THE SUNOCO ANTIQUE CAR COIN COLLECTION

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V22 2019 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 22, Number 46, November 17, 2019, Article 23

"I read the article in last week's issue of The E-Sylum about the Studebaker coin and it reminded me of my stay in Denver for the 2017 ANA convention. I stayed at a place a few blocks from the main downtown library and history museum and one day while driving around the area I noticed an old building as shown in the attached photographs. I can only presume that this was a showroom that sold both brands of cars as engraved on the front of the building."

I was unaware of the Franklin Automobile Company. Founded in 1902, it failed in 1934, which could help date the building.

I looked for a Franklin Automobile medal, but the only numismatic item I could quickly locate was this Sunoco Antique Car Coin Series piece found on Numista. I'm old enough to remember these, which came out when I was around eleven years old. If I remember correctly, you'd get one each time you filled your gas tank at a Sunoco station and could attempt to collect the whole set. -Editor

I found more information on the series on David W. Boitnott's Coin-n-Medal Collectors' Asylum site. -Editor

Introduced in 1969, one year after Shell Oil Company's very successful "Mr. President" promotional coin game, Sunoco's "Collection of Antique Car Coins" was the first true collector's promotion. This promotion was based on the 75-medal Franklin Mint "Collection of Antique Car Coins" that was produced over two years and in three 25-medal sub series. Sunoco would only utilized the first two of the three 25-medal series. This exhibit will focus on Series 1. The promotion did include coins with special "instant winner" reverses like the Shell games; however, unlike the Shell games the two 25-coin sets were not broken up into prize groups with low mintage keys that had to be turned in to claim the prize making them unobtainable today. This meant one had a reasonable chance of actually assembling the aluminum set through continued patronage of their local Sunoco service station.

Struck by the Franklin Mint in 1969, the aluminum "Collection of Antique Car" coins were distributed through the Sun Oil Company (Sunoco) as a promotion at their service stations. The "Collection" was split into two series of 25 coins each distinguishable by their reverses. The 26 mm in diameter Series 1 aluminum game coins featured a reverse with "ANTIQUE CAR" on top and "COIN SERIES 1" on the bottom around the periphery and two Sunoco trademarks – first the Sunoco sign with arrow and the second the DX diamond used on their brand of motor oil in the center. Both series of the "Collection of Antique Car" coins can be found in Krause Guidebook of Franklin Mint Issues (multiple editions) under the Franklin Mint catalog code ACG.

To read the complete article, see:
SUNOCO COIN PROMOTIONS (http://www.coins-n-medals.com/Exhibits/SunocoCoins/antiqueCars1.html)

I hadn't come across this web site before. It proclaims, "Welcome to the Asylum for the Numismatically Insane. Devoted to Promoting the "Lunacy" We Call Coin Collecting" -Editor