The History of the Marathon Credit Card

On August 1, 1887, in Lima, Ohio, the Ohio Oil Company was founded. The company was purchased by the Rockefeller interests in 1889 and became a subsidiary of The Standard Oil Trust. In 1911, the Standard Oil Trust was broken up and the Ohio Oil Company became independent.

The first paper credit card

The company’s first paper credit card was issued in 1920. It was a paper card and was issued under the name Transcontinental Oil Company. It was valid for the purchase of Marathon gasoline and oils. Shortly thereafter, the Ohio Oil Company purchased the Lincoln Oil Company (LINCO). 

The LINCO and Marathon trademarks were used on the paper cards through the 1940s. The Ohio Oil Company issued its last paper credit card bearing an expiration date of December 31, 1953.

Metal charge plate

In 1954, the Ohio Oil Company issued a slightly oversized metal charge plate. This was followed by a smaller princess sized metal plate. This princess-sized plate was carried over to the first plastic credit card issued in the late 1950s. This card was valid at Ohio Oil Company stations as well as Speedway, Atlantic, Carter, and SuperTest service stations. 

The full-sized plastic credit card

Shortly thereafter, they acquired Speedway Petroleum and issued a joint Ohio Oil Company/Speedway Petroleum credit card. On August 1, 1962, the Ohio Oil Company changed its name to Marathon Oil Company to unify its trade name and to give recognition to growth of operations beyond the state of Ohio. 

At the same time, Marathon introduced its first full sized plastic credit card.

A timeline of the Marathon credit card evolution

Between 1962 and 1987, the Marathon card has been changed eleven times. These cards are listed as follows:

The 1960s

  • In 1962, Marathon Oil Company issued its first full sized plastic card with the “Big M” marketing logo on it. It was a non-expiring card, embossed with a barcode which was used to mechanically capture the numeric identification for customers’ invoices. The card was gold and white and was valid at Marathon, Speedway, Enco, Atlantic, SuperTest, and Flying A stations.
  • In the mid 1960s, Marathon issued the non-expiring gold card. It was valid at Marathon, Atlantic, Lion, Richfield, Enco, SuperTest, and Flying A stations.
  • In the late 1960s, they changed the reverse of the above card and removed the Atlantic and Richfield exchange company logos. The front of the card remained the same.

The 1970s

  • In 1970, Marathon issued the blue and gold card. This card had an expiration date embossed on the front and a signature block on the reverse of the card. This card was valid at Marathon, Skelly, Esso, Enco, Humble, Lion, Getty, and Imperial Esso stations.
  • In 1972, the blue and gold card was updated on the reverse. The Esso, Enco, and Humble logos were removed and replaced with the Exxon logo. The front of the card remained the same.
  • In 1975, an expiring gold and white card was issued. The card was valid at Marathon, Exxon, Skelly, Getty, and Imperial Esso stations. From this point on, every three years in the spring, a new style card was issued.
  • In 1978, a pictorial card with trees against a blue sky was issued. The exchange companies, on the reverse, remained the same.

The 1980s

  • In 1981, a mountain lake pictorial card was issued. The Getty and Skelly logos were removed from the reverse of the card. The card was only valid at Marathon, Exxon and Imperial Esso stations.
  • On January 7, 1982, U.S. Steel bought the Marathon Oil Company. The name of the company was changed to Marathon Petroleum Company which necessitated the above card to be reissued in the new name.
  • In 1984, Marathon Petroleum Company issued a pictorial card of Market Square, Toledo, Ohio. A magnetic stripe was added to this card.
  • In the spring of 1987, Marathon issued its centennial card celebrating the 100 year period: 1887 through 1987.

Find out more about collecting credit cards, including Marathon credit cards, here.

Copyright by Greg Turks 1987

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Frequently asked questions

You can find out the value of old credit cards by checking how much similar cards sell for. There are several ways to do this.

The simplest way to determine the value of old credit cards is to ask an experienced collector. If you submit an inquiry via our contact form, we can connect you with an expert who can assist you and point out if there is anything rare or unusual in your collection.

Alternatively, you can become a member of the American Credit Card Collectors Society. Membership in our credit card collecting club provides access to resources and knowledgeable members who can help. Benefits of membership include access to a gallery containing thousands of cards with historical pricing information, and access to our entire collection of newsletters, from 1994 through the present day.

You can look at recent sales on auction sites, however, there are some considerations to keep in mind when doing this. Firstly, it’s important to look at selling prices, rather than asking prices. Selling prices are the prices people actually paid, while asking prices can be very different. Secondly, historical sales on some sites are only saved for 3 months, so you may not find something that exactly matches what you have. Thirdly, it is sometimes possible to see rare or unusual cards sell for lower prices than they should have because people do not understand their worth, the ads don't do justice to the card, they're listed in the wrong category, or any combination thereof.

There are always people in our club who are actively buying cards. Collectors tend to focus on a niche, like gas cards or retail cards, or they might focus on a slightly broader area, like bank cards or travel and entertainment cards. Many of the rarest or most unusual cards will exchange hands in private sales. Please contact us if you are thinking of selling your collection.

You can also sell your old credit cards on online marketplaces. You will get the highest price if you sell each of your cards individually, although this approach requires the most effort. At the opposite end of the effort scale would be selling all cards as a job lot, an approach which typically results in the lowest price on a per-card basis. Halfway between these two approaches would be to group cards into different categories and to sell these individual groups, e.g., BankAmericard, Master Charge, oil and gas, retail, and so on.

To join the club, visit the membership section and complete the registration form. You can pay by check or PayPal. We offer annual or lifetime memberships. If you have any questions please contact us via the form on our website.

Credit cards are more worthwhile collecting if they are rare, in good condition, have historical significance, or are associated with famous personalities or events. Valuable modern cards might include those that are difficult to obtain, such as American Express Centurion (a.k.a. ‘black’) cards, while older credit cards might include early independent bank cards, American Express, Diners Club, or BankAmericard (Visa) cards from the 50s/early 60s, or Master Charge (MasterCard) cards from the late 60s. Rare or unusual cards can also be sought after, such as those issued in small numbers, like small independent department stores or gas stations, or cards with appealing aesthetics.

Consulting with other collectors or experts in the club can provide valuable insights. Contact us for more information via the form on our website.

We do not offer an appraisal service in a traditional sense (such services are normally a paid service) but we can connect you with an expert who should be able to assist for free and point out anything rare or unusual in your collection. The simplest way to do this is to submit an inquiry via our contact form.

The American Credit Card Collectors Society accepts donations and is most grateful for any we receive. When donations happen, we strive to find good homes for cards where they will be looked after, matching cards with collectors who will appreciate them. The club may charge members a nominal fee for donated cards, and the proceeds are offset against the running costs of our club. We are a non-profit organization. Running costs include expenses like our convention and website hosting. Donations are most popular for people getting out of the hobby, or when someone has inherited a collection and doesn’t know what to do with it.

If you wish to donate your collection, please contact us via the contact form above.

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