Vintage John G. Martin Award pewter medallion, Heublein Collectible great detail

Description

Vintage John G. Martin Award pewter medallion, Heublein Collectible great detail
Great piece to add to your collection of  1970’s and 1980’s of distillery collectibles!
Measuring about 2 5/8" diameter x 3/8" thick, the front of the medallion has a bust in the center, and around the border, JOHN G. MARTIN AWARD       HEUBLEIN
Beautiful finish and condition.  The back has CUSTOMER FIRST  Heublein logo, Presented to  (blank space) with the border reading CUSTOMER-INSPIRED BUSINESS IMPROVEMENTS      EXCELLENCE
This must have been a prestigious award, reading about John G. Martin's legacy.  The South Florida Sun Sentinel in May 1986 wrote:
"NAPLES -- John G. Martin, the man credited with introducing vodka to America when he bought the rights to Russia's Smirnoff in the 1940s, died on Thursday at his home.
Mr. Martin, who was 80, was the retired chairman of Heublein & Co., of Hartford, Conn., the maker of A-1 sauce, cocktail mixes, mustard, liquors and other products.
He bought the rights to import Smirnoff to the United States for ,000 in about 1940, his wife, Jane Weeks Martin, said Thursday.
"He had traveled in Russia, but I think he just got the idea by knowing what people wanted in America. He thought people should buy it and drink it moderately. If he had a drink, it was one of his favorites," Mrs. Martin said.
Mr. Martin took over his grandfather's company after graduating from Cambridge University in England. He retired as chairman of Heublein in about 1978, several years after the couple moved to Naples from Burlington, Conn.
Mrs. Martin said Smirnoff was the first vodka to be sold in America, but soon after Mr. Martin hit on it, "they all got on the bandwagon."
She said she and her husband remained friends for several years with Mrs. Smirnoff, until her death in France several years ago.
Mr. Martin was born in Coventry, England, and was a veteran of World War II, during which he received a Purple Heart and several other medals, his wife said."
This is direct from the manufacturer’s inventory that is being liquidated.
So it is“new” but vintage.
Please look at pictures to see condition because it has not been cleaned, and is  40 – 50 years old.
We ship only to the Continental United States.
This  will be shipped via Priority Mail.
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Monday through Friday we will ship within 2 week days after payment is received.
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