Melvin Purvis badge - 11/25

Michiganne

Silver Member
Mar 27, 2007
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SW Michigan
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I was fortunate to be invited to hunt a really fine site with my friend Ron. Lots of wooded acres, former 1800's farm, several old foundations, plus lake frontage...I call it "MDer's Nirvana." :laughing7: Anyhow, Ron and I both found several wheats but couldn't sniff out any silver this time. My best find was the Melvin Purvis Junior G-Man corps badge. Melvin Purvis was a successful FBI agent who led the manhunts that caught outlaws such as Baby Face Nelson, Pretty Boy Floyd, and John Dillinger. Neat history, I'll include more at the bottom. Ron gave me a quart milk bottle he found at the last foundation. Is it hard to read, but says "Cloverleaf Dairy Company, Gary, IN." Oh, and found my nicest Prince Albert tobacco container. :)

HH and thanks for looking,
Michiganne

After leaving the Federal Bureau of Investigation and a brief stint in Hollywood, Melvin Purvis hosted a children’s radio program called “Junior G-Men” in 1936. Purvis had become a national hero for his record as an FBI agent during the so-called "war on crime" in the early 1930s, most notably for leading the manhunt that ended with the death of John Dillinger. As a result of this fame, Purvis was seen as a real-life counterpart to the fictional detectives, such as Dick Tracy, that proliferated in the popular culture targeting boys during this period. As part of the radio program, listeners could join a "Junior G-Men" club and receive badges, manuals, and secret agent props. Shortly thereafter, Purvis became the face of breakfast cereal Post Toasties promotional detective club. The cereal company’s fictional “Inspector Post” and his “Junior Detective Corps” metamorphosed into an image of Purvis inviting boys and girls to become “secret operators” in his “Law and Order Patrols.”

As a result of this mass exposure, Junior G-Men clubs sprouted up throughout the United States and Canada as a "law and order" themed alternative to the Boy Scouts. Junior G-Men clubs found support from police departments and non-profit organizations that saw them as a means of combating juvenile delinquency. The clubs structured children's time with activities designed to instill law-abiding attitudes, as reflected in their slogan "It's easier to build boys than to mend men."
 

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Erik in NJ

Silver Member
Oct 4, 2010
4,037
3,043
The Garden State
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Nice finds Anne! That Melvin Purvis badge is cool--better than a Melvin Douglas badge :laughing7:
 

cambria09

Bronze Member
Jun 10, 2012
1,838
3,840
Florida
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Hello Michiganne. That badge is farout and solid! Coins are great and I love to find 'em, but I really enjoy seeing and finding odd items that have a story with them. Thanks for posting and good hunting to you.

C9
 

the bone

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Jul 8, 2012
153
127
michigan
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bounty hunter tracker IV
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Badge is cool, milk bottle is cool, the prince albert cans is cool, heck this whole hunt is cool! :icon_thumright:
 

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