Great 1930's Texaco Oil Co. Shipping Fleet Captain Hat Badge

Description

ARTIFACT: Great 1930's Texaco Oil Company Shipping Fleet Captain hat badge. The badge shows a nicely embroidered company flag logo in silk with a bullion wreath embellishment surrounding it and reads: "CAPTAIN" across the top in bullion detail. The center logo is a green flag with a white circle showing a red five point star in the center bearing the letter "T". During the 1930's and into 1940, Texaco's Chairman Torkild Reiber developed shipping routes and relationships with many European ports and oil distributors and was particularly sympathetic to Fascist countries. During the Spanish - American War Reiber provided oil to Franco's army and later bought oil tankers from Germany during the lead up to WWII. The last German tanker meant for Texaco was held back by the Germans under the concern that the tanker would be used against them in warfare. Reiber himself successfully negotiated with German Naval officials for the release of the ship, which the Germans allowed him to sail and deliver oil to neutral countries under a Panama flag. Reiber's association with German leaders was so intimate that Herman Goering met with him to pass a message to be delivered to Roosevelt regarding Berlin's plan for a European Union. Reiber's associations with Fascist leaders in Spain, Germany, and Colombia would ultimately lead to his forced resignation in 1940.
VINTAGE: Circa 1930's
SIZE: Approximately 3-3/8" x 2-11/16"
MATERIALS / CONSTRUCTION: Bullion and silk embroidered wool, padding, treated gauze backing
ATTACHMENT: N/A
MARKINGS: None.
ITEM NOTES: This is from a gas and oil collection which we will be listing more of over the next few months. VBJX16 LCDEX8/16
CONDITION: 7+ (Very Fine+): The badge shows moderate wear, the silk threads in the flag have faded a bit, the bullion details remain intact with handsome patina.
GUARANTEE: As with all my artifacts, this piece is guaranteed to be original, as described.