This medal commemorates the Cadillac company's being awarded the Dewar Trophy, in 1908, for having demonstrated convincingly the total interchangeability (without any fitting or adjustments of any kind) of all the component parts of the 1907 Cadillac Model K runabout. Tests were carried out at the Brooklands race track in England. In 1912, Cadillac won the trophy a second time for successfully demonstrating the electric self-starter and electric lighting in 1911, and applying these advances to all its 1912 models. Since the reverse of the medal mentions Cadillac's having won the award twice, the piece obviously was minted after 1912.  My guess is that it was issued by Cadillac to commemorate an event as important as Detroit's 250th anniversary (see below).

The origin of this bronze (?) medallion, or why it was struck, are not presently known to me.  If any Database user can provide some clues, I certainly would appreciate it.  The medal celebrates Cadillac's winning the Dewar Trophy, in 1908 and again 1912, that was awarded annually by Britain's Royal Automobile Association (RAC) for the greatest advance made in the automobile industry in the course of the preceding year.

In 1951, to commemorate the 250th anniversary of its founding in 1701, the City of Detroit struck a number of  bronze medallions like the one below. The obverse shows Cadillac, the man, landing by canoe at the site of  what was to become Detroit,  on July 24, 1701; the inscription reads: Antoine de Lamothe Cadillac Founder of Detroit - 250th Anniversary 1951.  On the reverse is a modern-day Detroit skyline; the inscription on that side reads: Detroit's 250th Birthday Festival - Past Present Future.

I was given one of these commemorative medals in 1991 when I was invited to attend the opening of  the Robert Keyaerts Cadillac Museum at Langeais, in Touraine, France.

In addition to the foregoing medallion, the city of Detroit issued also a special commemorative 3c stamp as well as a number of  decorative first day covers for philatelists. It seems that other Detroit businesses struck similar medals and  medallions to mark the special occasion.  A couple are shown below. All of them show Cadillac landing at the site that is now downtown Detroit.

Late Extra [6/2005]:   This eMail arrived  from Database visitor, Bob Perrne, from Pennsylvania.   He wrote: I am the grandson of the sculpture and artist Rene Paul Chambellan and I want to confirm that the medal you said is signed by what you ”believe to be” Rene Paul Chambellan is indeed one of his works. Along with his well known architectural and figurative sculptures he is also well known as an accomplished medalist. I am presently organizing the enormous volume of work by my grandfather and researching various works for which he was responsible for an forthcoming book and web site and that is how I stumbled upon your web site. Good luck, Bob Perrone

   
Bob Perrone supplied these images; this medal was struck in 1951
to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of Detroit, in 1701
The sculptor-engraver's name is René Paul Chambellan [see above]

 

This piece from 1910 reads July 1910 - B.P.O.E.   34  and celebrates the 46th Annual Grand Lodge Reunion
in Detroit; it is hallmarked by the Chas M. Robbins Co. of Attleboro, MA.  Like the previous medal shown above,
it features the explorer, Cadillac, landing in a canoe at what is now the site of metropolitan Detroit
[ missing is probably a top pin or tie bar ]

 

 

Milk Tokens - Casino Chips - Pogs

These plastic JELLO coins were issued in Canada in 1960-61 and added as inserts to promote
their products. The discs came in eight different colors of plastic that are 1-7/8" in diameter;
this yellow disc depicting the 1931 Cadillac roadster is #106 from the 200-coin set

               
Missing in the preceding series is the coin that depicts a red  1941 Cadillac sedan.  Others too ?

Here is a rare, complete set of 200
jello coins in a custom holder

Where else to put this small artifact ?
It's a car badge for a rally organized in 1927
by New York dealer, Uppercu Cadillac

From Spain (but the text is in Portuguese) this token is
marked "Cadillac 1904" but depicts a limousine of 1908

The car on the reverse of the token (RH image)
depicts the 1905 Cadillac, 4-cyl., Model D tourer

Another token in faux gold depicting the same car
[ believed to be from the Franklin Mint, circa 1969]

On the reverse of this pendant
is the 1905 Cadillac Model D
[ as in previous row ]

The car on the reverse of this token (RH image)
depicts the new, 1918 Cadillac, Type 59 Landaulet
[ I believe these were stamped by the Franklin Mint in the sixties ]

A similar token in faux gold

Gold-colored milk (?) token from 1955, celebrating GM's
first 50 million cars and particularly the renowned Cadillac

This souvenir pin is one of 500 specially designed and made for the grand opening
of the Robert Keyaerts Cadillac Museum in Langeais, France, in May 1991;
they were distributed to VIP's, members of the press and other guests
by Magali and Geneviève, daughters of the Museum's late founder

Bangles

   
This tortoise-shell (?) bangle was for sale on the Internet, circa 2000;
I did bid on it for Gita, but another loving husband outbid me!

Cufflinks and Tie-Tacks

Cadillac "V and crest" motif
on a pair of cufflinks from the mid-fifties

A tie-tack, possibly of fifties vintage

   
This tie clip appears to be from the 50s or 60s
[ it is from Doug Scarrow's fabulous collection of keys and key fobs ]

Fisher Coach cufflink and tie-pin set

As I recall, I got this tie-tack in the seventies, when I joined
the Cadillac Club International (CCI), in California

Pendants and Charms

       
This rare pendant/medal on an ornate chain link "ribbon" (center) was presented to a faithful employee who had served the Cadillac Motor Car Company for 10 years.  The engraving reads:
Token to Lewis Perry in appreciation of 10 years of faithful service
Cadillac Motor Car Co EPG 18 (?) ]1895-1905¹

[ see the introductory paragraph to this page ]

   
1907 Model K runabout, made for a charm bracelet

This intricately etched pendant
featuring the Cadillac crest appears
to be also studded with stones of some kind

This "Wreath and Crest" pendant
probably is of more recent vintage than
the preceding one (my guess: the seventies)

This one is even more modern
(probably 21st century)

St.Christopher, the traveler's companion, dash board emblem

Gold 1953 Eldorado pin

Unidentified gold charm (pendant)
in the shape of a 1955-56 Cadillac

Elvis Presley pink 1955 Cadillac Sixty Special

This tiny charm depicting a 1958 Cadillac [four headlights]
measures only 3/8" x 7/8"; it was offered for sale on e-Bay in 2002

And here is another
featuring a 1959-60 Cadillac

This one is representative of the 1959-60 models

Rings

This signet ring was presented to a Mr. A.E. Lawrence for outstanding performance as a Cadillac salesman in 1938. A diamond was added each year until World War II began
[ ring was offered for sale on Internet in September, 2003 ]

Signet ring with  wreath and colored
Cadillac crest. Was this a dealer-incentive gift ?

___________________________________
¹  It was not before October 1905 that the Leland & Faulconer Manufacturing Co. [the company that  built the first Cadillac engines] and the Cadillac Automobile Company [founded in 1902] were consolidated as The Cadillac Motor Car Company. In addition, the original Cadillac crest on the reverse of the "medal" was registered as the Cadillac trademark only on Aug. 8, 1906.  The inscription around the circumference of the latter reads Cadillac Motor Car Company - Detroit, Mich. USA;   below the crest are the word La Mothe Cadillac. The presentation, therefore, must have been made no earlier than 1906

 

I am no expert on Cadillac-LaSalle lapel pins; this selection was offered for sale at different times on e-Bay [Internet auction site], in 2000-2002; if any experts out there can identify them, I will add/modify the appropriate captions.

Probably a modern pin
depicting the earliest Cadillac crest

         
The pin at far left may be from the early teens;
the other three could be pre- or post-WW2

Cadillac employee pins (?)
The one on the left reads: Executive - Cadillac Motor Car Div. GMC
The one on the right reads: Gen'l Foreman - Cadillac Motor Car Div. GMC
In the center is what looks like an Engineering Department pin

       
Left: Cadillac salesman's lapel pin (?) [late teens or early twenties]
Right: lapel pin from the early fifties

Unknown item:  probably in-house "pre-award"
for meritorious service; it measures about 3x2" and is
inscribed Candidate for the Order of Cadillac Merit Men
January through May 1931

       
I believe these decorative lapel pins were issued   in the seventies
I don't believe the V-16 pin is in the same series
[ the latter is about an inch tall by 5/8" wide ]

This pin was offered for sale on e-Bay
in April, 2003 as a thirties item but my
guess is that it is from the late forties

   
These trinkets are Fisher
20 and 25-year service pins

           
The 1947 Certified Craftsman pin, on the left, is almost identical (but for the date)
to the 1948 edition in the center, only the image quality is much poorer

       
The 1953 pin, center, was supplied kindly by CLC member, Quentin Hall, in Australia
I wonder if the 1954 pin (right) is authentic; it differs considerably
from the others, although it carries the same message

       
Pins from 1955, 1956 and 1958

[ Unknown - possibly early fifties ]

I believe this small pin too
is from the eighties
[ it is circa ½' in dia. ]

ther Miscellaneous "jewellery" item, pins, etc.

Although the inscription reads "Cadillac" and it features
also the wreath an crest mid-fifties?)  I don't believe this is
an authentic Cadillac item issued by the firm

Mickey and Minnie Mouse pin

This lapel pin depicting the 1959 Eldorado Biarritz
is believed to have been issued in the eighties

This is one of a series of lapel pins
issued by the Hard Rock Cafe chain

These are part of a 39-piece collection
of silver ingots embossed with famous cars

These are silver, so I included them  with the "jewelry" items;
these are small silver ingots all stamped with
a 1903 Cadillac runabout with tonneau

[ image missing ]

1912 Cadillac coupe