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Question about an old athletic medal...

SwampboySwampboy Posts: 12,989 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited July 16, 2018 9:46AM in U.S. Coin Forum

This medal came to me and means a lot to me and my family.

I think it's safe to assume that x GOLD means no gold but I am clueless about that designation.
Klimpl medals from +/- 1930 marked x GOLD are pretty common I see; both for schoolboy and college competitions.

I think it's a beautiful medal, what can you folks tell me about that designation.

TIA

"Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working" Pablo Picasso

Comments

  • JBKJBK Posts: 15,575 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited July 16, 2018 10:11AM

    If it had no good I don't think they would bother mentioning it. I assume it means gold plated (sometimes called gold filled).

    What does BC mean?

    Nice medal.

  • BillDugan1959BillDugan1959 Posts: 3,821 ✭✭✭✭✭

    X gold makes me think 10 karat. The time period also helps me to think decent gold. But otherwise I have no background in this type of thing.

  • jonrunsjonruns Posts: 1,196 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Not sure which designation you are referring to.

    1. I believe "X Gold" means No Gold
    2. Klempl Medal Company was located on West 13th Street in Manhattan per the inscription
    3. The mile relay is a track event where four people each run 1/4 mile
    4. I'd guess that this is a medal presented to a college athlete for his participation in his school's track and field team during the 1927/1928 school year...like a varsity letter in high school...and that the "BC" or is it "CB" is the name of the college...eg Brooklyn College
    • A big-time track meet like the Penn Relays would have designated their medals by the year held not the college enrollment year
    • Probably awarded to a male runner because there were few if any teams with female runners in this era
  • JBKJBK Posts: 15,575 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Or maybe Boston College?

  • SwampboySwampboy Posts: 12,989 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited July 16, 2018 10:35AM

    Thanks @JBK

    I search for the meaning of gold and all I found were gold iphones lol

    Unfortunately everyone who could shed light on what BC means has passed on.

    In the 60's I ran the mile all over NYC in school boy meets; at Downey Stadium MSG, the 68th Street Armory etc. but I never medaled.
    Once I finished 14th once at a cross country meet in Van Cortland Park The Bronx and got my name in the Sunday NYT. That's my only medal :)

    "Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working" Pablo Picasso

  • JBKJBK Posts: 15,575 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited July 16, 2018 11:50AM

    The colors and style would be key, i think. I do agree it is likely a college medal.

  • SmudgeSmudge Posts: 9,523 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Google search school colors Navy and turquoise got zilch.

  • RogerBRogerB Posts: 8,852 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited July 16, 2018 11:14AM

    Good searching jonruns! Here's the medal after color correction (background at right is neutral RGB).

  • 2dueces2dueces Posts: 6,446 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited July 16, 2018 11:32AM

    The medal is bronze. X GOLD means gold plated 1x's thickness. Klimpl is a New York city company so I'd research New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania colleges.

    W.C.Fields
    "I spent 50% of my money on alcohol, women, and gambling. The other half I wasted.
  • Timbuk3Timbuk3 Posts: 11,658 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Nice, I like it, gold or no gold !!! :)

    Timbuk3
  • 291fifth291fifth Posts: 24,345 ✭✭✭✭✭

    The "C" in "BC" could stand for collegiate (a high school) or it could be a college.

    All glory is fleeting.
  • CaptHenwayCaptHenway Posts: 32,142 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @2dueces said:
    The medal is bronze. X GOLD means gold plated 1x's thickness. Klimpl is a New York city company so I'd research New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania colleges.

    I believe you are correct.

    Numismatist. 50 year member ANA. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner numerous NLG Literary Awards.
  • MWallaceMWallace Posts: 4,095 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I know nothing about it so this is just a guess. Could "X GOLD" mean 10K Gold?

    http://www.SmallDollars.com
  • WoodenJeffersonWoodenJefferson Posts: 6,491 ✭✭✭✭

    Boston College basketball, ca. 1900

    Chat Board Lingo

    "Keep your malarkey filter in good operating order" -Walter Breen
  • SwampboySwampboy Posts: 12,989 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Excellent!
    Thank you Woody et. al.
    We lost 3 members of a generation in 3 months this year.
    Go figure.
    So many unanswered questions.

    1x thickness spot on @2deuces!

    Once again asylum comes through. This article was informative for me.
    From 2010....plating..

    http://www.coinbooks.org/club_nbs_esylum_v13n46.html#article5

    haha
    Love the quiz

    FOR THE QUIZ: The Philadelphia Mint had electrolytic tanks from 1855 until recently. Yet, they never plated a coin or medal (to my knowledge, at least). What then, did they use these tank

    "Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working" Pablo Picasso

  • CaptHenwayCaptHenway Posts: 32,142 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Swampboy said:
    Excellent!
    Thank you Woody et. al.
    We lost 3 members of a generation in 3 months this year.
    Go figure.
    So many unanswered questions.

    1x thickness spot on @2deuces!

    Once again asylum comes through. This article was informative for me.
    From 2010....plating..

    http://www.coinbooks.org/club_nbs_esylum_v13n46.html#article5

    haha
    Love the quiz

    FOR THE QUIZ: The Philadelphia Mint had electrolytic tanks from 1855 until recently. Yet, they never plated a coin or medal (to my knowledge, at least). What then, did they use these tank

    Making galvanoes

    Numismatist. 50 year member ANA. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner numerous NLG Literary Awards.
  • thefinnthefinn Posts: 2,656 ✭✭✭✭✭

    It could be a Club. Boston College's colors are maroon and gold.

    thefinn
  • jonrunsjonruns Posts: 1,196 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I'd guess an educational institution based on the school years date...C could be College or Catholic...

    Many large catholic high schools in NYC during that era: Brooklyn Catholic, Bergen Catholic, etc.

    Maybe Swampboy can shed some light on who the runner in the family was and where he lived/grew up...

  • SwampboySwampboy Posts: 12,989 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Thanks @jonruns.
    We know he was a Kings or Queens County boy and I've been searching all the high schools in those areas.
    Those are the years he would have been a schoolboy.
    He studied drafting after high school but we don't know where.

    "Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working" Pablo Picasso

  • jonrunsjonruns Posts: 1,196 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Could have been Brooklyn Cathedral...later became Cathedral Prep when it merged with its Queens cousin...now defunct...I know they used that Columbia blue color in their uniforms...

  • thebeavthebeav Posts: 3,788 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I found this page talking about X's in relation to gold hallmarks.

    coinbooks.org/esylum_v13n46a05.html

    My Ebay Coin Store
  • 291fifth291fifth Posts: 24,345 ✭✭✭✭✭

    The key to it's identification will be in the colors of the "BC". They are almost certainly school colors. I don't think it is a college medal. A high school is most likely and many possibilities have been suggested by previous posters.

    All glory is fleeting.
  • rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Nice medal...Relay races have always been popular in Track sports....It must have been a significant event, since most school sports events do not issue medals or trophies. Large events (i.e. Penn Relays etc.) did issue such things... They would have been labeled with the event as well as the race. So perhaps a significant district event.... Cheers, RickO

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