John Deere Parts Depot Denver 9 Yr EMPLOYEE Safety Award 1997 Pewter Belt Buckle

JOHN  DEERE PARTS DEPOTDENVER, COLORADO1997Hand Painted  PewterBELT  BUCKLELIMITED EDITION - SERIAL NUMBER 14 of 33The buckle in this listing was awarded to employees after 9 years in the Denver Parts Depot's Safety Program.   It was never available for sale & was awarded only to John Deere Parts Depot Denver employees of the safety program in that time period.This buckle is the 6th (last) buckle that was in the series. It features a blacksmith shop on the front.  The blacksmith is working on an anvil.  The colors red, blue, green & brown are all hand painted into the scene.  It also has a (3D) three dimensional appearance.It Measures Approx. 3.25" X 2.25"Made in the USA The following information is from the Toy Farmer Magazine - "The John Deere DENVER Parts Depot had been in operation since the 1930's and was located in Denver, Colorado.  It serviced 10 states including Arizona, Kansas, Colorado, Nebraska, Idaho, New Mexico, Montana, Utah & El Paso, Texas.  At one time the Denver Parts Depot shipped all ordered parts to the John Deere dealers in those states.  For the last 15 years prior to 2003, it serviced emergency downtime machine parts to these areas.  This service get the needed parts to the location in the fastest possible way.  In 1989 the Denver Parts Depot implemented a Safety Program.  It was an incentive program for employees to work the entire year without a lost-time injury.  After meeting the requirement for the first three years, an award buckle was designed and given to each employee for the fourth year of the program.  The buckles continued through the ninth year of the program.  A ring was then given for the 10th year. Approximately 33 employees were involved in the program over the 10-year period.     THESE JOHN DEERE COLLECTIBLE BUCKLES ARE VERY RARE AND HARD TO FIND! THIS IS THE ONLY ONE LIKE IT WE HAVE EVER SEEN OR HAD.Inventory no. 3372Stand not included - used for pictures only.FREE shipping if in USA.WE SHIP WORLD WIDE! Any package shipped to a location outside the USA, will pay higher shipping.International Buyers – Please Note:Import duties, taxes, and charges are not included in the item price or shipping cost. These charges are the buyer's responsibility.Please check with your country's customs office to determine what these additional costs will be prior to bidding or buying.If you are interested in Tractors & Farm or Construction Equipment, please check out my store & other auctions.THANKS FOR LOOKING!