I've done something that I rarely do, buy an item without knowing anything about it. 1931 Inventor of the Reaper medal. Its a dollar size copper medal and is suppose to be the centennial of the reaper. The obv. has a bust of the bearded C.H. McCormick. Its in AU condition, and the price is $12. Does anyone know anything about this medal? Any info. would be greatly appreciated. Thanx...
I know you paid $11.00 to much. http://cgi.ebay.ph/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260460020709 Information on the man behind the coin: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyrus_McCormick http://www.allsands.com/history/people/cyrusmccormick_rcm_gn.htm http://www.answers.com/topic/cyrus-mccormick
Google is your friend. McCormick Reaper Centennial Coins: In 1931 the International Harvester Company produced a series of medals, or coins commemorating the 100th anniversary of the invention of the reaper by Cyrus Hall McCormick. The McCormick Harvesting Machine Company was one of the partners in a merger that formed International Harvester in 1902. The coins have a picture of Cyrus Hall McCormick on one side and a picture of the reaper on the other. The dates on the coin refer to the birth and death of Cyrus McCormick (1809-1884) and the 100th anniversary of the invention of the mechanical reaper (1831-1931). The "reaper centennial" was a major promotional event for the International Harvester Company. The company hosted a formal centennial ceremony at Walnut Grove Farm, Virginia, in July 1931, and held commemorative luncheons and banquets in 50 U.S. cities. The company also produced exhibits, films, publications and models of the 1831 reaper. In addition, the McCormick family created 100 university scholarships in agriculture. International Harvester contracted with the Medallic Art Company of New York to produce the commemorative coins. The company produced the coins in batches of 250,000. International Harvester eventually distributed more than a million coins in a few different sizes. The silver-dollar-size coins are the most common. International Harvester also distributed coins in larger sizes and these are more difficult to find. The company distributed the coins as souvenirs through its worldwide network of dealerships. Local dealerships distributed them in several ways. For example, coins may have been thrown from floats in local parades or given to customers who visited show rooms. http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/libraryarchives/ihc/faq.asp
