Reaction of the bisphenol that is formally the Diels-Alder adduct of 2,6-dihydroxy-9,10-diacetoxyanthracene and dimethyl maleate with bis-acid chlorides and base in phase transfer catalysed reactions gives precursor polyethers. On heating the latter in a vacuum at 250-280 degreesC retro-Diels-Alder reactions occur, with the loss of dimethyl maleate, to afford polymers containing 9,10-diacetoxyanthracene residues. Treating the precursor polyethers with sodium ethoxide in NN-dimethylformamide converts them into soluble polymers containing units which are the disodium salts of the hydroanthraquinone. Aerial oxidation of these solutions gives polymers containing anthra-9,10-quinone (AQ) residues. Selected examples of the polymers containing 9,10-diacetoxyanthracene residues were similarly converted into the soluble polymers containing salt residues and thence into the corresponding AQ-containing polymers. Thus, we have shown that AQ-containing polymers can be prepared successfully by this novel type of precursor polymer approach.