Everyone knows about the game Monopoly where you buy landmarks and hotels and take chance, try and avoid jail and travel round the board trying to avoid landing on opponents property’s. Many different versions exsist and the properties used are normally based on the location or film/TV featured.

The game consists of forty spaces on the outside edge of the board, with twenty-eight properties, three chance spaces, three community chest, four corners, Go, Jail amongst others.

In September 2006 the US edition of Monopoly Here and Now was released. This edition featured top landmarks across the US and the properties featured were decided by the people voting online during spring 2006.

Each player has a token to represent them they have changed slightly over the year but are usually Wheelbarrow (since 1937), Battleship, Race car, Thimble, Boot/Old Show, Terrier Dog, Top Hat, Cat (2013+). Tokens used previously but now retried are Rocking Horse, Purse, Lantern, Man on horse Back, Iron, Cannon, Sack of Money.

Some special editions also took the opportunity to have limited tokens the Australian version included a pewter koala, and 1982 Canadian edition had a pewter beaver.

The board game Monopoly was finally formed when an American called Elizabeth J Magie Phillips who had invented a game to try and explain tax and aspects of negative property ownership. Variations based on her concept and several patents were granted from 1906-1934.

In 1936 Parker Brothers licensed the game for sale outside the USA. In 1941 Waddington Ltd created a special edition for the Secret Intelligence Service for World War II prisoners of war who were held by the Nazis. Hidden within the games were real money, maps,compasses and other objects which would be useful to escape.

Parker Brothers and its parent companies (Hasbro) continue to hold the trademarks and since 1994 numberous special editions have been released tailored and most cities and series themes including San Diego, London and Star Wars Monopoly.