2	Top Half
$5	Top Half
$10	Bottom Half
$50	Bottom Half
$100	Top Half
$200	Top Half
$300	Bottom Half
$400	Bottom Half
$500	Bottom Half
$600	Bottom Half
$700	Top Half
$800	Top Half
$900	Bottom Half

Above: Scarce $1.00 INSTANT WINNER game piece.

Above Left: Scarce, prize-winning half (bottom half) of the $1.00 prize.
Above Right: Common half (top half) of the $1.00 prize.

The number of different printed game pieces issued is unknown. I have 40 different game pieces in my collection. I estimate the total number of different game pieces issued is between 56 and 72.

Above: Front and back of a rare manufacturing error. This game piece was mis-cut, mis-folded and mis-perforated.
The rules state that printing errors are "null and void."

Use your back button or Click here to return to the main game page.