Piston Slap: Minting Theories on Vintage Automotive Medallions

Ryan writes:

Does anyone in the Hagerty Community know anything about these medallions? They are totally flat and have no pins, hooks, or loops that would enable them to be worn on clothing or as jewelry.

They were stashed away in a small box of electronics by my grandpa Ralph, who worked for decades at KOMO in Seattle. My dad doesn’t know how he might have acquired these. Any guesses?

Sajeev answers:

I’m breathing a sigh of relief because your request is directed to Hagerty Media readers, because my knowledge of “minted” collectables is basically zero. If someone wants to discuss 1:18 scale diecasts, that’s another story.

Maybe I can start the conversation in the right direction. Odds are a minting company created “orphan automotive brand” medallions as a collectible akin to postage stamps or coins.

That’s because there is a market for collectibles outside of legal tender, like the limited-production creations from places like the Franklin Mint. But your grandfather worked in the media (or for a media organization), so I’m gonna throw a curveball and say these were made as promotional items.

Promotional items have been a thing for centuries, as minting companies like Scovill, Osborne, and Gorham produced non-legal-tender coins nearly 200 years ago. One of the earliest pieces of American promotional materials was a commemorative button made for George Washington back in 1789. But enough backstory, who actually gives out these medallions?

I think it was a gas or repair station in the automotive service vertical. Firestone, Goodyear, Shell, Texaco, etc. are all likely suspects. As the U.S. Interstate system grew and driving became more crucial to the American way of life, these businesses needed to promote themselves to gain market share.

As a media professional who (very rarely, thankyouverymuch) gets free stuff from OEMs, I firmly believe it’s a great idea to throw a set of coins at a Radio/TV station like KOMO in hopes of getting some media coverage out of it.

And an orphan car coin collection produced a decade or three after the Great Depression is a fantastic idea. I would give each one away for free, after the customer buys a quart of oil or a couple gallons of gas. The local media might eat it up on a slow news day, because there would be a lot of folks who either owned products from those lost brands or remember them fondly.

And with that, I look forward to reading your thoughts in the comments below!

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