Captain Midnight Decoder Radio Premium (1940)
This premium was sent to kids who listened to the
Captain Midnight radio show in 1940. Made of bronze, it
is the size of a large coin, bigger than a quarter.
Staring soberly through his goggles, Captain Midnight is flanked
by his sidekicks, Patsy Donovan and Chuck Ramsay, and
he prompts us to remember the password COBRALHOFA
for decoding those all-important secret messages
contained in each show.
On the back is
a clockface pointing to midnight, plus the logo of
his show's sponsor, Skelly Oil, and the legend Medal of Membership,
Captain Midnight Flight Patrol, 1940.
In addition to decoding messages, the Captain Midnight medal could be used as
a decision-maker. The center of the propellor is raised, so if you spin
the medal face-down, the clock hands on the back whirl around, eventually
slowing to point in a particular direction—according to the radio ads,
an invaluable aid for those tough choices, like picking kids for your
team.
If you have one of these, note that authorized reproductions were
manufactured in the 1970s. The reproductions have a little letter R inside the bottom of the Skelly logo.
You'll find a lot more about Captain Midnight, including
complete episodes for download and listening, at Jim Widner's
Captain Midnight Page.
I own one other radio premium, from the
Radio Orphan Annie
show.
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