Up til now researchers have not been able to document who engraved the dies for a series of Popsicle tokens issued as premiums in Popsicle packages. It may have been Adam Pietz as mentioned by David Hill in last week’s E-Sylum. At least two were issued in 1933 featuring movie stars Clark Gable and Greta Garbo.

Later, in 1937, six were issued and we know for certain these were engraved by German-American engraver Franz Eue. These bore portraits of Claudette Colbert, Gary Cooper, Jean Harlow, Frederick March, Norma Shearer and Johnny Weissmueller. He misspelled Popsicle on the reverse of the Claudette Colbert medal as POPCICLE. Three of these are listed in the Red Book by Katie Jaeger and Dave Bowers, A Guide Book of U.S. Tokens and Medals, page 149.

Franz F. Eue (1888-1937) was a hand engraver, medalist and sculptor. He engraved German portrait medals in 3 and 5 –mark size (gedenthalers) for at least four German medal firms prior to his immigration to America in 1926. It is said he could engrave a die in two hour‘s time, either carving intaglio or cameo. He engraved a number of dies for Medallic Art Company. A contemporary of his told me once he loved to drive old cars until he wrecked and then abandoned them.

The ANS has 10 of these. I included the two that say Popsicle on the back. Our Claudette Colbert doesn’t have the misspelling noted by Dick and, in fact, doesn’t say Popsicle at all, so I included that, too.