Commemorative, Historical and Art Medals

59th Convention of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, Havana, 1931, a bronze shaped-shield badge, two shields over view of the Moro Castle, circle of fire-horns below, rev. stamped (Hecha en Cuba Vilardeso Hiera), 59 x 43mm; Centenary of the Havana to Bejucal Railway, 1937, crowned shield, rev., locomotive right, 55mm [2]. Extremely fine £80-100

Provenance: Bt I. Rudman April 1999.

Of the first Roehrs comments “The firemen of Latin America were mostly volunteers and were of the higher social order, thus an elite organization”. The 27.5 km Havana to Bejucal Railway was the first in Cuba and, indeed, Latin America, opened by the Compañia de Caminos de Hierro de La Habana. The railway also opened before any in the mother-country of Spain