The ‘6’ is not a normal looking 6, it could look like a 5, but it’s 6. I have 1 of those old ones sitting right here. Also, the sculpt that everyone is accustomed to didn’t even make it out til 1987, but the copyright was made in 1986.
I’ll see if I can dig up some ol’ pics to show you what I’m talking about… doubtfully so though. I can’t remember if I snapped the backside up close.
This is going to be a very interesting read, indeed.
Here is mine, an old flesh colored edition ‘The Mask.’ This is the 1987 sculpt that everyone knows.
The 6 looks like a 5, but it’s a 6.
Hey Billy, the 6 in your pic looks like a 6. LOL.
Mine was very clear as a 5.
this is gone be good
I STAND CORRECTED BILLY! Just found an old pic of mine… and I did actually take a pic of the date back in the day.
It does indeed look like it has a slightly curved top on the 5.
So yup, looks like it is supposed to be 1986. Can you see why I had an image in my head that it was definitely a “5” though?
Damn you Don Post… always confusing the hell out of us collectors! LOL 
mine is clearly a 5 i have a 86 to and its totally differnt.the 5 is a 5.heres a bad pic but its a 5 tommy
Let me get everything together and the article will explain the Part 4 mask pretty much. Should I do one on ‘The Mask’ too?
just seen warlocks post i stand corrected…tommy
Sorry man, they copyrighted that sculpt in 1986 for the 1987 production run and subsequent runs after that until a re-sculpt in the 90’s. You want to see 85 but it’s 86.
Did the ears on the mask from Halloween 4 come from the 86 DP The Mask?
Maybe I’m overthinking things here… but they look familiar.
The 1986 FIRST release is entirely a different sculpt all together. It’s very small and they used brown/yellow latex and painted it translucent white, flesh coming thru.
They used this version to make the mask to Halloween 4. This explains the ‘high’ eyebrows, the neck extension and the smile on the lips and the ‘Kirk’ features that some see; 100%!
It will be a great read for all of you.
hey billy i postd that i seen warlocks post and i was wrong.witch makes sense cuz i have had this mask since 87…tommy
Wow, you learn something new everyday.
Thanks for putting this together, Billy. I can’t wait to read it.
A BIG tip of the hat should actually go to Sam McCain for basically pointing all this out LONG ago. I believe it was Sam who suggested it was the very first release of ‘The Mask’ that was used. All I did was find the mask, start comparing with the stills I have and talk to Post.
1+1+1+1=dosen’t equal 4, it equals Halloween 4. 
Hmmm, now I am intrigued again. The “1985” on my mask is a CLEAR “1985”. There is absolutely no way that it could be confused for “1986”. If you say that they were mistakedly stamped “1985”, I can believe it. But, saying that they actually say “1986” and that the 6 just looks like a 5, I would have to disagree. I know you have done all of the research, but the fact remains that I have the mask in my hands and it clearly reads 1985.
I will take the mask home tonight and post pics to show what I am talking about.
If it has the BIG OL’e “C” like the others, it’s 1986! If it was a 5, it would have been printed completely different. I will see if I have an 85 DP around here somewhere.
Yep, it has a big ol’ C with a circle around it. On the outside of the left flap (as you are looking at it) it has a circled C, then says:
1985 DON POST
STUDIOS INC.
On the right flap, it says:
TM
A DON POST MASK
The reason I am so stubborn about this is because on the “5”, the line that goes from the top left to halfway down the left side of the “5” is completely straight, not at all curved. If this was a “6” in disguise, I would think that line would be curved, or the edges would be slightly rounded.
Billy, you are one of my favorite members on the boards (that i dont know personally). . GREAT STUFF BUDDY!