RARELY OFFERED SKELLY GASOLINE STATION OWNER DISTRIBUTED CAPT. MIDNIGHT FLIGHT COMMANDER BADGE.
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Winning Bid:
$499.73
(Includes 18% Buyer's Premium)
Bidding Ended:
Thursday, March 14, 2019 9:00:00 PM (20 Minute Clock Begins At Thursday, March 14, 2019 9:00:00 PM)
Item Description
This is the rarest of all Captain Midnight badges because it was issued only in the mid-west on an extremely limited basis during 1940, the second year of the program. An example in Auction #210 included Skelly in-house paper sheet that explained why this badge is such a rarity. The badge is a 1-1/8" tall beautifully designed and highly embossed piece of brass with title at top, Skelly logo at center, and symbolic plane below. Other than the widely distributed Mysto-Magic Weather Forecasting Flight Wings badge issued in 1939, this badge is the next earliest issued badge and first Capt. Midnight advanced ranking award. It took special circumstances to be awarded this Commander badge. The sheet of paper came from the personal archive of a Skelly employee with facsimile signature of "A.E. Taylor" who was apparently the Skelly executive in charge of the Captain Midnight promotion in Oct. 1939. The most relevant text was as follows: "Let Captain Midnight Flight Patrol Commanders Help You Handle Enrollments." This text relates that some dealers in 1939 chose Flight Patrol neighborhood members to help the station with "Enrollment And Distribution Of The Various Give Away Items." They point out this relieved the service station personnel of the detail work and that the young helpers knew most of the youngsters who were already in the Flight Patrol. The text points out this worked so well in 1939 that they recommend use during the 1940 season. Text instructs "We Suggest That You Make Use Of This Plan If You Know Some Boy Who, In Your Estimation Can And Will Handle This For You...We Have Provided An Attractive Incentive For The Boy You Have In Mind To Handle This Work For You. He Is To Be Designated As A Captain Midnight Flight Patrol Commander. When You Choose Someone For This Position, Send Us His Name And We Will Provide Him With A Special Captain Midnight Flight Patrol Commander Badge Signifying That He Is The Leader Of All Of The Members Enrolled Through Your Station. Only The Commander Will Be Entitled To Wear This Special Badge, So Only One In Your Neighborhood Will Have One..." We've been able to offer this rare award about five times in five decades. Slight luster loss. Extremely Fine.
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