Shell Collecting At Its Finest... Tracking Down Rare Shell Oil Badges & Pins

Mar/Apr 2025 edition
Issue #39 AutoMobilia Resource Magazine
​by Rudy Le Coadic

My Shell badge obsession started three years ago. Since then I have added close to 30 items to my Shell collection. Interestingly, the first ones were fairly easy to obtain, but suddenly my finds slowed down to a trickle, even though my search intensified. In the past year I’ve only been able to add four or five items, mainly due to already having the ones I was being offered, poor condition, or just a style that didn’t appeal to me. I expect to find just one or two this year, but you never know. 

Shell refinery employee identification badges may have a photo on the front and sometimes the fingerprint of the employee on back. These badges range from $85 to $300, with the oldest (without photos), being the most valuable and hardest to find.

There is no telling how many different designs of the Shell hat and uniform badges were produced, and I don’t intend to find them all. The company does business worldwide, with different designs from country to country, era to era, and even state to state. In all, the many variations are endless. My collection focuses on the early larger badges, typically 3" or larger, though some of the smaller ones, which are typically 1" to 2", are equally nice. Badges up to the late 1940s are the toughest to find, the most sought after, and of course the priciest. You can expect to pay between $150 and $500 depending on rarity, materials, condition and design. The finest, earliest, most detailed and cloisonné enameled examples are the toughest ones to find.

​I have divided my badges into several categories, including hat and uniform badges for station attendants, which are generally larger and in the shape of the shell. Sales representative pins are much smaller and more discreet, often used as a lapel or tie pin. Refinery employee identification may have a photo on the front and sometimes the fingerprint of the employee on the back. Earlier examples have only the name of the refinery and an employee number. 

Featured on the cover of this issue (AutoMobilia #39): In the middle is a large 3.5" Shell Approved Service badge, which is a very tough one to find. It is normally quite colorful, but this one was in a fire and has lost all its paint, along with the name tag window at the bottom. One in excellent condition would be valued at $400 to $500.

There is no telling just how many different designs of the Shell hat and uniform badges were produced. Badges made up to the late 1940s are the toughest to find, the most sought after, and of course are also the priciest. The badges seen here are valued at $150 to $500.

An assortment of small (0.5" to 0.75") lapel buttonhole badges and tie pins that were generally worn by sales representatives. Values range from $25 to $75. 

Three very scarce late 1930s to 1940s hat badges, finished in cloisonné enamel and most colorful, measuring 1.5" to 1.75". Values range from $350 to $450.

These two 1950s Shell Aeroshell badges are 3.5" long and were used by airport refueling crew The top badge is for a hat, with slightly curved wings. The lower one is for a jacket; note the back plate to be fitted behind the fabric to keep the badge from tipping forward. Valued at $200-$400.

My most expensive Shell badges to date are these 2.5" mid-1910s to early-1920s cloisonné examples. The back of one has a stud for a hat, and the other has a pin for a uniform. You can expect to pay $400 to $500 for one of these in near perfect condition. 

Safe driving badges are tough to find and usually priced in the $100 to $300 range depending on condition, and are larger compared to more commonly available and very small service pins, for which a greater number of years of service determines the amount and type of precious jewels on the front. These items are usually 10k gold, and the higher the number of years, the more scarce and valuable they are, ranging from $25 to $300. 

I prefer badges that were used for the U.S., but I am more than happy to also include foreign badges. I am still looking for early examples. I have seen some in collections, and of course some are still unknown to me. I need an upgrade on my large badge marked “Approved Shell Service,” because it is missing all of its paint and the bottom tag that would have held the name tag. There is also a much smaller version of this badge that I have yet to find.
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I’m very grateful to the many collectors, friends, and dealers on the lookout for these items. Don’t hesitate to contact me if you have one that you believe is special. I’m always interested in adding to my collection.

​Rudy Le Coadic

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