These enamel pins were awarded from 1921 until the 1940's. The number of years represented by this style of pin stops at 20 years - With the first employee to reach 25 years of service, the pins were redesigned as the Totem Style below.
Boeing has its roots in Pacific Aero Products, founded in 1916. In 1917 the name was changed to the Boeing Airplane Company. The company became Boeing Aircraft Company in 1928. In 1929, Boeing Aircraft Division of United Aircraft and Transport Corporation was formed. Stearman became part of Boeing in 1934. In 1960, Boeing acquired Vertol Helicopter. In 1991, the name became The Boeing Company. Boeing acquired McDonnell Douglas in 1997.
Many thanks to Alan Rice for telling me everything I know about Boeing service pins.
These enamel pins were awarded from 1921 until the 1940's. The number of years represented by this style of pin stops at 20 years - With the first employee to reach 25 years of service, the pins were redesigned as the Totem Style below.
There appear to be two or three variations for the Original Style pins.
The shorter, more bulbous wings (#12, 22, and 24) correspond with fluting seen below the main emblem (most noticable in #22). Further, the scroll at either side of the banner is somewhat abbreviated and the enamel in the emblem area is smaller, with thicker borders. Finally, these pins appear to be gold plated (possibly even gold fill).
The longer, slimmer wings (#11, 14, 21, and 23) are smooth or have pebbling in place of the fluting. Also, the loop at either end of the scrolls is more pronounced. These pins appear to be sterling with or without a gold wash.
#13 (and the 20 year pin at top) appears to be an intermediate style as it shows pebbling in place of fluting, but has scroll loops with a flourish somewhere between that noted in the two variations already mentioned. #23 is also interesting in that the red enamel is translucent.
I do not own most of the pins seen above, so I cannot tell if the differences are due to different makers or if the design simply changed over time.
Maker and content marks vary greatly on the Original Style pins. From my small sample, Whitehead & Hoag seems to have been the predominate (perhaps exclusive) maker of these pins. While I have seen these pins occasionally listed as "10K" on eBay, I have not seen, nor do I have a picture of the back of one of those pins.
Backs are seen with and without maker's marks, with or without content marks, with both, or with no markings at all (You'll have to trust me on this last one - the example I had got donated to Yanks Air Museum in Chino, CA).
- 5 year pin marked "STERLING"
- 10 year pin marked Whitehead & Hoag (Superimposed "W" and "H" in a circle) and "STERLING"
- 5 year pin marked Whitehead & Hoag ("W&HCO")
All of the Original Style pins seem to have a safety clasp fastener - I have not seen any with clutch or screw backs.
Sets
These pins date to the 1940's and were awarded right up to the time of the merger with McDonnell Douglas.
The pins above are all in the same relative scale. Note that the 5 and 10 year pins are smaller and the wings are shorter compared with the others. I purchased the 5 to 30 year pins as a set - the 35 and 40 were added later. I have seen 5 and 10 year pins of a style similar to that represented by the 15+ year pins. It seems clear that the style represented by the above 5 and 10 year pins is an early variation.
Set of 5 through 25 years.
5 and 15 year pins in original boxes.
25 year pin. Note different placement of stones from the pin seen above.
35 year pin. Again, the placement of the stones differs from above.
45 year pin. 7 diamonds!
5 to 45 year pins. Note the 15 and 20 year pins are of the "stubby" style. I believe this to be a collection rather than an employee set.New Style
A set of employee pins. Note placement of the "stubbies". Looks like a real set to me.
An older set. If this is an actual employee set, it's a good one with the Stearman pin followed by the three old-style enamel Boeing pins. Also note the B-29 production award pins.
Boeing CanadaCurrent issue (post Boeing-MDC merger). Not jewelled, only the numerals change. Yay. Typical of the crap offered by companies in general today. Get a crappy pin and a crappy logo-branded alarm clock. Yay again. Credit to Boeing, though, for offering a service pin at all. I have a feeling that most of the Boeing service pins purchased on eBay are won by current Heritage Boeing employees.
25 year pin. First-issue with black paint. This lasted for about a year after it was first introduced.
15 year pin. Current issue.
Miscellaneous
Stearman 5 year pin.
ACTS. Not sure what this represents.
Wichita "Mosquito".
