SHELL COIN GAMES


Famous Facts & Faces Coin Game

Introduced in 1969 the Shell Oil Company's "Famous Facts & Faces" promotional coin contest built on the success of the previous year's "Mr. President" coin game. The game as described on the outside of the game card folder shown below was a promotion where customers would receive a free "coin" with each visit to their local Shell Service Station. The "coins" were to be stored on the inside of the bi-fold game card (see below) until a winning grouping was assembled. They could then be redeemed for the advertised prize.

Shell Famous Facts & Faces Medal Collection Game Card Outside

Outside face of 1969 Shell Oil's "Famous Facts & Faces" Coin Collection Contest Card
Card measures just over 8 5/8 inches wide by 12 inches tall

Shell Famous Facts & Faces Medal Collection Game Card Inside

Inside of the 1969 Shell Oil's "Famous Facts & Faces" Coin Collection Contest Card

THE "COINS" THEMSELVES

The Franklin Mint struck these 26 millimeter aluminum medals in 1969. They were designed and sculpted by numerous artisans at the Franklin Mint. These artists will be identified in the listing below with their respective works.

It stands to reason that Shell would limit the issue of certain "key coins" in each prize group. It further stands to reason that any of these that did find their way to a player would be redeemed which required surrendering the "key coin" along with the others in that group to Shell. Therefore, when trying to build a set of these today it is quite difficult to find any surviving "keys."

The aluminum game pieces:

WIN $5,000
Thomas Edison LightBulb

Thomas A. Edison
 
 
Sculptor: Philip Nathan

Electric Light Bulb
Key to Pair
 
Sculptor: David Cornwell
WIN $500
Mark Twain Mississippi Riverboat

Mark Twain
Key to Pair
 
Sculptor: Philip Nathan

Mississippi Riverboat
 
 
Sculptor: Philip Nathan
WIN $100
Booker T. Washington Tuskegee Institute

Booker T. Washington
 
 
Sculptor: David Cornwell

Tuskegee Institute
Key to Pair
 
Sculptor: Caesar Rufo
WIN $50
(Either Pair)
Richard E. Byrd Flight over South Pole

Richard E. Byrd
Key to Pair
 
Sculptor: Philip Nathan

Flight over South Pole
 
 
Sculptor: Philip Nathan
John Paul Jones Flagship

John Paul Jones
 
 
Sculptor: Philip Nathan

Flagship
Key to Pair
 
Sculptor: Barry Stanton
WIN $5
(Either Pair)
Francis Scott Key Star-Spangled

Francis Scott Key
Key to Pair
 
Sculptor: Philip Nathan

Star-Spangled Banner
 
 
Sculptor: Barry Stanton
Paul Revere Midnight Ride

Paul Revere
 
 
Sculptor: Barry Stanton

Midnight Ride
Key to Pair
 
Sculptor: Caesar Rufo
WIN $1
(Any Pair)
Benjamin Franklin Discovering Electricity

Benjamin Franklin
 
 
Sculptor: Philip Nathan

Discovering Electricity
Key to Pair
 
Sculptor: David Cornwell
Albert Einstein Key to Atomic Energy

Albert Einstein
 
 
Sculptor: David Cornwell

Key to Atomic Energy
Key to Pair
 
Sculptor: David Cornwell
Alexander Graham Bell Telephone

Alexander Graham Bell
 
 
Sculptor: Harold Faulkner

Telephone
Key to Pair
 
Sculptor: David Cornwell
WIN BRONZE PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL SET
(Either Pair)
George Washington Crossing the Delaware

George Washington
 
 
Sculptor: Philip Nathan

Crossing the Delaware
Key to Pair
 
Sculptor: Caesar Rufo
Abraham Lincoln Log Cabin

Abraham Lincoln
 
 
Sculptor: David Cornwell

Log Cabin
Key to Pair
 
Sculptor: Philip Nathan
Common Reverse Instant Winner Reverse

Common Reverse
 

Instant Winner Reverse
 

INSTANT WINNER PRIZES

Shell Famous Facts & Faces Collection Coin Game Instant Winner Criteria

The following game coins are Instant Winners when the special reverse of the coin reads "SHELL'S INSTANT WINNER." Krause's Guidebook of Franklin Mint Issues shows the following were struck with either the common or special reverse.
Shell States of the Union Medal Game Instant Winner Criteria
  • Mark Twain
  • Tuskegee Institute
  • Lincoln's Log Cabin
  • Richard E. Byrd
  • Francis Scott Key
  • Bell's Telephone
 $500
$100
Bronze Presidential Set
$50
$5
$1

THE BRONZE SET

The Bronze Set contains only 12 medals unlike the 24 count aluminum game "coins" set. The reason is the Franklin Mint combined the game coin pairs into a single medal by eliminating the "Shell's Famous Facts & Faces Game" reverse and marrying the face with the fact in a single medal. The Franklin Mint also reduced the diameter of these commercial bronze pieces to 20mm.

These medals were also struck by the Franklin Mint to the tune of some 23,590 each. [Krause Guidebook of Franklin Mint Issues (1973 edition)] That source also states that the "bronze specimens were distributed primarily in the Southwest."