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Silver Medal Awarded to California Oil Pioneer

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / Exonumia - Medals Start Price:300.00 USD Estimated At:600.00 - 1,500.00 USD
Silver  Medal Awarded to California Oil Pioneer
SOLD
2,800.00USD+ (560.00) buyer's premium + applicable fees & taxes.
This item SOLD at 2015 Oct 03 @ 13:45UTC-7 : PDT/MST
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Silver medal, 38mm, Silver Cal State Agricultural Society. State seal on obverse. Engraved by Kuner, F. (obverse). "Awarded by the Southern District Agricultural Society." to Dr. V. Gelcich. Petroleum, Nov. 1873." AU. This important medal was awarded to one of the discoverers of oil in the southern California basin. Oil was discovered in the early 1860's by Leaming in the Newhall-Saugus area. Vincent Gelcich heard of the discovery and immediately went to the area. They formed the San Fernando Petroleum District in 1865. Gelchich bought out Leaming in 1872 and formed the Leaming Petroleum Co. in 1872. He formed the Los Angeles Petroleum and Refining Co. in 1873, the year this medal was awarded. This company is the long predecessor of Standard Oil of California. Gelcich was born in Croatia and came to the California gold rush early. In 1857 he founded the first two Croatian benevolent societies. California 1873 HWAC# 32605