Stork Club Encased
Stork Club 1948 Encased Cent.
The Stork Club was a very exclusive, very famous nightclub in NYC. It was started in 1929 and closed in 1965. The rich and famous went there to see and be seen. They had a very large offering of promotional gifts. To read more about the Stork Club read the article on the Stork Club. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stork_Club
The owner was Sherman Billingsley seen below. The club used a large number of promotional giveaways, as attested to by the picture below from November of 1944. One of the giveaways not show below were encased cents. The Stork Club had several different styles of encased made for them.
Life Magazine-photo by Alfred Eisenstadt - Life Magazine pages 124-125, Public Domain,
Sherman Billingsley Owner of The Stork Club - By Liggett & Myers (makers of Fatima Cigarettes) eBayad, Public Domain,
Below are two Stork Club encased. The first is 1.25 inches in diameter and has an aluminum encasement. The cent is offset from the center of the encasement. Note the stork on each encasement wearing a top hat. This was the Stork Club logo. It was used on all Stork Club merchandise/ gifts. The second piece is also 1.25 inches in diameter. It has however, a brass encasement. Also of note is the HEADS TO EARN / HEARTS TO SPEND
on the obverse. That motto was used on all of the offset encased coins that were produced for the Stork Club. The offset cent has GOOD CHEER AND FOOD / IN THE STORK CLUB
on the reverse. The aluminum piece has a stork at nine and three o'clock on the obverse and a star on either side of the cent. The brass encased cent has STORK CLUB / LUCKY PENNY
on both sides. The obverse has a stork at nine and three o'clock. The reverse has a stork at nine, but the date 1950
at the three o'clock position.
Obverse of a 1948 Offset encased cent. The obverse reads: HEADS TO EARN / HEARTS TO SPEND
and a stork at nine and three o'clock.
Reverse of 1948 offset encased cent. Reverse reads: GOOD CHEER AND FOOD / IN THE STORK CLUB
Obverse of brass encased 1949 cent. Obverse reads: STORK CLUB / LUCKY PENNY
the piece is 1.25 inches in diameter. The cent is flanked by a stork on the left and right.
Reverse of brass encased 1949 cent. Reverse reads: STORK CLUB / LUCKY PENNY
there is a stork on the left of the cent and 1950 on the right.
Round (1.25 inches) aluminum encased 1937 cent. Obverse reads: STORK CLUB / LUCKY PENNY
The cent is flanked by a stork on the left and right.
Reverse of 1937 encased cent. Reverse reads: STORK CLUB / LUCKY PENNY
The cent is flanked by a stork on the left and right.
Round (1.25 inches) aluminum encased 1938 cent. Obverse reads: NEW YORK WORLD'S FAIR / STORK CLUB
on the left is the symbol of the World's Fair, the Trylon and Perisphere. On the right is the date 1939. There is also in tiny letters on the left under the Trylon ©NYWF.
1939 New York World's Fair 3 cent U.S. postage stamp showing the Trylon and Perisphere. You can read more about the 1939 World's Fair Here
The reverse has the same motto and the same symbols as the obverse.
The Stork Club encased are reasonably common. The history of the club is interesting as well. As I collect further pieces I will post new images and information.
In examining my Stork Club encased closely I made a few startling discoveries and a few observations. First lets look at the 1936 Stork Club encased cent.
Round (1.25 inches) aluminum encased 1936 cent. Obverse reads: STORK CLUB / LUCKY PENNY
The cent is flanked by a stork on the left and right. Note the BECK N.Y.
in tiny letters at the bottom.
Note the BECK N.Y.
in tiny letters at the bottom.
Here we see BECK N.Y.
at the bottom of the obverse in tiny letters. I have done a brief internet search for Beck Company and found nothing. I do not have a 1937 except for offset pieces.
In 1938 there is still a 1.25 inch round encased cent for the Stork Club. This one however has Osborne Register Co. Cinci. O.
in tiny letters on the reverse.
Round (1.25 inches) aluminum encased 1938 cent. Obverse reads: STORK CLUB / LUCKY PENNY
The cent is flanked by a stork on the left and right. In tiny letters at the bottom rim is Osborne Register Co.
Reverse of 1938 encased cent. Reverse reads: STORK CLUB / LUCKY PENNY
The cent is flanked by a stork on the left and right. In tiny letters at the bottom rim is In tiny letters at the bottom rim is Osborne Register Co.
The 1936 encased cents made for the Stork Club were made by Beck N.Y. With the 1937 1.25 inch round encased cent Osborne Register Co., is the manufacturer. All of the offset cents encased that I have examined do NOT show a manufacturers name. In 1937 and 1938 they are Osborne Register Co.
With the later pieces the legend at the bottom is Osborne Coinage Co. Cin. O.
This applies for the brass encased as well as the traditional aluminum cents. Jim Lawniczek believes that Earl Fankhauser sold these to the Stork Club. In discussing this with Bryan Ryker I find that Earl started selling encased in 1948 when he sold 12 different encased cents. Based on this and the fact that in the work orders for Osborne I can not find any orders for the Stork Club sold by Earl Fankhauser. I believe that Earl Fankhauser did not sell any encased to the Stork Club. However someone was selling encased to The Stork Club manufactured by Osborne.
This is an edit 1/12/22 - I have found evidence that the 1948 D brass encased cent for The Stork Club was made by Osborne Coinage. In examinimng the 1948 D I saw in tiny letters at the bottom of the reverse, Osborne Coinage, Cin, O.
While this does not prove that Earl Fankhauser sold these pieces, it does prove that Osborne Coinage manufactured them.
James M. Lawniczak wrote an article, Introduction to the Stork Club Series
, for the Encased Collectors International (ECI). A copy of that article can be found Here.
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