csalisbury

My Great Aunt just sent me a tiny lapel pin today that I am curious to see if anyone knows about them. It is about a half an inch across, it is a 56-7 emblem, it is gold with painted flags and under the emblem it says "owner". Has anyone seen these before?

Ron Miller

Sure, used to get one with every new Corvette you bought. Believe Chevrolet quit this about 1967 or so, but someone familiar with this & other special treatment you used to get will chime in.

I believe the originals were gold, since then reproductions have been made both in gold and gold look-alike.

csalisbury

Thanks Ron, that's what I was hoping somone would say. This one looks old and is stamped on the back with "M 1/5" and "10KDP". Hopefully it's an original.....

Ron Miller

Sure sounds like it, but I'm no authority. Bet there's one lurking nearby, however . . . . .

66BBDriver

I still have mine from a new '66 I bought. There was a card in the back of the owners manual that you sent back to Chevy. With this you got the Pin you are talking about, A owners card with your name and car vin number on it and a subscription to magazine that Chevy put out every three months. I sold the car when I got orders to south east asia, Mom thought she was being nice in forwording my mail, but that was one thing I could have waited for. I still have the Pin and the owners card. Firedog

Ol Blue

I received my kit with the purchase of my 63. I still have it,.....and the 63.

The magazine was Corvette News and I received it without cost for years and years. I think until it was replaced with Corvette Quarterly and then I had to pay for it.
Ol Blue

SebringBill

I'm looking at an original pin (that came with it's original blue/clear plastic box and blue-flecked cardboard interior) and that's exactly what it says on the reverse. I got this pin from a retired Chevrolet dealer in the mid 1980s before (I believe) any reproductions were made. He showed up at a Corvette show and began handing out pins and original patches leftover from Owner's Packets. I also got the original Owner's Card for his 63 conv.

In 1991, when I bought my 57 from the original owner's widow I received the 57 Owner's Packet with all the correct goodies including another pin; it, too has the same markings on the reverse.

Shultzie

These pins sound really cool! Can we see some pics? How would I get one of the originals for my '61?

Tom/99

csalisbury - If possible, would you post a picture of it, thanks.

csalisbury

neat stuff, thanks for all the responses, I knew you guys would have the answer. Now did the pin change according to the model year you bought or were they all the same 56-7 emblem?

Schultzie, I tried to take a photo, but you would need a macro lense to get any detail, which I don't have for my digital.

bigcypress

i also got a pin in 66,think my wife still has it.corvette news was monthly at that time [and free].gave about 70 issues to a guy in new jersey couple of years ago [brian skelton,i think].bc

SWCDuke

Filling out and sending in the bingo card from the owner's manual as stated above got you the lapel pin, owner's wallet card, a jacket patch with the crossed flags and "Chevrolet Corvette", and a subscription to Corvette News.

Some of my high school classmates thought that my red windbreaker with with Corvette patch was arrogant, but they all knew that I earned the funds to buy the car.

That was my high school "letter jacket".

Duke

Ironcross

Only available when you bought the car new as a curtesy package. I have three of the pins from my 61, 62, and 63. One of which does not have "owner" inscribed on the bottom of the pin and I have never seen another like it. Also included in the original packet was an ID card with your name and serial number of the Vette. A Corvette patch and a subscription to The Corvette News completed the kit. I saw in Corvette Centrals book that they have reproductions available in brass only, no longer available in gold

JohnZ

Yup, that's an original - here's mine (and the owner card) from the '65 coupe I bought new:

steinboy56

Keep your eyes on the pin. I sold a 64 pin for the original owner. It went for around $175 on ebay

csalisbury

Thanks again guys, I knew you would have the answers

Ron Miller

Interesting, John. My '65 A/C coupe is only 20 cars apart from yours (and only one digit difference in the serial number), #106209. And was sold new in Kearney, Nebraska, I'm pretty sure.

Cruzmeisters

When I bought my '62 in 1967, I wrote to GM Chevy Vette division & requested a subscription; they sent them monthly - for FREE - until they came out with "CORVETTE QUARTERLY". I paid/subscribed for a few years. I saved all the copies; nice to scan through them every few years. Coupla years ago, a CF member was looking for a picture taken by his Dad's friend; I looked through my issues & was able to scan/send him the page(s) he was looking for I also scanned/sent SUPERFAST80 many pages for his web site. Is he still around? I haven't noticed any posts from him recently (but haven't looked hard, either )
Cruz

Chuck Gongloff

A number of years ago, Tony, from Tony's Corvette Shop in Gaithersburg, MD reproduced these owners pins. If my memory isn't failing me, I believe he did them both in gold and brass/copper.

Don't know if he still does them. Don't know if he still has any. Don't remember if there were any differences between his reproduction and the original. Chuck

Doughan

I have an original and a reproduction. I believe all of the originals have the inscription MI/5 10KDP. The repro does not have any marking on the back.