Item Description:
Fresh from an Estate Sale, you are bidding on an Extremely Rare Pair of Vintage Whitehead and Hoag "Shell Style" Swimming and Diving Sports Medals, that can also be used as Pocket Watch Fobs.
Here is some background on Whitehead & Hoag, as to what makes these "Extremely Rare" and why you rarely see these on eBay or any other auction site:
The company was founded in 1892 in Newark, NJ by 2 friends, Benjamin Whitehead and Chester Hoag. They produced Medals, Buttons and other items, as well as developing major Patents for this industry. However, they could never make the leap from a family owned, midsized business to a larger publicly owned corporation. At one point after WWII, they had over 400 employees and in 1953, when the last of the "family members" died, the company went into a serious decline. In 1959, the company was sold to a long- time competitor, Bastian Brothers, who kept the name alive until 1965, but destroyed all the old Whitehead & Hoag molds and records associated with the brand.
Regarding the Medals, the 1st one has a swimmer in an enameled Blue and White bathing suit. This person depicted is most likely a woman, but don't rule out a man because in the early 20th Century, both men and woman wore similar "full body" bathing suits, as well as bathing caps. The 2nd appears to be a woman diving.
These may have started out as an elaborate Award/Medal given for Swimming and Diving events with a Ribbon that may have been removed to use them as Watch Fobs. The Medals have a Similar Unique Design that resembles a Shell. Probably made of Brass. Non-Magnetic.
Both are in Very Nice Condition. Signed in the back "The Whitehead and Hoag Co. Newark, N.J."
Please see pictures for more details. Sold as Found. Feel free to email with questions.
PLEASE NOTE: Auction only for 2 Fobs/Medals. We are Customer friendly and we don't attempt to make any money trying to sneak one by you and if something should get by us that results in an error in our listing that doesn't match the item description, you have three (3) days AFTER you receive it to notify us that you are sending it back, after which you have 14 days to get it back to us for a refund. Although we may like to think we are perfect because our parents told us we were, WE ARE NOT. We make mistakes like everyone else, however, we try our very best to work out any issues before they are problems, so don't forget to email us with any questions you may have and enjoy the experience. Good Luck Bidding!!!
Payment & Shipping Details:
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Payment is expected within 5 days of Auction close, so please email with your intentions if it is going to be longer. This is especially true if you are sending payment by mail. I understand and will work with you, so please it only takes a minute to write an email. If you don't contact me, I will have to assume you are backing out of the contract. Communication is Important.
Returns Policy:
As we indicate below, this is our policy regarding returns. We sell antique and vintage items in an "as is, as found" condition for restoration or parts. These items have for the most part been in circulation for years, perhaps a hundred years or more, and we try our very best to note any problems or imperfections in our description. Also, because of their age, it is impossible for us to guarantee that items will work without some restoration. This is especially true with vintage watches. They are not performance guaranteed unless they are serviced by a professional and we leave the decision to service watches up to our customers. We only give refunds for things we fail to note in our description, so please email any questions or concerns you have about an item before you bid, especially if it is something that will make or break your buying decision. You might as well know all about it before you bid. To repeat: We are Customer friendly and we don't attempt to make any money trying to sneak one by you and if something should get by us resulting in an error in our description, you have three (3) days after you receive it to notify us that you are sending it back, after which you have 14 days to get it back to us for a refund. We make mistakes like everyone else and like most doing business on eBay, we try our very best to workout any issues before they are problems, so don't forget to email us.