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Medal - International Harvester Company Centennial of Reaper, Australia, 1931 Reg. No: NU 20209

Medal - International Harvester Co. Centennial of Reaper,1931 AD

Summary:: Australia
Jubilee, International Harvester Co. 1931 (AD)
Mint: not recorded
Other Details: International Harvester Co. medal commemorating the centennial of the 'Reaper' harvester. Issued in 1931, it names Cyrus Hall McCormick as inventor of the Reaper. Son of a Virginian farmer, he developed his father's earlier ideas into a viable harvesting machine capable of harvesting up to fifteen acres of wheat and other grains each day. Without it, only three acres could be cut. McCormick established a manufacturing business that quickly became one of the leading industrial companies in the United States. After his death the compnay merged with several competitors to form the International Harvester Co.
Acquisition Information:: Transfer from National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), 1976

Discipline:	Numismatics
Dimensions:	34 mm (Diameter)
Weight:	15.83 g (Weight)

More information

Tagged with:	agricultural machinery, agriculture, reapers, inventer of the reaper
Themes this item is part of:	Public Life & Institutions Collection, Sustainable Futures Collection, Cyrus Hall McCormick, Reaper Inventor (1809-1884)
Primary Classification:	MEDALS
Secondary Classification:	Commemorative
Tertiary Classification:	agriculture
Series:	Australian Commemorative Medals
DateEra:	1931 AD
Obverse Description:	Bust of McCormick wearing coat and bow-tie facing 3/4 left; above, CYRUS . HALL . McCORMICK in field left 1808 / 1884 in field right, INVENTOR / OF THE / REAPER
Reverse Description:	Horse-drawn reaper working right, above, INTERNATIONAL HARVESTOR COMPANY; below, CENTENNIAL OF / THE REAPER / 1831 1931
Edge Description:	Plain
Inscriptions:	(edge) (obverse) (reverse)
Shape:	round
Material:	Copper
Issued By:	Australia I think these were made in USA but some distributed in Australia - JS.
Person Depicted:	Mr. Cyrus McCormick
Organisation Named:	International Harvester Co (IHC)

Comments

Sandra Mathison Posted on 06 Feb 2010 8:33 AM

How much are one of these worth?

Discovery Centre Posted on 08 Feb 2010 12:09 PM

Unfortunately Museum Victoria cannot provide valuations of objects. For a list of valuers approved by the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program, see their website at http://www.arts.gov.au/tax_incentives/cgp

Stacey Goslin Posted on 15 Oct 2010 7:19 PM

I found one of these medals over ten years ago in my late grandfathers house. I dont anything about it, know where it came from, or even if it is worth anything. I did notice something today that I didn't see before. In very fine print on the edge of the medal there is a description that says Medallic Art Co NY

Ron Wilson Posted on 05 Mar 2011 8:08 AM

While metal detecting in a field where a farmhouse once stood here in central Michigan I found one of the McCormick Commerative coins. I'm a little amazed that it may have come from Australia. I've had it for at least 15 years and I always thought that it was a promotional coin for the McCormick Co.. My coin also has the Medallic Art Co NY incused on the edge.

Javier Posted on 17 Jul 2011 5:01 PM

I just found one last week at a ghosty town site from the century to about 1937. I found some info stating they were made by a company in New York.

Amy Posted on 04 Aug 2011 12:03 PM

The coins were given out by International Harvester Company in celebration of the Centennial of the Reaper. International Harvester was located in Chicago, my Great Grandfather retired from the company after working there from 1881-1920. He was invited back to the company for the celebration and he received his coin there. Cyrus McCormick started the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company and Deering Harvestor Company in 1847. The McCormick reaper sold well due to "savvy and innovative business practices". Companies Milwaukee; Plano; and Warder, Bushnell, and Glessner merged with Mc Cormick's companies to form the International Harvester Company in 1902. The company came to an end in about 1984.The company's older records are at the Wisconsin Historical Society, please see http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/libraryarchives/ihc/contents.asp
for additional information.

Fred Posted on 19 Aug 2011 12:46 AM

The Mc Cormick medallion was made in two sizes. The smaller one is about the size of a silver dollar and there were a million of them struck so they are quite common online and in shops. The larger one is quite scarce as there were only 250,000 of them struck. The smaller runs around $20 and the larger one can go as much as $125 depending on condition.