Charles Goodyear

The uniface medallion's obverse bears aproned man standing at little stove with boiling pot, stretching rubber between is hands. To left and around, 10 / YEAR - OF FRIENDLY RELATIONS; in exergue, DISCOVERY OF VULCANIZATION / OF RUBBER BY / CHARLES GOODYEAR / 1839; signed to right of stove, (RC monogram)

Charles Goodyear is usually credited with the modern discovery of vulcanization of rubber, though Thomas Hancock of Boston received a patent for vulcanized rubber 8 weeks before Goodyear did and the two were in bitter litigation at one point. Though losing the patent suit he had brought in England, he prevailed as a business man. In 1860 he traveled to New York to see his dying daughter but upon finding that he had arrived too late he collapsed and died shortly thereafter. The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company was founded by Frank Seiberling almost four decaades after his death.

This is the 10 year version of Rene Chambellan's Goodyear series of medallions. All of these medallions came mounted to a wooden board to be hung in offices or shops that were selling Goodyear product.

The circular medallion measures 108mm and is struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1948-041-001

The uniface medallion bears barefoot tapper, facing left, harvesting latex from cut rubber tree. From large number at lower left, running around top, 20 - YEARS OF FRIENDLY RELATIONS; to right of tapper, FIRST / GOODYEAR / RUBBER / PLANTATION / 1916; signed between tapper's feed, (RC monogram)

Rubber tapping is the process by which latex is collected from a rubber tree. The latex is harvested by slicing a groove into the bark of the tree at a depth of a quarter inch with a hooked knife and peeling back the bark. Trees must be approximately six years old and six inches in diameter in order to be tapped for latex. Each night a rubber tapper must remove a thin layer of bark along a downward half spiral on the tree trunk. If done carefully and with skill, this tapping panel will yield latex for up to five hours. Then the opposite side will be tapped, allowing this side to heal over. The spiral allows the latex to run down to a collecting cup. The work is done at night or in the early morning before the day's temperature rises, so the latex will drip longer before coagulating and sealing the cut.

Charles Goodyear is usually credited with the modern discovery of vulcanization of rubber, though Thomas Hancock of Boston received a patent for vulcanized rubber 8 weeks before Goodyear did and the two were in bitter litigation at one point. Though losing the patent suit he had brought in England, he prevailed as a business man. In 1860 he traveled to New York to see his dying daughter but upon finding that he had arrived too late he collapsed and died shortly thereafter. The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company was founded by Frank Seiberling almost four decaades after his death.

This is the 20 year version of Rene Chambellan's Goodyear series of medallions. All of these medallions came mounted to a wooden board to be hung in offices or shops that were selling Goodyear product.

The circular medallion measures 108mm and is struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1948-041-x