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Posted 02/25/2025 09:38 am
WHC wrote:
The intent of Jacob Bunn was to present the medals on Lincoln's birthday ( February 12 ) beginning in 1924. . .see the first quote in my post.
From the cited article in my post:
The example I've presented is one of thousands produced for the initial year of the contest and as such, I would not consider it rare or valuable. The backstory is fascinating (to me. . .)
Quote:
Question about the date on the reverse. What is the reason for writing the date?
Question about the date on the reverse. What is the reason for writing the date?
The intent of Jacob Bunn was to present the medals on Lincoln's birthday ( February 12 ) beginning in 1924. . .see the first quote in my post.
From the cited article in my post:
Quote:
The booklet announcing the contest was sent to twenty-three thousand American high schools. The watch company gave participating schools wide latitude in setting up the contest, yet it also offered the assistance of both its Lincoln Essay Bureau and the Lincoln Centennial Association (of which Paul M. Angle was the executive secretary and Jacob Bunn was a director). Principals and teachers could expect to receive "information and stories of the life of Lincoln" from time to time, and they could send in the name of each winner and a copy of each winning essay, if they wished. But nothing was required, and the efforts of the essay bureau were probably focused on mailings of the medal. The details of the contest were incidental to the company's hope that it would "increase the study of Lincoln," advance "the high ideals that Lincoln's life exemplified," and serve "as an incentive to better government."
Although the medals first struck for the contest were dated on the anniversary of Lincoln's birthday in 1924, the booklet concluded with a letter of March 4, written by Francis G. Blair, the Illinois Superintendent of Public Instruction, which referred to "unavoidable delays" in starting the contest—delays occasioned at least partly by Volk's stand against commercializing Lincoln. When Volk opened the shipping carton containing the finished product, however, he must have been surprised to see that the medallion itself rested in a velvet-lined display case, on the lid of which was printed, in capital letters, the words "Presented by / Illinois Watch Co. / Springfield." It seems never to have occurred to Volk, when he campaigned against the company's name on the medal, that it would appear on the case instead. Of course, case and medal often became separated in 1924 and afterwards.
The booklet announcing the contest was sent to twenty-three thousand American high schools. The watch company gave participating schools wide latitude in setting up the contest, yet it also offered the assistance of both its Lincoln Essay Bureau and the Lincoln Centennial Association (of which Paul M. Angle was the executive secretary and Jacob Bunn was a director). Principals and teachers could expect to receive "information and stories of the life of Lincoln" from time to time, and they could send in the name of each winner and a copy of each winning essay, if they wished. But nothing was required, and the efforts of the essay bureau were probably focused on mailings of the medal. The details of the contest were incidental to the company's hope that it would "increase the study of Lincoln," advance "the high ideals that Lincoln's life exemplified," and serve "as an incentive to better government."
Although the medals first struck for the contest were dated on the anniversary of Lincoln's birthday in 1924, the booklet concluded with a letter of March 4, written by Francis G. Blair, the Illinois Superintendent of Public Instruction, which referred to "unavoidable delays" in starting the contest—delays occasioned at least partly by Volk's stand against commercializing Lincoln. When Volk opened the shipping carton containing the finished product, however, he must have been surprised to see that the medallion itself rested in a velvet-lined display case, on the lid of which was printed, in capital letters, the words "Presented by / Illinois Watch Co. / Springfield." It seems never to have occurred to Volk, when he campaigned against the company's name on the medal, that it would appear on the case instead. Of course, case and medal often became separated in 1924 and afterwards.
The example I've presented is one of thousands produced for the initial year of the contest and as such, I would not consider it rare or valuable. The backstory is fascinating (to me. . .)
" Even a clock that's stopped is right twice a day. "
Edited by cptbilly
02/25/2025 09:48 am
02/25/2025 09:48 am
