Charles Engelhard, Jr. (1917-1971) was an American industrialist and resident of the Cragwood Estate in Far Hills. Many writers mention that Engelhard may have been the model for Ian Fleming’s Goldfinger and recount the lavish parties Charles and his wife Jane threw for friends and neighbors. But Engelhard was a successful businessman and expanded the international precious metals company he inherited from his father.
Engelhard Industries helped create precious-metal products including catalytic converters and U.S. coinage. The company operated at several locations in New Jersey including Newark and Iselin. Pictured above is a paperweight made to commemorate Engelhard’s silver/copper ply-metal used for the 1965 Kennedy half dollar. A sample of the ply-metal is encased above the coin.
Charles W. Engelhard, Jr. is buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Basking Ridge. His father, Charles Sr. (1867-1950) rests at St. Bernards Cemetery in Bernardsville.
Below is a photo from the Engelhard corporate dinner of 1941 (gift of Edward Sholander).
My grandfather used to work for Charlie Engelhard. I believe this was the final project he (my grandfather) worked on before he retired. In the late ‘60’s. We have a similar Kennedy half dollar that was given to him.
Production of the silver/copper ply-metal that wouldn’t separate was a real challenge, so the company issued these paperweights to celebrate its contribution to the project.
My Father-in-Law worked as a bookkeeper for Irvington Smelting & Refining in the 40’s & 50’s. He retired in 1956. Going thru some old pictures in my attic I found one. It is dated 1941 and has a comment stating ENGLHARD INDUSTRIES 50th Anniversary, Dec. 6, 1941. I was looking for an address that I could send it to. My father-in-law’s name was Otto Herman Frank.
You can mail it to The Historical Society of the Somerset Hills, P.O. Box 136, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920. We’ll post it here and try to find a more permanent home for it. Thanks.
Thank You for the address. The picture in it’s present state is 10″ x 18″, not framed but in a roll.
I will mail it to the address you provided.
I was browsing for info on Englehard for a gold deal that we are tangentially involved with…came across this article.
My ex-girlfriend lived next door to Cragwood on Ravine Lake Road. (We are still good friends).
Perhaps more interesting is the fact that we flew Jane Englehard from Morristown to Naples for the winter months (late ’80’s), then returned her and her “entourage” to Cragwood in the spring.
We managed/flew a Gulfstream which Jane chartered.
She was a delightful person and very generous. Jane did not travel “light”…we had quite the group on board…chefs / driver / piano player / hairdresser / manicurist / housekeeper…some stayed for the duration, some flew home to Newark in the usual cattle cars.