So here’s the story.......got a call from a collector in New Mexico about a double-sided Socony sign.....the nice folks at Matthews Auctions had given him my name and telephone number. He described it as a 21” hanging sign in good condition, so I asked that he send photos via email. When I got the pictures, my first thought was “now that’s odd”......the sign wasn’t anything like what I was expecting. Anyway, we made a deal and he sent the sign. After seeing the pictures, I decided it should be displayed as intended......from a hanging bracket. So I got a nice one from fellow oldgasser Sam Cooper. The sign and bracket arrived the same day, and the next day both were hung, as shown in the following photos.
Of course, the “odd” part is the Pegasus facing LEFT on one side and facing RIGHT on the other side. I don’t recall ever seeing another double-sided Mobil sign where that was the case. Actually, I have 60 double-sided signs, including station ID signs, curb signs, flanged signs, porcelain “globe” signs, lubester paddle signs, and inside display signs.....on all of them both sides are identical. And of course there’s also gas pump globes, which are really just another type of double-sided sign....all with identical lenses on both sides.
So now I start wondering about other brands......did any of them have signs with left and right facing images on opposite sides? Seems like it would only apply to brands that use a “character” logo with a front end and a back end, like an animal, vehicle, airplane, or something like that. Or maybe even a word with motion lines, like Ashland’s flying octanes logo. I don't pay that close attention to brands I don't collect, but I can't recall seeing any like this Socony sign.
Finally then, here are my questions: (1) Does anyone have a double-sided sign in their collection that has this type of “mirror” images, either Mobil or any other brand? (2) Has anyone seen this particular sign before? It measures 21” x 21”. Any thoughts on the subject would be appreciated.
Richard
