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Richard, you bring up an interesting point, did the PAMCC reproduce these medals? That would be interesting. The mystery in this is just that, who did make what I’m considering a “replicated” medal (again, my opinion).
Here’s a mention of the same 1903 medal, taken from the Internet:
“The National Association of Automobile Manufacturers conducts an Endurance Test from Chicago to Pittsburgh, and the Columbia Car driven by Bert Holcomb wins a Gold Medal. “
In 1903, if it was stated a “gold medal”, then my belief is that it would probably be solid gold, possibly gold plated. The coin you have, and one of the ones I have, appear to be unfinished, “rough” castings. The one I have that is plated appears to be gold, but the Pierce information becomes very faint, not what one would expect from an original.
It’s possible Pierce reproduced and handed out. I have heard that there are more such coins floating around, although I can’t verify that. Without provenance, they’re interesting, but not very valuable. When I first found mine, I was excited thinking they were the real thing, but time and research has cooled that feeling. I’m still glad to have anything Pierce related in hand!
Here’s a picture of the LA lube plate I found at Hershey, and a “regular” lube plate next to it for reference.
Jim, to answer your question, my plate is made of brass, but it does appear that it was nickel or chrome plated at one time, with the depressed areas painted.
Like Ed, I’ve never seen this item until this year, and for two to appear is an interesting coincidence, although they are both very obviously (I think) real…if someone faked these, they did a helluva job…
I actually touched and felt and drooled over Ed’s upholstery find, one for being a Pierce memorabilia collector, and two for being a trimmer, so anything upholstery related gets me going…
I have to tell a story on Ed…walked up to the tent, talking to him, sat down, I showed him the LA lube plate and handed it to him. At that point he received a phone call, he walked a little ways away, and glancing back at me slipped the plate into his rear pants pocket. Joking, of course, but smooth, so smooth….
I’ve found many things over the years at Hershey, but it’s so random…if I’d zigged instead of zagged, if I hadn’t walked to the end of the row to throw away the French fry container, if I’d looked right on the row instead of left, if I hadn’t walked the extra 10 steps to look down in the case holding the lube plate….it’s all luck or fate, or some combination of the two, that gets us these prizes…
John, did you get that transmission home? I was standing by it earlier in the day, cash in pocket, and all I could think about was sheesh, that sucker was heavy with bell housing and pedals and all. I was also with a friend who’d actually had my transmission apart (as a reference while restoring a similar car at White Post Restorations), and when he said “I don’t think you need it” I listened!
There are better memorabilia collections out there, but I am proud of mine, and have some interesting stuff. One thing I’ve concentrated on is getting the give aways from dealers (solid things), and documentation from each dealer (paper things, such as business cards). I’ll work on how to best present these…and prefer to do articles, as that’s a permanent record…
Thanks for putting me to work! dc
Yes, that’s the “common” one, and it’s reproduced. The one pictured above and the one I found at Hershey, with the LA mentioned, are the first two of those I’ve seen in many years of collecting Pierce memorabilia….
Jim, I just found at Hershey an identical lube plate, these are the first two I’ve seen with Los Angeles on them! Yes, I believe this style would have been installed by the dealer. There is another, more generic, lube plate, which possibly could have been installed by the factory, it seems they start showing up on cars about the time the eights came out. I’d be interested to hear other thoughts.
Richard, I’m only offering my opinion. Look how faint the “George N Pierce Co” and the word “Pierce” are…if I had just won this test, I’d be fairly disappointed if this were the coin or medal they handed to me as an award.
My belief is that, possibly, someone had an original coin, and used it as a casting pattern to make numerous replicated coins.
I would love to think that I, too, have an original coin, and the gold plated one that I have would be the front runner, but alas, I feel they are fakes.
My belief is that these coins were reproduced at some point, I do not think they are original.
I have two of them, one a “rough” casting, the other seemingly plated in gold. The plated one has a small hole at the top for some reason. The issue that I see (and was pointed out to me by another PAS member) is that the Pierce information is cast into the medal, not engraved. The original was probably a real gold piece, and would have been engraved with the winner’s information.
All that said, I have no idea when these were made, and no one I’ve talked to can add any information. Thus, if you want to believe it’s real, go right ahead. I don’t feel it is, and they’ll be included in an article I’m writing for the magazine about fakes.
Restoration horror stories? Well, I once had a fellow paint a ’34 Pierce sedan, he said he was in a bind and I foolishly paid him the full price when he was about 90% done…went to pick up car, not only not finished, but he’d skipped town and taken that nice little “Pierce” emblem off my dash as a souvenir….unless you’re great friends with the fellow doing the work, always wait until completion and delivery to let go of the last dollars, it’s the only leverage you have…
I don’t know, I posted it, showing appreciation for the progress and saying that a lot of us had been there, off to a fast start on a restoration that soon speeds up to a glacial crawl….it’s the nature of the hobby, and as you so accurately mention, no one’s schedule matches yours. I once had an engine in a machine shop for 7 years…the guy owed me a favor and was doing the work for free, so my project was ALWAYS on the back burner, but still….
Yes, thanks very much, enjoyed the company and the food, both were great!!
Company and food was great, thanks for arranging this dinner! Enjoyed it….
This appears to be an authentic one. The originals were very heavy. The reproductions were made of an alloy (possibly aluminum) and are very light (in weight, and also a different color). I was once told that the replicated medals were made by an individual, so not sure if they were PAS distributed. The originals are relatively rare.
If you want to be 100% sure, ask him to weigh it for you. The reproductions weigh 2.1 ounces, the original will weigh 5.3 ounces.
I ran into a similar situation a number of years ago here in northern Virginia. Fellow died, his son-in-law dealing with cars, had a 36 convertible coupe, V-12, but a Seagrave engine. Car was complete, running and driving, looked OK but tired. The were asking 125K, I was at the house with the son-in-law. He asked me what I thought it was worth, at first I told him I’d rather not say as he’d get upset, he said no, he’d like to know my thoughts. I told him I’d give him 50K for the car right then, as it sits, and of course, he got mad.
He sent it to an auction in Florida, where it high bid and sold at 58K.
Sometimes the family is wrong…..
Yes, the Model T club is very active, Model T was the beginning and the backbone of old car activities in the early days….I follow and participate in the MTFCA forums, and justify it by knowing that Model T rear end gear were a near perfect fit in the differential of my Model 20 Hupmobile. There is no more active group out there, and the entrance fee to touring and enjoying old car activities is no lower in any realm of the hobby. I’m cure with liking the more unusual cars, and lucky that my first Full Classic was a 1934 Pierce, and I got hooked on the quality and engineering of same….yes, not everyone can afford a custom bodied car, but the same people who pay 40K for a new car at $800 a month could do the same for a nice Pierce sedan, and actually have some value at the end of 6 or 8 years…not to mention the fun during the same period…
I agree, I once called the 1916-1924 era the “bastard years” on the AACA forum, and got censored for it. As you say, it’s a period when there were some great cars, but up until now many of them had nowhere to go! I’m not sure I agree with the CCCA decision, as I feel a club that starts changing partially to include more potential members may be in trouble, but it did bring some great cars into that club.
I agree, too, that Lincoln’s have always seemed to lag behind the price point that one would expect for such a quality car. Remember, too, that Pierce lagged behind Packard for a long time on price point, and that now seems to have changed for the “better” (depends on whether you want to sell or buy!)
I think the year and the styling hurt the Lincoln, from a price realized standpoint. The boxy styling, even if a custom body, doesn’t excite big spenders about early 1920’s cars.
Looks to me that most of the cars brought top dollar. It’s good to see Pierce getting some bidding respect, even if that’s bad for someone looking to purchase one!
I’d be willing to bet the nickel plating is correct. Remember, Pierce was making bicycles, which have plenty of plating, so it would be a continuance of that practice….
Congrats, great find! You now have time on your hands!
Glad to help. I’ve been fooling with old cars for over 50 years, as have many of you…decades ago, pot metal was holding together OK, but now, with 80 to 100 years on it, it fails easily.
About a year ago I acquired a 1927 Dodge Fast Four cabriolet, no big deal, but a rare car in it’s little world. A good friend is a Mopar collector from way back, as was his father (if the name Burchill means anything to you). He showed me all the pot metal pitfalls of this car, from distributor housing to starter to generator to…well, you get the idea, pot metal was a cheap way to go and would last for a while, but the Engineers never intended for it to be permanent….
I’m not the expert, but experienced on interior trim and upholstery to some degree, used to do it professionally but now retired from an Engineering life, and doing leather work and wood bow tops for a hobby….
