Identifying Tokens

Part 4 of 5

How-To

Reading Catalog Codes

How to read the cectoken catalog code format: brand prefix, type-and-sequence number, composition suffix, and variant qualifier.

Updated Jun 5, 2026

Every token in the cectoken catalog has a unique catalog code. The code is more than a unique identifier: it encodes type, sequence, composition, and variant information in a compact shorthand. Once you can read a catalog code at a glance, you can navigate the catalog and discuss tokens with other collectors much more efficiently.

Chuck E. Cheese 101B 1977 Chuck E Cheese Token (101B) (1977) token — front and reverse
$171.53

1977 Chuck E Cheese Token (101B)

Vintage: 1977
Diameter: 25mm
Orientation: Medal
Composition: Brass
Ownership Rate: 11.61%

The general format

A typical catalog code looks like one of:

  • 101B
  • S02aN-pink
  • PP202N
  • DZ104pB
  • M04pB-orange

Reading left to right:

  1. Optional brand prefix (1 to 3 letters): identifies the brand when the code might otherwise collide with another brand's numbering. Chuck E. Cheese tokens are usually unprefixed; Showbiz Pizza uses S, Peter Piper uses P, Pistol Pete uses PP, Discovery Zone uses DZ, Leaps & Bounds uses LB.
  2. Type and sequence number (typically 3 digits): the first digit (or two) often encodes the type within the brand, followed by a sequence number within that type. For Chuck E. Cheese: 1xx is Rat Heads (Type 1), 2xx is Tux Chucks (Type 2), 3xx is "Where A Kid Can Be A Kid" (Type 3), 4xx is Avenger Chucks (Type 4), 5xx is Rockstar (Type 5).
  3. Composition suffix (1 letter, sometimes more): identifies the metal or finish.
  4. Optional variant qualifier: appears after a hyphen when needed (e.g., -pink for an anodized pink variant, -orange for a painted color variant).

Composition suffixes

Suffix Material
B Brass
N Nickel (or nickel-plated brass)
C Copper
aN Anodized nickel
aA Anodized aluminum
pB Painted brass
W Wood
P Plastic

Anodized and painted suffixes typically pair with a color qualifier after a hyphen: S09aN-pink, M04pB-orange, P05P-yellow.

For deeper coverage of compositions themselves, see Identifying composition by sight.

Brand prefix conventions

Prefix Brand
(none) Chuck E. Cheese (the default; unprefixed codes refer to CEC tokens)
M Chuck E. Cheese Medals
P (single P followed by digits) Chuck E. Cheese Promotional tokens (e.g., P05P)
P (followed by digits, in PPP context) Peter Piper Pizza (e.g., P101B, P202N)
PP Pistol Pete's Pizza (e.g., PP101B)
S Showbiz Pizza Place
DZ Discovery Zone
LB Leaps & Bounds

The P-prefix ambiguity (Peter Piper vs CEC Promotional) is resolved by context: Peter Piper codes are usually three digits after the P (P101B), CEC Promotional are usually two digits with a suffix that includes another letter (P05P-yellow, P04W).

Type numbering by brand

For brands with multiple major design types, the type number is the first digit (or sometimes the first two digits) of the catalog code:

Chuck E. Cheese

  • 1xx: Type 1 (Rat Heads era, 1977 to 1982; includes both 1a unprefixed and 1b city variants)
  • 2xx: Type 2 (Tux Chucks, 1983 to 1990)
  • 3xx: Type 3 ("Where A Kid Can Be A Kid", 1990 to 2006)
  • 4xx: Type 4 (Avenger Chucks, 1996 to 2013; subdivided into 4a and 4b)
  • 5xx: Type 5 (Rockstar Chucks, 2013 to present)

Showbiz Pizza Place (S prefix)

  • S01: Type 1 (Pizza Show Biz)
  • S02 through S20: Type 2 (Showbiz Pizza Place main era)
  • S14 through S16: Type 3 (Fiesta / Juarez)
  • S19: Type 4 (UK and UAE)

Peter Piper Pizza (P prefix)

  • 1xx: Type 1 (text-based)
  • 2xx: Type 2 (Rocky mascot)
  • 3xx: Type 3 (slogan era and multi-value)
  • 4xx: Type 4 (game tokens)
  • 5xx: Promotional (Randy Johnson set)

Pistol Pete (PP prefix)

  • 1xx: Type 1 (Lil Pete, single line)
  • 2xx: Type 2 (Lil Pete, two line)
  • 3xx: Type 3 (cowboy, single line)
  • 4xx: Type 4 (cowboy, two line)

Variant qualifiers

When the same base design exists in multiple variants, the catalog appends a qualifier after a hyphen:

  • Color variants on anodized or painted pieces: -pink, -blue, -darkblue, -lightblue, -olive, -red, -black, -orange, -gold, -silver
  • Vintage-specific variants for pieces with mid-year design changes (rare; usually called out in the variety field rather than the code)

How to use the catalog code in practice

A few patterns that come up often:

  • "What is 101B?" → Chuck E. Cheese (no prefix), Type 1 (the 1xx range), sequence 01, brass. So: a 1977 Rat Heads brass token.
  • "What is S09aN-pink?" → Showbiz (S prefix), catalog 09 within Type 2 (the main era), anodized nickel, pink color variant.
  • "What is PP402B?" → Pistol Pete (PP prefix), Type 4 (cowboy, two-line), sequence 02, brass.
  • "What is M01N?" → Chuck E. Cheese Medal (M prefix), 25th Anniversary, nickel.

Where the codes come from

The cectoken.com catalog assigns codes as new tokens are documented. The numbering is sequential within type, so the first Type 1 token discovered was 101, the second was 102, and so on. When new variants surface, they get the next available sequence number.

The codes are stable: a token's catalog code doesn't change after the initial assignment, even when new variants are added or the catalog is restructured. That stability matters because catalog codes are how collectors reference specific pieces in trade conversations, sales listings, and reference material.

Where to go next