VINTAGE 1981 LIONS SPRUCE GOOSE / HOWARD HUGHES MULTI-PIECE TRADING PINOffered is an unusual and elaborate vintage 1981 Lions pin commemorating Howard Hughes’ legendary H-4 Hercules, better known as the “Spruce Goose.”This is much more elaborate than a standard lapel pin. The large multi-piece design incorporates colorful enamel-style elements, multiple Lions/service motifs and a dangling banner celebrating the Spruce Goose and its historic flight.Details visible on the piece include:* “PHOENIX ’81”
* Lions International emblem
* “WE SERVE”
* “I LOVE YOU” hand-symbol medallion
* Large depiction of the Hughes H-4 Hercules / Spruce Goose
* Historic aircraft registration NX37602
* “HOME OF SPRUCE GOOSE”
* “MAIDEN FLIGHT 11-2-47”
* Additional decorative Lions-related elements and dangling componentsThe unusual combination of Lions memorabilia and aviation history gives this piece excellent crossover appeal.Historical significanceThe aircraft pictured isn’t generic—the registration NX37602 identifies Howard Hughes’ actual H-4 Hercules. The enormous wooden flying boat was developed as a way to transport troops and materiel across the Atlantic while avoiding the German submarines threatening Allied shipping during World War II. Despite its famous “Spruce Goose” nickname, the aircraft was constructed primarily from laminated birch, not spruce. Only one H-4 was ever completed. The date prominently commemorated on this pin—11-2-47—is historically significant. On November 2, 1947, Howard Hughes personally piloted NX37602 during its first and only flight over Long Beach Harbor, California. The aircraft subsequently became closely associated with Long Beach. By the early 1980s it was placed on public display in a purpose-built dome adjacent to the Queen Mary. It remained a Long Beach attraction until the early 1990s before eventually being moved to Oregon, where it is preserved today. That makes the 1981 date on this pin especially interesting: it comes from essentially the same period in which the Spruce Goose was beginning its life as a major Long Beach public attraction.Collector selling pointsThis isn’t limited to one collecting category. I’d specifically market it toward Lions Club pin traders, Howard Hughes collectors, Spruce Goose collectors, aviation memorabilia collectors, Long Beach/Southern California collectors, vintage service-club memorabilia collectors and transportation-history collectors.The biggest selling point is the Spruce Goose imagery + NX37602 registration + actual November 2, 1947 flight date. Those details give the piece legitimate historical context rather than merely decorative airplane imagery.ConditionVintage pre-owned condition.Pin displays age-appropriate storage and handling wear. Enamel/color areas remain attractive overall, with possible surface scratches, scuffs, tarnishing, oxidation, discoloration and other signs of age.Multiple attached and dangling components remain present as shown. Pin-back hardware is present on the reverse.The example photographed remains inside an older plastic storage bag, which exhibits substantial wrinkling, scratches, cloudiness and general storage wear. An older handwritten $22.00 price sticker is also present on the bag.No cleaning, polishing or restoration has been performed.Please review all photographs carefully for design and condition.
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