Cean receives first honorary coin from city

A piece of military distinction that has crept its way into civilian life is now a part of Franklin D. Cean's collection of honors.

The retiring owner of Knowlton Technologies, Engineered Composites & Media received the first coin minted by the city of Watertown and now being given to people who have demonstrated outstanding commitment to the community.

After watching military brass hand out the personalized coins to worthy recipients, Watertown City Manager Mary M. Corriveau and Mayor Jeffrey E. Graham decided to have 300 coins minted to be distributed as a token of the city's appreciation.

The face of the coin is embossed with the city seal. The back is a statue of Hebe, the goddess of hospitality, a replica of the one scheduled to be erected in Public Square when the reconstruction project winds down in the fall.

"It's another way to say thank you," Mrs. Corriveau said.

So what future prospects will receive a coin?

"I've suggested we develop a criteria, because the value of the coins are measured by amount given," Mrs. Corriveau said. "Here we have a man who has dedicated 43 years of his life to the longest-operating paper mill in the country and it's here in the center of Watertown. This is in recognition of his retirement and his contributions to the community."

Mr. Cean began working at the mill in 1965 and purchased it in 1987. Since taking over, he has turned the mill from a company with $2.5 million in sales to one with about $31 million in sales last year.

The coins took hold in the U.S. military in World War I and are now widely used as a form of recognition. Also known as challenge coins, they were given to members of a unit as a symbol of allegiance and loyalty.

Two U.S. War College coins hang on the city manager's office wall, gifts she received in 2001 for attending a seminar that involves civilian guests in face-to-face discussions with senior military officers at the Carlisle Barracks, Pa., school.

"They'll be handed out very sparingly," Mr. Graham said. "We're keeping a book, or ledger, of who we're giving them out to and when and why."