Description
Tillerman is a fire occupation normally populated by only the most experienced and responsible of fire fighters, and this engravable coin makes the perfect gift for these remarkable fire fighting professionals.
The position developed with the addition of articulated ladder trucks to battle fires in cities with tall buildings and narrow streets. Such vehicles were too big to control with just one steering wheel. Working with the driver through hand signals and foot buzzers, the tillerman turns the vehicle crisply by swinging the back half away from the direction of the turn. This allows navigation of the long articulated ladder truck in much tighter quarters than possible with a conventional truck half the length, making the tillerman a true elite among truckmen.
The obverse of this coin focuses in on the intense concentration of a tillerman at his wheel as viewed from the front of the truck. The reverse features an area for engraving with room enough for a compliment, a boast, a credo, a date – any language appropriate for the man at the wheel. Minted from special deep-relief coining dies; struck from solid bronze; and hand-finished with an antique patina for exceptional quality and detail, the fire tillerman challenge coin pays homage to the tillermen whose unique skills and unquestioned teamwork make it possible for modern fire trucks to reach fires faster and fight them higher and more efficiently.
Each coin measures 1.75 inches (44mm) in diameter.
This is an NWTMINT surplus item.
