I have found a medal that I would like to know more about. It is an Excelsior Shoes for Boys medal. It has a Boy Scout standing in the stirrups mounted on a horse. There is a small hole made for s string center top. Unlike the other three types of good luck Boy Scout Medals I have seen this one does not have a date of July 1910 under the rider. On the back centered top are the words GOOD on one side of the hole and LUCK on the other. Here is what I find interesting, the other three examples I have found all have the Excelsior crest, Boy Scout emblem, or the swazitka. This one has a large horeshoe with a four leaf clover and something else under the clover. Around the outside (lower part) it says "Belle Mead_ Shoe_ _O _ _ _VIlLE, TENN". The next line along the edge of the medal loks to be written in Latin "OMNI_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ION. Does anyone know what this one is? Did Excelsior make shoes in Belle Meade Shoe factory in Nashville under contract? It will be interesting to find out. This medal was found in a swamp. Thanks Doc George
to CoinTalk Doc. I don't collect advertising tokens myself, but I did locate a few other examples of Excelsior tokens here and here, that seem to match your description of more traditional ones than your find. The seller of this one has a greatly inflated idea of its value IMHO.
Welcome to Cointalk! I am not to well knowleged on tokens, but looks like Roy has already provided the info you need. Welcome, and have fun. Phoenix
Excelsior Medal Thanks you for your help. I guess this type of advertising is one of many types used by shoe makers to get the kids to talk Mom and Dad into new shoes. It looks like the depression took care of the good luck medals and for that matter, new shoes. Thanks Doc George
This token falls into the fourth major type group (of 6 groups) of the Excelsior Shoe Company tokens. This type with the Belle Meade Reverse shows the usual horse and rider and the words "The EXcelsior - Medal - Shoe for Boys on the obverse side. The reverse has a large horseshoe with a four leaf clover in the center and 3 additional good luck symbols at the horseshoe opening. It has "Good Luck" on the top edge. Then going from the left side down around the bottom and up the right side are the following words "Belle Meade Shoe Co. Nashville, Tenn." Under these words are smaller words "Division of the General Shoe Corporation". You did not specify the metal - there are sterling silver cast token similar to Variety #2 (31.5mm dia.) and brass (33mm dia.). Historical data on this company is very sparse. Collectors believe this token to have been issued around 1916. The Belle Meade company was still in existence during the Korean War, specifically 1951-52. At that time General Shoe Corporation was one of the four largest shoe manufacturers in America. It had over 20 plants in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, and Tennessee, as well as in Mexico and Lima, Peru. Without a pic, I can not identify the specific variety that you have, but here are the criteria: Variety #1: Obverse - Tip of the hat points toward left side of D. Reverse - The first letter "I" in the word "DIVISION" is right of the center under the letter "M" in the word "MEADE". The letter "N" in the word "CORPORATION" is under the comma following the word "NASHVILLE". This is considered to be common (30 or more known). Variety #2: Obverse - Tip of the hat points toward left side of D. Reverse - The first letter "I" in the word "DIVISION" is directly under the left side of the letter "M" in the word "MEADE". The letter "N" in the word "CORPORATION" is under the left side of the letter "E" in "NASHVILLE".This is considered to be common (30 or more known). Variety #2a: Obverse - Tip of the hat points toward left side of D. Reverse - all is the same as Variety #2, except that this is made of sterling silver and has been cast. The word "STERLING" is on the rim of the token. This is considered to be very scarce (4-9 known). Variety #3: Obverse - Tip of the hat points toward right side of E. A taller, thinner looking horse is shown. The back top of the saddle is missing. The canteen is a little lower than normal. The rider's scarf is a little longer. Reverse - The "Belle Meade Shoe Co. Nashville, Tenn. is in larger letters than on Varieties #1 & #2. The opening of the horseshoe does not have the additional good luck symbols as on the other varieties. This is considered to be rare (1-3 known). My source of information, "Excelsior Shoe Company Tokens" by Dick Hamel (2005), lists 102 varieties of tokens. These tokens were given out by the Excelsior Shoe Company to boys that purchased the official Boy Scout Shoe. They were used as a form of advertising. Income for the use of the name was used in getting the Boy Scout funds started. Most of these tokens were issued with a small hole at the top. This was done to allow the token to be tied to the shoe before they were sold. The company was started by brothers Forrest and A. Grave Williams, located at Pig Iron Corner in Portsmouth, Ohio around the turn of the 20th century. They bagan by making Sam Brown belts and spats. They were known as Williams Manufacturing Company. Later, with the assisitance of Blain Mathews, The Excelsior Shoe Company was started in 1910. The sterling silver token was a promotional offer. If all the Scouts in a Troop had purchased the Excelsior "Boy Scout" shoe, the Scoutmaster would be issued a special token. These tokens were produced by two manufacturers - The Schwab Stamp & Seal Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and The Whitehead & Hoag Company of Newark, New Jersey.
I just created a new website showing most of the Excelsior "Shoe for Boys" tokens. The page begins at www.sageventure.com/coins/scout.html. Use the tabs to the right on the page to see the different versions. All the best, SageVenture
